It might not be the most glamorous area of research but the way creditors collect the money owed to them can affect us all at some point in our lives. At the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) Future Space innovation hub, fintech company Flexys is using advice from academics at Bristol University's Personal Finance Research Centre (PFRC) and working with UWE Bristol's Computer Science and Creative Technologies Department to change the way customers in debt can manage their arrears. Guidance from the Financial Conduct Authority and other regulators requires creditors to identify vulnerable consumers and ensure they are treated fairly. Flexys has consulted with experts at the PFRC on how to best identify and engage with customers in difficulties, bringing a more collaborative approach to debt repayment via its Collaborate digital solution. Jamie Evans of the Personal Finance Research Centre says "We've really enjoyed and benefited from our informal collaboration with Flexys. Their team has shown a real thirst for our research. We feel this demonstrates that they are eager to use such knowledge to design systems focused on the needs of a wide range of people, not just'typical' consumers."

As companies rely more on machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to find the right job candidates, is recruitment in danger of losing that personal touch? Peter Lane, a 21-year-old who graduated last summer from Cardiff University with a degree in History, is hoping to get into business consulting. He's applied for 55 jobs and secured around 15 interviews, but believes technology has hindered rather than helped his search. The interviews weren't what he was expecting. "They were all video-based screening interviews - I didn't even meet my potential employers," Peter tells the BBC.