Bridgeworks, based in Lymington, Hampshire, UK, was invited last month to present their award-winning AI technologies to U.S. government and industry leaders to highlight the best in British technology. A key aim was to spotlight the support of the U.K. Government’s Department of Defence and Security Exports, (Department for International Trade), and share insights as an Export Champion. British Ambassador to the United States, Dame Karen Pierce was present to facilitate valuable engagement with the U.S. Federal agencies and U.K. …

MEA Finance spoke to Leevyn Isabel, Business Development Director, Private Client from Ocorian's award winning team about the dynamic landscape of succession and estate planning in the Middle East. Technical insights: diversity & inclusion in the financial sector: On the 25th of September, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) released Consultation Paper CP23/20 which outlined their continued efforts towards achieving a set of minimum standards for diversity and inclusion (D&I) within the UK’s financial services industry. The FCA believe that greater …

Busan Metropolitan City has announced the creation of a venture fund(Busan Future Growth Venture Fund) aimed at promptly supporting startups facing challenges. The initiative focuses on aiding local companies in their international expansion and subsequent investments, with a particular emphasis on investing in the expansion of technology commercialization enterprises. The fund is established with a total capital of 100 billion KRW(74 Million USD), with contributions including 5 billion KRW(3.7 Million USD) from Busan Metropolitan City, 50 billion KRW(37 Million USD) …

Managed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is currently inviting esteemed overseas financial institutions to join our global financial epicenter in Yeouido, Seoul. Benefit from exclusive office space, expert consultation on market entry, and unparalleled networking opportunities.

Minority Business Matters is our latest funded project and offers a range of free business support to SMEs located in any London borough. The project is in partnership with MSDUK and funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It will run until March 2025. If you have any connections with suitable business owners or founders of ethnic minority businesses, or know someone who does, please consider introducing them to this project by sharing a link to …

Our latest collaboration with Consult Hyperion delves deep into why FIs need to change their mindset when it comes to #payments ecosystem modernisation. Instead of fixating solely on the front-end, it's time to invest more in your core technology and embrace a future-proof strategy. In our latest white paper, we dissect the payment system architectures that #FIs, #banks and #processors utilise today, highlighting their benefits, disadvantages, and where they should sit in your tech stack. This white paper is a …

To be clear, this is not a call to refute the usefulness and necessity of digital transformation. This is a call to stop using the term “digital transformation” as a standalone “topic” in itself. Let’s face it, in the payments industry, digital transformation is all we know. It’s everything we’ve been doing in some form or another for the last however many decades. Yet somehow, recently it’s become a “thing”: an undefined click-bait article topic that everyone wants to read …

Nigeria stands at the forefront of Africa's Islamic banking sector, boasting the largest non-interest banking market with an estimated value of $2.9 billion USD by the end of 2022. Despite the sector's growth, Nigeria currently hosts only three fully-fledged Islamic banks and two Islamic windows (conventional banks that provide Islamic banking services) with limited distribution networks. Moreover, a staggering 60% of the Muslim population in Nigeria remains unbanked. This glaring gap poses a unique opportunity for financial institutions in the …

In a strategic move towards enhancing its technological capabilities, Kumari Bank, one of Nepal's leading commercial banks, has selected Compass Plus Technologies as its processor. The collaboration marks a pivotal moment for Kumari Bank as it transitions from its previous local processing company to a global processing partner with cutting-edge, adaptable technology that will elevate its capabilities and empower it to bring new products and services to the market at pace.

C2Zero’s Carbon Cancellation Service (C4S) is a platform giving customers the power to prevent - not remove, not offset - CO2 (carbon) emissions from some of the world’s largest polluters. C4S helps businesses neutralise their unavoidable carbon footprints, or it can be seamlessly added as an “ingredient” to products, services, activities, events and more. Part of the Lord Mayor’s Connect to Prosper program, C4S enables businesses to make a positive environmental impact while fostering engagement with customers, employees, and other …

Watch now our Finextra TV interview where Carlton Hopper (Managing Director, GFT UK) and Sam Everington (CEO of Engine by Starling) review the impact of new banking platforms and implementation strategies for successful bank modernisation. They also discuss GFT and Engine by Starling's collaboration that utilises cloud-native, modular, and API-based technologies to empower clients worldwide to deliver next generation digital banking.

GFT and Google Cloud are hosting an exciting event on 13 March in London to cover the latest trends and adoption of real use-cases for AI in Financial Services. At the event, industry experts from GFT and Google, plus client practitioners will come together to discuss generating real business value from AI - beyond the hype and the proof of concept.

GFT in partnership with Google Cloud Industry Value Networks, have built the next generation interface for retail banks. The GenAI Intelligent Assistant is a conversational interface, built on Google Cloud’s Generative and Vertex AI technologies, utilising advanced large language models to give banking customers immense flexibility on the questions they can ask and have answered by the AI-powered assistant.

