The ISG Innovation Hub fosters international collaboration on financial technology within the central banking community. Our mandate is threefold:
- Identifying key technological trends that impact central banking.
- Developing public goods in the financial technology space to enhance global financial system efficiency.
- Serving as a hub for central bank experts to collaborate on innovation.
Our projects are experimental in nature, exploring the technological and practical feasibility of emerging financial solutions.
2025-26 Work Programme
As of 2025, the Innovation Hub manages 26 active projects, with 31 completed since its inception in 2019. In 2024 alone, 16 new projects were launched, and the first two projects of 2025 will focus on:
- AI-powered supervision tools to enhance regulatory oversight.
- Green finance initiatives leveraging technology for sustainable financial practices.
Our programme prioritizes horizon scanning, tracking technological advancements and identifying opportunities for central bank innovation. Collaboration among central bank experts remains a cornerstone of our approach.
“We continue to push the boundaries of financial technology, leveraging our experience to help central banks harness innovation for economic and financial stability.”
— Cecilia Skingsley, Head of the ISG Innovation Hub
With seven global centres, our work has entered a more mature phase, expanding its impact on financial stability, monetary policy, and payments infrastructure.
Key Highlights
✅ Enhanced Horizon Scanning
Tracking fintech trends that could significantly impact central banks.
✅ Exploring Project Synergies
Developing integrated solutions to support monetary policy, payments, and financial regulation.
✅ AI-Enabled Innovation
- Project AISE (Artificial Intelligence Supervisor Enhancer): A virtual assistant for financial supervisors, automating key regulatory tasks.
- Project Gaia: Expanding climate-related risk analysis to broader green finance applications.
✅ Advancing Tokenized Payments
- Project Agora: Involves seven central banks and 40+ private financial institutions, exploring how tokenization can improve wholesale cross-border payments.
✅ Open-Source Collaboration
Encouraging central bank-driven ecosystems to develop code and solutions benefiting the global financial sector.
✅ Real-World Implementation
- Project Nexus: Transitioning towards live implementation with instant payment providers.
- Project mBridge: Successfully reaching minimum viable product status and now being handed over to partner central banks.
Our commitment remains firm: leveraging innovation to strengthen the global financial system and support central banks in their critical responsibilities.
