Fintech talks at the World Economic Forum this year

The five-day World Economic Forum (WEF) started today. The annual event brings together leaders from around the world in Davos, Switzerland to discuss the latest economic, social and political issues. This year’s theme is Collaboration in a fragmented world and many of the sessions are relevant to the fintech industry.

I combed through the agenda and highlighted the sessions most worth watching below. WEF allows the public to watch live via its website or watch the session recordings on its YouTube channel. The meat of the event begins tomorrow, and here’s what I’ll be paying attention to.

17 January

Being at the forefront of a recession
With the risk of a 2023 recession continuing to loom over major economies, what steps can leaders take to make a potential recession as short and shallow as possible?

Financial institutions: Innovation under pressure
In an era of large-scale macro shocks, how do financial players respond to ongoing disruptions while keeping up with technological advances?

Technology for a more robust world
In the face of a challenging decade, technology can be a critical tool in the transition to a cleaner, safer and more inclusive world. How should leaders think about the strategic possibilities for technology to be an accelerator of progress in this new context?

Private Equity in the real economy
Maximizing impact across the risk/return continuum and alternative asset classes has become a rapidly growing trend in the investment industry. How does private equity transform the real economy through an increased focus on impact?

Tokenized economies, come to life
Tokenization can allow almost any real-world value to have a digital representation on a blockchain. Given its transformational potential, which sectors will see the greatest impact from tokenization in terms of resilience, innovation and social impact?

Generative AI
As artificial intelligence moves from analyzing existing data to creating new text, images and videos, how will these improvements shift the augmentation versus automation debate and what implications will that have for industries?

January 18

Protecting cyberspace in the midst of exponential change
The confluence of increasing cyber attacks and a complex geopolitical backdrop creates an increasingly challenging environment for policymakers to predict, prioritize and respond to cyber risks. How can leaders foster a more secure and resilient digital ecosystem to prepare for future cyber shocks?

Tradetech meets Fintech
The digitization of all aspects of international supply chains and transactions enables more accessible and reliable commerce, financing and payments. How can the rise of tradetech be accelerated to meet the world’s needs?

Quantum Tipping Point
Quantum technologies have enormous potential in a wide range of domains, from finance to energy. With these technologies holding the promise of unleashing new discoveries, security and performance, how close are we to a true quantum revolution of industries?

Press conference: Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023
Geopolitical developments and the implementation of new technologies have reshaped the cyber threat and increased organized cyber attackers’ potential for harm. This exacerbates our interconnected energy, economic and geopolitical crises. The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023 examines the cybersecurity trends that will impact our economies and societies in 2023. The report includes the results of new research on how leaders are responding to cyber threats now and provides recommendations on what leaders can do to secure their organizations in the year ahead.

Facing fragility: Digital currencies from the central bank
Over 100 nations are exploring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and each has a different motive for implementation, now exacerbated by geopolitical fragility and financial instability. What can we learn from countries that have implemented CBDC solutions and can they provide resilience in the face of global risks and the economy with high inflation, low growth and high debt?

The role of finance in a recovery
Many global economies are already in, or are expected to enter, recession in the near future. How can the global financial system support businesses and individuals to preserve jobs, sustain livelihoods and drive much-needed innovation?

Invest in AI, wisely
As early supporters of technology, investors have a large influence over which technologies are more likely to see the light of day. It is an opportunity for investors to work closely with the companies in which they are invested to ensure that benefits are maximized and risks are mitigated, particularly in technologies such as AI. What metrics and tools can investors use to guide and shape investments in reliable and responsible technology systems?

Turning technologies into tomorrow’s markets
The promise of new technologies does not always translate into economic progress, while proven technologies can be the key to unlocking growth and transformation. How should policy makers and companies balance the role of new and old technology?

January 19

Financial inclusion beyond access
Despite progress over the past decade, 24% of adults remain unbanked and about half of all adults in developing economies can access funds within 30 days to cover an unexpected expense. What more can technological advances and cross-sector coordination achieve to increase inclusion for underserved individuals and businesses?

From mass data to mass insight
New technology to generate insights without revealing the underlying data is ushering in a new era of value creation in the digital economy. From mapping the genome to reducing our carbon footprint, how can business leaders unlock value from data collaboration at scale?

Investing in the worst time
The extent of uncertainty in today’s markets is seriously disrupting an already challenging investment landscape. How are the world’s largest investors adapting to this unique context, and what effect will their asset allocation decisions have on the wider economy?

Finding the right balance for crypto
The boom and bust in crypto markets, compounded by the dramatic volatility of 2022, has left many questioning the future of blockchain innovation. What will it take to create sufficiently robust regulation to realize the benefits of digital currencies while ensuring positive macroeconomic and societal outcomes?

January 20

How to turbocharge development finance
The key to scaling up financing for growth-related investments in developing countries lies in reorienting and expanding the role that international financial institutions play in closing potential financing gaps. How can these institutions help scale up funding for the wider economic, environmental and social agenda?

Global Economic Outlook: Is This the End of an Era?
The engines of global growth are slowing and the number of households and businesses facing financial distress is increasing. What does future growth look like and what policies are needed to stabilize the global economy?

Photo by Evangeline Shaw on Unsplash