TalkingTech Scotland: Innovation in Focus
Description
Join the Investment Association and Deloitte in Edinburgh for a high‑level briefing on the technologies reshaping investment management.
We’ll set the scene with a keynote on Scotland’s fintech ecosystem before highlighting the IA’s innovation portfolio and showcasing where members are realising value now. Expect a practical session on Tokenisation, a candid AI in Investment Management discussion on real‑world productivity and controls, plus short spotlights on Resilience and Quantum, enabling you to leave with a clear view of near‑term priorities and longer‑horizon signals.
PRICING
IA Members: Free to attend
Non-members: £75.00 (exc. VAT)
AGENDA
14:00 Registration and Networking
14:30 Welcome
A quick run‑through of the agenda, safety notices, and a brief interactive activity to set the scene
- Henry Bewley, FinTech Manager, The Investment Association
14:40 Opening Keynote
This keynote frames the afternoon in the context of Scotland’s FinTech strengths and the investment industry’s current inflection points. We’ll touch on the ingredients that drive competitive clusters, policy direction, skills, capital, and anchor institutions, and show how asset and wealth managers can convert that environment into tangible outcomes: faster innovation cycles, piloting at lower risk, and adoption that sticks.
- Clare Reid, Strategic Innovation Director, FinTech Scotland
14:50 Innovation at the IA Overview
- Jonathan Lipkin, Director, Policy, Strategy & Innovation, Policy, Strategy & Innovation, The Investment Association
- John Allan, Director Innovations and Operations Unit, The Investment Association & Director Engine
- Henry Bewley, FinTech Manager, The Investment Association
15:20 Tokenisation 101
A practical primer designed for industry participants and leaders. We’ll demystify fund tokenisation and adjacent models, then focus on operating impacts. We’ll summarise where the UK and international direction of travel is pointing, what that implies for pilots, and which use cases determine pace. Expect concrete examples of where firms are starting, and the governance questions to consider before moving beyond proof‑of‑concept.
- Moderator: John Allan, Director Innovations and Operations Unit, The Investment Association & Director Engine
- Caroline Ironside, Senior Legal Counsel, BaillieGifford
- Kara Kennedy, Global Co-Head of Kinexys, JPMorgan
15:40 AI in Investment Management - What is creating value now?
An informed overview of where firms are winning with AI, the operating‑model shifts it drives, and how leaders are managing risk. We’ll discuss the people and process changes that actually unlock value and the control framework that keeps adoption safe, model risk management, testing and monitoring, data privacy, prompt hygiene, human‑in‑the‑loop and auditability.
- Moderator: James King, Head of Resilience, The Investment Association
- Dimitri Tsopanakos, Partner, Deloitte
16:00 Spotlight Session - Quantum
A simple primer on quantum computing: what it is, where it might help first, and what’s still years away. You’ll get advice on sensible “no‑regrets” steps this year, learn the basics, identify one or two potential use‑cases, and keep an eye on partner activity without overspending.
- Moderator: Henry Bewley, FinTech Manager, The Investment Association
- Craig Skeldon, Head of Business & Operations, Quantum Software Lab, The University of Edinburgh
16:10 Spotlight Session - Resilience
A concise, practitioner‑oriented look at key operational resilience considerations. We’ll focus on identifying important business services and mapping end‑to‑end dependencies. You’ll hear practical tips for supplier due diligence and continuous assurance, and ideas for incident response that link technology teams, operations and client comms.
- James King, Head of Resilience, The Investment Association
- Lucy Gemmill, Director, Reputation, Risk, Crisis & Resilience, Deloitte
16:20 Closing Remarks
How to stay involved, upcoming opportunities, and where today’s conversations continue.
- Henry Bewley, FinTech Manager, The Investment Association
16:30 Networking Drinks
18:00 End
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
Designed for leaders across investment, operations, technology, risk and policy who want an actionable overview rather than a deep dive.
Anyone interested in the event topic.
WHY ATTEND
- Get a clear view of what’s delivering value now across AI, tokenisation, resilience and emerging technologies
- Understand Scotland’s fintech ecosystem and where real innovation is happening across the investment landscape
- Cut through the noise on AI and focus on what is driving productivity today
- Learn how firms are approaching tokenisation in practice, not just theory
- Identify near term priorities and longer term signals to inform your strategy
- Hear directly from industry peers on how they are implementing and governing new technologies
SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS
Why Sponsor?
Topic Authority:
TalkingTechs are Engine’s most focused events, each dedicated to a single, high-impact theme. This makes them a prime opportunity to align your brand with cutting-edge thought leadership across an array of topics
Elite Audience Access:
These events attract a curated group of asset management professionals, including senior leaders from IA member firms. Sponsorship ensures visibility among those driving innovation within our dynamic community.
Premium Sponsorship Benefits:
Sponsorship opportunities include standalone presentations, panel participation, branding across event materials and the website, access to the delegate list, logo placement in the digital brochure and more. This ensures your brand is not only present but actively engaged in the event’s narrative and networking.
For more details on sponsorship packages, you can contact the IA at Events@theia.org
Event kindly hosted by
