Following the success of the first edition, this call for papers invites the submission of original and unpublished contributions aimed at analysing the key challenges and opportunities shaping the European banking system in 2026. In a context marked by geopolitical instability, consolidation processes, the energy transition, technological innovation, and the increasing diffusion of artificial intelligence – alongside the entry of new market players – banks are at the centre of complex dynamics that require a rethinking of business models, corporate governance structures, and managerial processes, including strategic planning and internal control systems.
The call invites theoretical, empirical, and policy-oriented contributions that offer original, methodologically rigorous perspectives on these transformations and address the evolving prudential regulatory framework and the ongoing debate on regulatory simplification.
Interdisciplinary approaches integrating economic, legal, managerial, and technological perspectives are particularly encouraged.
Submissions may address, by way of example and not exhaustively, the following topics:
- Vulnerabilities and fragilities of the European financial system in the presence of multiple shocks, including energy crises, inflation, and geopolitical tensions.
- Consolidation processes in the banking sector and their implications for competition in an increasingly integrated and globalised market.
- Supervisory architecture and the development of advanced analytical tools, such as scenario analysis and early warning indicators, suitable for capturing complex and interdependent dynamics.
- Evolution of prudential regulation at both the European and national levels, with reference to supervisory harmonisation processes and sanctioning regimes.
- Bank crisis management, prevention tools, and early intervention measures.
- Deposit guarantee schemes and the completion of the European Banking Union.
- Evolution of banking business models, including aspects related to sustainability and the profitability of solutions such as bancassurance.
- Governance and internal control systems, with particular attention to the integration of decision-making processes and the interaction among boards, senior management, business functions, audit, compliance, AML/CFT, risk management, and ICT functions.
- Management of Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 risks – particularly compliance, reputational, and interest rate risks – and the interactions between these risk profiles and governance and control processes.
- Effects of the energy and climate transition on risk management, particularly concerning climate and environmental risks.
- Outsourcing, management of critical third parties, and operational risk amid increasing dependence on technological infrastructures.
- Digitalisation of financial services and transformation of operating models related to the use of artificial intelligence, big data, and emerging technologies, as well as their implications for process efficiency, product innovation, and organisational structures.
- Artificial Intelligence in banking, including the assessment of current applications of Generative AI (GenAI), the transformation of banking jobs, the effects on labor productivity, bank operational efficiency, and customer service, alongside challenges related to explainability, confidentiality, data privacy, ethical use and regulatory compliance.
- Technological transformation of firms, digital innovation, and access to bank financing, with particular attention to the effects of artificial intelligence adoption on the cost and conditions of credit, on banks’ creditworthiness assessment processes, and on implications for risk management and regulation.
- Cybersecurity and digital operational resilience in the financial sector, with a particular focus on implementing the DORA Regulation, handling cyber incidents, and the implications for financial stability and prudential supervision, considering the ECB’s Supervisory Priorities for 2026–2028.
- Development of FinTech and alternative finance, including peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, open banking, and open finance, along with their implications for profitability, competition, financial stability, and regulation.
- Entry and consolidation of new players, such as neobanks and challenger banks, as well as technology platforms and non-bank actors, and their impact on competitive dynamics, intermediation models, and sector regulation.
- Consumer protection in financial services, with particular attention to transparency, fair commercial practices, and data protection.
- Financial literacy and education as tools to enhance user awareness and support informed decision-making in an increasingly complex and innovative environment.
CSIBC Scientific Committee