SINGAPORE, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Elevandi¹ today announced the theme of the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) 2023 – 'Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Financial Services'. SFF 2023 will focus on the growth and adoption of AI and how this technology can potentially be used in financial services. Organised by MAS and Elevandi, in partnership with Constellar and in collaboration with The Association of Banks in Singapore, this year's SFF will be held from 15 to 17 November at the Singapore EXPO, with The Capital Meets Policy Dialogue™, Elevandi Insights Forum™ and the annual Innovation Lab Crawl taking place on 13 and 14 November. It will convene leaders from the government, financial services, investment, and technology sectors.

2. 2023 will see the continued exponential growth of AI applications and adoption, with venture capitalist investments in Generative AI having reached a new high of US$2.6 billion in 2022² and with Generative AI seeing the fastest-growing consumer take-up in history³. Leaders in the financial industry are keen to understand how AI can help build greater resilience in financial services.

3. SFF 2023 will examine how technologies such as AI and Web3, and digital public goods, can help to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future and re-imagine the financial system architecture to better address the needs of the underserved.  There will also be a focus on securing the digital economy against modern climate, technology, and cyber risks.

4. SFF 2023 will be divided into five thematic zones, with each zone hosting deep-dive dialogues and educational workshops, and showcasing innovative solutions by leading organisations:

• The Technology Zone will give participants a glimpse into current and future technologies shaping financial services, such as digital assets, and demonstrate the latest advancements in AI applications.
• The ESG Zone will spotlight the Environmental, Social and Governance financial services ecosystem, including financial institutions, real economy solutions, Internet of Things manufacturers and sustainable micro start-ups.
• The Regulation Zone is a space for international financial policymakers and regulators to exchange insights on their regulatory and development strategies, and will feature RegTech and SupTech solutions in the areas of regulatory compliance, cybersecurity and anti-money laundering.
• The Founders Zone provides a dedicated platform for financial services founders, entrepreneurs and investors worldwide to connect. SFF 2023 will also see the return of The Founders Peak stage, a popular platform where exceptional founders share insights on successful entrepreneurship.
• The Talent Zone will expand on the signature Talent Pavilion⁴ to advance learning, upskilling and the future of work by highlighting the talent development initiatives of the public and private sectors. The Zone will also include two hackathons – Global FinTech Hackcelerator and PolyFinTech100 – that will allow promising tech talent to showcase their capabilities.

5. The Capital Meets Policy Dialogue⁵, Asia-Pacific Chapter, to be held on 13 November, will bring together policymakers, regulators and investors. Following the success of the inaugural Dialogue at SFF 2022, Elevandi will host the Africa Chapter of the Dialogue in Rwanda and the European Chapter in Switzerland in June 2023. This will be followed by the Asia-Pacific flagship Dialogue at SFF 2023, which will focus on policy and regulatory priorities as well as key areas of AI investment.

6. The Elevandi Insights Forum⁶, scheduled from 13 to 14 November, will host deep-dive roundtables with public and private sector organisations to address challenges faced in scaling up digital finance, ranging from frictions in cross-border data flows to differing maturity in digital infrastructure. Last year's Forum saw nine reports published based on the 22 roundtables led by public sector organisations such as the Asian Development Bank, BIS Innovation Hub, International Finance Corporation, and the International Monetary Fund.

7. In partnership with the National University of Singapore Asia Institute for Digital Finance, the ChatGPT and AI in Finance certificate programme will be launched for SFF pass-holders. It will comprise self-paced online classes and feature exclusive industry talks by industry luminaries at the Festival.

8. Participants can also look forward to the day-long Innovation Lab Crawl⁷ on 13 and 14 November and the SFF Global FinTech Awards⁸ gala event on 16 November.  

9. Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer, MAS and Chairman of Elevandi Board, said, "Innovations in technology continue to present us with powerful tools to enhance the global financial industry's responses to economic and financial challenges. At SFF 2023, we have the opportunity to convene a global dialogue that will explore the potential of transformative technologies and policies for financial services, and bolster the FinTech ecosystem against future shocks."

10. Chua Wee Phong, Group Chief Executive Officer of Constellar, said, "Catering to attendees and exhibitors both new and returning, we have created a cohesive visitor experience enabling stronger connections on the show floor with an important difference: It will be the first SFF to be powered by renewable energy entirely from the Festival venue at Singapore EXPO. This is a significant milestone in the SFF's sustainability journey towards Net Zero in collaboration with like-minded partners."

11. SFF 2023 registration is now open. Complimentary passes are available for policymakers, regulators, think tanks, academics, coders and students. Start-ups can also enjoy discounted tickets.

About the Singapore FinTech Festival

Since its inception in 2016, SFF has become the premier platform for the global financial services community to engage, connect, and collaborate on issues relating to the confluence of financial services, public policy, and technology. Over seven years, SFF has featured global leaders such as Bill Gates, Co-chair & Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Brian Armstrong, Co-founder & CEO, Coinbase; Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, Jacinda Ardern, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand; Jane Fraser, CEO, Citigroup; Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate, Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation; Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund; Satya Nadella, Chairman & CEO, Microsoft; Sheila Bair, Former Chair, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India; and Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet. Last year's edition brought together more than 62,000 participants from over 115 countries. MAS and Elevandi, in partnership with Constellar and in collaboration with ABS are proud to jointly deliver this year's SFF. Visit www.fintechfestival.sg/ to register for SFF 2023 and receive updates.

About the Monetary Authority of Singapore

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is Singapore's central bank and integrated financial regulator. As a central bank, MAS promotes sustained, non-inflationary economic growth through the conduct of monetary policy and close macroeconomic surveillance and analysis. It manages Singapore's exchange rate, official foreign reserves, and liquidity in the banking sector. As an integrated financial supervisor, MAS fosters a sound financial services sector through its prudential oversight of all financial institutions in Singapore – banks, insurers, capital market intermediaries, financial advisors and financial market infrastructures. It is also responsible for well-functioning financial markets, sound conduct, and investor education. MAS also works with the financial industry to promote Singapore as a dynamic international financial centre. It facilitates the development of infrastructures, adoption of technology, and upgrading of skills in the financial industry.

About Elevandi

Elevandi is set up by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to foster an open dialogue between the public and private sectors to advance FinTech in the digital economy. Elevandi works closely with governments, founders, investors, and corporate leaders to drive collaboration, education, and new sources of value at industry and national levels. Elevandi's initiatives have convened over 350,000 people to drive the growth of financial services through events, closed-door roundtables, investor programmes, educational initiatives, and research. Elevandi's flagship product is the Singapore FinTech Festival alongside fast-rising platforms, including the Point Zero Forum, Inclusive FinTech Forum, Elevandi Insights Forum, The Capital Meets Policy Dialogue, The Founders Peak, and Green Shoots. Visit www.elevandi.io to learn more about Elevandi.

About Constellar

Constellar connects a global eco-system of event partners and consumers through a holistic portfolio of intellectual property (IP) in the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry. As Asia's partner of reference for curating innovative event and venue experiences, Constellar activates impactful networks to bring global markets, businesses and consumers together for sustainable growth. With our expertise and dedication, we are invested in helping you build trusted relationships with stakeholders for the long term and enabling cross-industry collaboration through world-class audience engagement solutions. Visit constellar.co for more information.

About The Association of Banks in Singapore

ABS is a non-profit organisation that represents the interests of the banking community in  Singapore. In doing so, ABS works closely with the relevant government authorities towards the development of a sound financial system in Singapore. Since its establishment in 1973, ABS has promoted a unifying voice on banking issues. It has brought its members closer together through various guidelines and banking practices as well as the support of projects of mutual benefit to face the challenges of the financial and banking community in Singapore. Today ABS has a membership of 155 local and foreign banks. More information on ABS is available at www.abs.org.sg.