New Centre of Excellence for digital trust launched by industry leaders and academic experts

Leading experts in technology and finance including CHEDDAR’s Muhammad A. Imran and Qammer H. Abbasi have come together to launch a new Scottish Centre of Excellence for digital trust, designed to enhance the safety and resilience of the digital world.

Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) will host the Scottish Centre of Excellence in Digital Trust and Distributed Ledger Technology in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, and Fintech Scotland, with initial funding provided by Scottish Enterprise.

The Centre is part of a broader vision to establish Scotland as a global leader in digital trust innovation, benefiting industries such as financial services, healthcare, and more.

As infrastructure, data, and transactions increasingly shift online, digital trust technology plays a vital role in strengthening security and resilience while mitigating threats such as cybercrime.

By taking an industry-led approach, the Centre will tackle real-world challenges in digital trust and distributed ledger technologies, delivering tangible benefits to the financial services sector and beyond. The initiative aims to foster new start-ups and spin-out companies while also collaborating with established firms.

Based at ENU, the Centre will unite two other leading research labs focused on digital trust technologies at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Developed alongside FinTech Scotland, the Centre’s initial two-year plan will focus on delivering practical research and skills training to support industry-led research calls in areas such as digital payments, digital assets, and digital identity.

Professor Bill Buchanan, from ENU’s School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment and Director of the Centre, stated:

“Scotland has the opportunity to lead the way in digital trust technology.

“We have digitised much of our work, but critical aspects of privacy, security, and resilience still require deeper understanding.

“Advancements in computing technology will introduce new risks to existing methods of establishing digital trust, making the Centre’s work even more crucial.”

Nanik Ramchandani, CEO of the Centre, highlighted:

“This marks a major step forward for Scotland and lays the groundwork for enhancing digital trust.

“In a world where the dark side of AI makes it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake, continued innovation in privacy-preserving technologies is essential.”

Nicola Anderson, CEO of FinTech Scotland, commented:

“The new Centre of Excellence in Digital Trust is another key initiative showcasing Scotland’s leadership in fintech and digital innovation.

“This initiative aligns with the FinTech Research and Innovation Roadmap, fostering the development of new technologies that will shape the future of finance and the wider economy.”

Derek Shaw, Director of Scaling Innovation at Scottish Enterprise, added:

“Scotland has a competitive global edge in industries like fintech.

“Establishing a Centre of Excellence in Digital Trust Technologies builds on this strength by creating an environment that encourages collaboration between industry and academia, fostering disruptive technologies, investment opportunities, scalable businesses, and job creation.”

Professor Aggelos Kiayias, Chair in Cyber Security and Privacy at the University of Edinburgh, remarked:

“At the University of Edinburgh’s Blockchain Technology Laboratory, we are excited to contribute to the Digital Trust Centre of Excellence.

“This initiative represents a critical step in advancing secure and trustworthy technologies that address pressing societal and industry challenges on a global scale.”

Professor Muhammad Imran, Head of School at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, said:

“This initiative comes at a pivotal moment, as digital trust becomes fundamental to our digital future.

“It will support our commitment to ensuring the resilience, security, and widespread adoption of transformative technologies. At the University of Glasgow, we will contribute our expertise to this vital initiative, driving innovation that shapes industries and improves lives worldwide.”

Running initially for two years, the Centre of Excellence will integrate the expertise of ENU’s Blockpass ID Lab, the University of Edinburgh’s Blockchain Technology Lab, and the University of Glasgow’s Trustworthy Connected Systems Lab.

During this period, the Centre will aim to establish a world-leading hub for knowledge exchange, innovation, and skills development, translating into increased jobs, talent, company creation, and economic growth in Scotland.

Although based at ENU, the Centre’s reach extends across the UK and internationally. It will serve as a hub for innovation supporting sectors including finance, energy, healthcare, and public services.

The Centre’s objectives align with the 2022 FinTech Research and Innovation Roadmap published by FinTech Scotland, which underscores the significance of advancing technologies in digital payments, digital identity, and secure digital assets, as well as the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework.