LLOYDS is bidding to bolster its digital offering and talent pool with the launch of a £3 billion plan that includes a new technology hub in the Scottish capital creating 500 jobs.

The roles will be in the software engineering arena, with the bank developing fintech for “what customers will need in the future”, which it claims will be making products and services easier to access.

The bank said it will help the firm strengthen its tech-based pool in Scotland, as well as have a knock-on beneficial effect on the wider tech and innovation community.

The bank said it is an active participant on the Edinburgh tech landscape, regularly hosting digital academies and meet-ups including CodeClan and CodeBar, as well as partnerships with Fintech Scotland and HackerX, and is a supporter and host of Women Who Code and Women Hacks.

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Philip Grant, chair of Lloyds Banking Group’s Scottish executive committee, said: “People’s expectations are rising rapidly as they want the same experience they’re used to with established digital brands.

"In our tech labs, we are designing what customers will need in the future, making products and services that can adapt to their lives and making it easier for them to connect with their finances."

Derek Mackay, finance and economy secretary, said the move “shows great confidence in Scotland”.