Is this the best time for an event such as Brexit?

It is difficult to read financial news at present without coming across extensive coverage of the Brexit referendum in the UK and its possible impact. As part of the financial sector, capital markets could be at the forefront in terms of bearing the impact of any likely change. There are already widespread claims of how London could lose its position as the premier European financial center. Of special relevance is the advantage that London has due to the 'passporting' principle, which allows leading U.S. or Asian banks and other firms to access the Europan market without any restrictions. Certainly with regard to these firms, if the UK leaves the EU, US and Asian banks that have based their teams in London while serving the European market will have second thoughts about doing so. Different alternatives have been touted, including Paris, Frankfurt and even Dublin. Some believe that all of these cities, and some other European financial centers as well, would benefit from the departure of the leading global banks from London, but this could lead to fragmentation in the European financial industry and reduce the effectiveness and competitiveness of European firms.
There are various views and opinions that have been expressed during the run-up to the referendum. Many of these hold water. But in my humble view, when it comes to competitiveness, if the departure of the UK from the EU does lead to a fragmentation of the European financial industry, then this is the best time for it to happen. Technology has today advanced to a level that to an outsider, there would be little tangible difference if a thousand people in a bank are based across four difference financial centers in Europe instead of being in one place they were earlier, namely, London. There would certainly be a one-off rise in cost due to such as move, but the industry should be able to take that in its stride. Furthermore, a more fragmented industry in Europe would also have the ability to address national and regional requirements better than a single leading financial center. So financial creativity and innovation might get a boost across Europe. One would expect that London would continue to be a leading financial center globally, but it might be forced to reinvent itself to continue to be relevant for global banks and financial firms from outside the UK. Therefore, as a neutral and a student of capital market technology trends, Brexit does not necessarily hold many fears and might even lead to some interesting outcomes. Whether people in the City of London or the rest of the UK or indeed Europe have the same view, is of course, another matter!