{"id":228116,"date":"2026-03-10T16:39:40","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T20:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/?post_type=content&p=228116"},"modified":"2026-03-10T16:39:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T20:39:40","slug":"how-interac-brought-students-into-the-conversation-on-the-future-of-payments","status":"publish","type":"content","link":"https:\/\/www.interac.ca\/en\/content\/working-at-interac\/how-interac-brought-students-into-the-conversation-on-the-future-of-payments\/","title":{"rendered":"How Interac brought students into the conversation on the future of payments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Michelle Cochrane, Innovation Lead at Interac and Fidel Romero, Workforce Operations Leader at Interac have been grappling with a very specific question: What could we learn if students from across the country participated in conversations about the future of payments in Canada?   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Interac, we are focused on helping Canadians move faster in a digital world. And as emerging technologies reshape how people live, work, and pay, student voices are helping to define that future.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is the U-Innovate Challenge?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U-Innovate Challenge, developed in partnership with TECHNATION, invited post-secondary students from across the country to imagine what payments could look like in a world powered by agentic AI.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

U-Innovate brought together students, industry experts, and Interac leaders in a national innovation challenge. This went beyond the traditional case competition, where students analyze a business case and present solutions. Instead, the U-Innovate Challenge gave students hands-on exposure to emerging technologies, direct access to industry mentors, and opportunities to join important conversations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To scale the idea nationally, Interac worked with TECHNATION, leveraging its established platform and post-secondary network to reach students coast-to-coast. Over 120 students participated from universities and colleges across seven provinces, from Newfoundland to British Columbia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why does Interac invest in student innovation through U-Innovate?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interac built U-Innovate around two core objectives: <\/p>\n\n\n\n