Salt Bank, a new digital bank in Romania’s financial landscape, has launched less than one year after the project was kicked off. Salt Bank is the first neobank using Engine by Starling’s core banking system outside of the vendor’s parent company, Starling Bank. It was implemented in partnership between GFT, Salt Bank and Engine by Starling. This continues a transformative trend GFT sees in financial services and beyond. Organisations are reinventing their technology capabilities, adopting a ‘platform of platforms’ approach. …

With the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in financial services, FinTech is undergoing somewhat of a transformation. While they might not be in some circles as popular as they were, both play a crucial role in the innovation of the industry. One that’s not to be scoffed at, either. For example, AI and ML can enable traders to reduce their risks and pick the right investments - increasing their profitability. The market for AI and …

Mauritius emerges as a leading financial services hub in Africa, showcasing an attractive blend of benefits. Located at the crossroads of three major trade areas between Asia, Europe and Africa, Mauritius offers a conducive regulatory environment, fostering a range of financial services such as banking, cross-border investment, insurance, wealth and asset management. With a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance and international best practices, Mauritius ensures investor confidence and credibility. Moreover, its skilled bilingual workforce, political stability, and a network of …

The new Rules aim to support the creation of a new and dynamic ecosystem for spot commodity trading, clearing and intermediation within Mauritius with the new following financial business activities: (a) spot commodity market; (b) spot commodity clearing house; (c) spot commodity broker; (d) spot commodity broker’s representative; (e) spot commodity trading adviser; and (f) spot commodity trading adviser’s representative The new regulatory framework for spot commodity market and its intermediaries, overseen by the FSC, provides salient features such as …

Busan is on the cusp of a remarkable transformation, poised to become a digital finance hub with the advent of Digital-Valley (D-Valley). This project will establish D-Valley as the largest digital financial center in South Korea's southern region. Occupying a prime location in the new Busan International Finance Center (BIFC) complex, D-Valley spans an area of 10,293? and a total floor space of 146,568? across 45 stories. Set for completion in 2025, this facility is designed to accommodate a myriad …

In 2024, South Korea unveiled a plan to develop Busan into a 'Busan Global Hub City', aimed at promoting balanced national growth. This strategy positions Busan as a major player in three sectors: 1) an international logistics hub with significant ports and the upcoming Gadeok Island Airport, 2) a global financial center, leveraging its position in the Global Financial Centres Index and the Busan Blockchain Regulation Free Special Zone, and 3) a leader in digital and advanced industries, ranking high …

Since its designation as the 'Busan Blockchain Regulatory-Free Zone', Busan has embarked on a journey to establish the Busan Digital Asset Exchange. This innovative platform is designed to facilitate the tokenization and trading of a wide range of valuable assets, including raw materials, precious metals, intellectual property, and carbon emission rights, leveraging blockchain technology. With a focus on decentralization, the exchange promotes investor security through comprehensive mechanisms for escrow settlements, listing evaluations, and market surveillance, heralding a new era of …

The basic plan is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 compared to 2018. The plan consists of 101 tasks across 8 sectors, with a vision to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and to become a global hub city, free from the climate crisis. The major sector-specific greenhouse gas reduction measures, which will see an investment of 19.87 trillion won by 2030, include ?the expansion of renewable energy to improve energy self-sufficiency in buildings, ?the distribution of …

First, the ATS in South Korea is scheduled to be established next year for the first time. Busan Metropolitan City confers with the ATS, Nextrade, to bring its derivatives and STO trading functions to Busan. Second, the BDX is set to launch in the second half of 2024, with an emphasis on commodity trading. The digital asset exchange is expected to promote various complementary financial innovations, including derivatives. Thirdly, the Korea Exchange(KRX) has announced the 'Busanization 3.0 Initiative' which includes …

The banking system in Mauritius is robust, well regulated and plays a pivotal role in the country's economic growth and stability. With strong focus on adherence to international standards, Mauritius positions itself as a reputable financial hub compliant with all the 40 FATF recommendations and attracting global investors through its sound banking system. The vibrant banking industry is home to a diverse set of banking business models, serving both the domestic as well as regional economies. The sector remains competitive …

British consumers on average are almost £2,700 in credit card debt, and more than a third either already have or contemplated taking out a payday or short-term loan to cover rising debt costs in the last 12 months, according to new research. The increased cost of living and high inflation means Brits are struggling to stay on top of their finances, with 39% admitting to not having any method of tracking their spending. This data comes from GFT’s latest Banking …

Join Heart of the City for an online Lunch and Learn: How to Get Started on Your Net Zero Journey, on 7 August, hosted by Climate Programme Officer, Katie Rogers. This free online session is specifically tailored for small to medium-sized enterprises with an interest to learn how to measure their carbon footprint and navigate through the complexities of achieving net zero. Find out more and secure your place in the link provided..

Roger Cohen – CEO and Founder of C2Zero will be in London from July 1 to July 15. To arrange a meeting or to find out more, reach out on LinkedIn or email link.