Finastra’s first Innovating Finance Together Summit in London brought together more than 200 financial services professionals to discuss how lending, trade, and payments are being reshaped by modernization, AI, and industry collaboration.
A key message from the event was clear: in a market defined by fast-moving technology, regulation, and economic change, banks cannot innovate effectively in isolation. Collaboration between financial institutions, technology partners, regulators, and clients is becoming essential to accelerate delivery and solve real operational challenges.
The discussions focused on several major themes. In lending and trade, speakers highlighted the value of stronger connectivity and interoperability, helping institutions improve data sharing, reduce friction, and innovate faster. In payments, attention centered on the shift from monolithic infrastructure to microservices-based architectures, alongside growing interest in stablecoins, digital assets, and AI-assisted operations. Broader industry conversations also explored tokenization, fully digitized trade, and the evolution of private credit markets.
A live audience poll showed that technology transformation was the top association with modernization, chosen by 56% of respondents. Business transformation followed with 32%, while customer and employee experience ranked third at 12%.
Chris Walters, CEO of Finastra, said collaboration matters more than ever as financial institutions face rapid change across technology, regulation, and the global economy. He noted that working more closely across the ecosystem helps firms move faster and build solutions that are better prepared for the future.
Following the success of the London event, Finastra plans to host additional Innovating Finance Together Summits in other markets over the coming year.