BankenTech 2025: AI, Digital Sovereignty & Banking Innovation

On 2nd and 3rd December 2025, the Intero Consulting team attended the Handelsblatt BankenTech conference in Frankfurt. The renowned annual conference was held under the theme "Securing Digital Sovereignty and Innovation Capability, IT as an Enabler of Change in Banking" and offered groundbreaking insights into the transformation of the financial sector.

The conference crystallised three central areas of action that will significantly shape the banking industry in the coming years:

1. European sovereignty in times of geopolitical and technological uncertainties
2. Responses to potential shifts in the customer interface through artificial intelligence
3. Innovation capability as a strategic success factor for financial service providers

Three Drivers of the Sovereignty Debate

 

The necessity for robust sovereignty strategies is currently being accelerated by three significant factors:

1. Geopolitical uncertainties: Increasing international tensions heighten the risk for critical infrastructures
2. Regulatory requirements: Tightened compliance specifications and data protection regulations
3. Technological change: Rapid innovation requires strategic independence in technology decisions

 

Multi-Vendor Strategies and European Solutions in Focus

 

In response to these challenges, Multi-LLM/AI and Multi-Cloud strategies are increasingly moving into the strategic focus of financial institutions. Banks are placing greater emphasis on European solution providers to reduce critical dependencies and preserve operational flexibility.

It is noteworthy that even American hyperscalers are responding to this development. Amazon Web Services (AWS) has realised a completely sovereign cloud infrastructure in Germany with the European Sovereign Cloud in Brandenburg, entirely independent of global entanglements. From January 2026, initial test customers will be onboarded at the data centre.

Alongside the major hyperscalers, this environment offers diverse opportunities for European FinTechs to bring the required technologies to market. Two impressive examples of this are NaroIQ and LemonMarkets, which have set themselves the goal of providing European infrastructure solutions.

Shopping Agents as Harbingers of a New Era?

 

With the shopping chatbot recently released by OpenAI, a strategically relevant question arises: Will such shopping agents also be deployed in banking and financial services in future – and will this result in a fundamental shift of the customer interface from established banking providers to Big Tech companies?

The Financial Data Access Directive (FIDA) opens structural entry opportunities for Big Tech companies into the financial market. The ChatGPT example should be taken seriously as a strategic warning signal.

 

Artificial Intelligence in Banking: From Exploration to Delivery

 

The maturity level of AI applications in banking has increased significantly over the past twelve months. AI has now become an elementary component of leading banking houses' strategies. Most institutions – including Commerzbank, DKB, JPMorgan and UniCredit – have left the exploratory phase behind and are now in the delivery phase.

The strategic focus lies on developing real, measurable benefit to secure growth opportunities – particularly against the backdrop of increasing challenges from demographic change, intensified competition and tightened regulation.

 

Proven Use Cases at a Glance

 

In solution-oriented approaches, banks have implemented the following four AI use cases comprehensively:

• Fraud Detection: AI-supported fraud recognition in real time during account opening and transactions
• Customer Service: Virtual support assistants for accelerated and scalable customer care (example: DKB)
• Generative AI LLM Platforms: Productivity enhancement for employees in their daily work routine
• Verification for Instant Payment: Automatic verification of payment recipients within the framework of the Instant Payment regulation

 

Responsible AI Deployment: Human-in-the-Loop as Paradigm

 

With all AI applications, the theme of trust in banking takes centre stage. Therefore, banks consistently rely on a human-in-the-loop approach – a human control instance remains constantly integrated into critical processes. This approach ensures both regulatory compliance and the customer trust essential for banking.

 

The Paradigm Shift to Agentic AI

 

The strategic focus is now increasingly shifting towards Agentic AI – agent-based artificial intelligence that can make autonomous decisions and independently orchestrate complex tasks. DKB, for example, announced that it would implement corresponding use cases in the chatbot area from 2026. Partner companies such as Wavestone already presented initial promising implementation approaches at the conference.

It should be emphasised that companies' risk approaches must also change fundamentally through the deployment of Agentic AI. Adequate monitoring and governance tools are required to identify anomalies, compliance violations or potential fraud cases at an early stage. Regsearch AI offers initial solutions for this.

Technology Alone Is Not Sufficient

 

A central insight from the conference: Technological openness and technological change do not develop their benefit through technology alone. Rather, the culture of people must be placed at the strategic focus – an aspect that is frequently neglected in technology-centred discussions.

 

Innovation Culture as Strategic Success Factor

 

The right innovation culture and professional innovation management are decisive for the successful development and scaling of technological use cases. Only when employees are systematically encouraged to test new technologies and develop creative solutions can digital transformation succeed sustainably. Innovation management must therefore be clearly anchored in strategy.

It is essential to exemplify an error-tolerant culture based on the fail-fast approach within the company, founded on strategy and leadership. Rapid iterations, transparent learning from failures and psychological safety for innovators are the cornerstones of successful transformation.

Handelsblatt BankenTech 2025 impressively demonstrated how the financial sector is mastering the demanding balancing act between technological innovation and digital sovereignty. Whilst AI advances from experimental tool to productive core component of value creation, European cloud solutions and multi-cloud strategies are gaining strategic significance.

Parallel to these mega-trends, the digital euro is also taking increasingly concrete form – there is to be a statement from EU finance ministers on the current regulatory draft in the near future – with prospects for a favourable interpretation for financial institutions.

For banks, the task now is to find the right balance: With the right mix of technology, culture and strategy, the transformation process can be successfully shaped.

The conference has shown: The future of banking will be shaped by those institutions that can combine technological excellence with cultural innovation capability and strategic sovereignty.