Gillmore Centre forges transatlantic proptech research engine with University of Delaware

Warwick Business School’s Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology has launched a major transatlantic partnership with the University of Delaware's Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, establishing a powerful new research engine dedicated to advancing proptech.

The strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formally launched at the Gillmore Centre’s flagship FutureFinance.AI Proptech conference, setting the stage for a collaborative initiative aimed at unlocking the transformative potential of proptech.

The partnership creates a formal framework to tackle some of the most pressing challenges at the intersection of finance, property, and technology.

The collaboration will focus on several key areas designed to foster deep, impactful research:

• Joint research and publications: Developing cutting-edge research projects and co-authoring influential publications
• Academic exchange: Facilitating the exchange of faculty and researchers to foster the cross-pollination of ideas
• Visiting scholars’ programme: Hosting distinguished scholars to deepen research ties
• Shared knowledge platforms: Co-organising international seminars and academic conferences.

Building a dedicated engine for innovation

Ram Gopal, Professor of Information Systems Management and Director of the Gillmore Centre, highlighted the significance of launching the partnership at the Centre's conference. "Launching this partnership at our FutureFinance.AI conference is deeply symbolic," he said.

"By combining the strengths of the Gillmore Centre and Lerner College, we are building a dedicated engine for innovation. This is about creating research with real-world impact for the property and finance sectors."

He elaborated on the complementary strengths of the two institutions: "Lerner College's strengths in data analytics and economic modelling are a perfect complement to our work in AI and blockchain for finance. This isn't just an agreement on paper; it's a commitment to building a joint research pipeline that will tackle fundamental questions about value, risk, and transparency in the property market."

A WBS partnership to explore new frontiers

The MoU establishes a clear pathway for research-led collaboration, with initial oversight led by Professor Gopal at the Gillmore Centre and Oliver Yao, Dean of the University of Delaware's Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Gillmore Centre, a recognised leader in fintech research," said Dr Yao.

"This alliance allows us to leverage our collective expertise to explore new frontiers in financial technology, with immediate relevance to the proptech themes being discussed at this groundbreaking conference."

The partnership at the start of the conference serves as a model for such collaboration. The event brings together industry leaders and researchers to co-design solutions, with the first day featuring dynamic discussions on data-driven valuation, smart contracts, and AI in real estate.

The second day, titled PropTech and FinTech Frontiers, will showcase how academic partnerships translate into action, featuring frontier research from leading scholars in the UK, US, and Singapore.

This strategic alliance with the University of Delaware firmly reinforces the Gillmore Centre's position at the forefront of global fintech and PropTech discourse.

Further reading:

Proptech revolution hampered by lack of high-quality data

Preparing for the AI revolution in real estate

Why the UK needs to create a fintech ecosystem

Why AI could transform peer-to-peer lending for investors

Ram Gopal is Professor of Information Systems Management and Director of the Gillmore Centre for Financial Technology. He lectures on Digital Transformation on the Executive MBA and Global Online MBA.

Learn more about fintech on the new MSc Financial Technology.

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