The University of Luxembourg has created a new chair of digital financial services to lead research into the development of the country’s financial and technology sector.
Professor Gilbert Fridgen, who previously worked in several German government bodies and is considered an expert in blockchain technology and systems engineering, will begin the post in January next year.
The position is funded by PayPal and Luxembourg’s national research fund – the FNR – as part of a programme to recruit researchers from abroad.
Fridgen’s research group will focus on understanding the digital transformation of the fintech sector with the advancement of technologies such as blockchain, which can be used to store records digitally, or for cryptocurrency payments such as Bitcoin.
The university has 14 similar public-private partnerships, with companies in Luxembourg’s financial sector, which aim to facilitate technological developments in the country.