Singapore FinTech Festival 2024 Kicks Off With AI and Quantum Technology in Focus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE 


Singapore, 3 November 2024... The ninth edition of the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) will kick off next week from 6 to 8 November 2024. This year, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum technology will take centre stage, underscoring their transformative potential for the financial sector.

2. With rapid advancement in the adoption of AI and in quantum technology, SFF 2024 offers a unique platform for policymakers and industry leaders to collaborate, foster innovation and unlock new growth opportunities. SFF 2024 will also highlight global and regional efforts on decarbonisation, scaling up the use of digital assets, achieving cross-border payment efficiency and advancing financial inclusion. These initiatives address how FinTech can tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges.

Curtain Raiser: Insights Forum and The Innovation Lab Crawl

3. Preceding the SFF 2024 main conference is the by-invitation-only Insights Forum™, which will be held from 4 to 5 November. Insights Forum™ will feature an expanded two-day agenda comprising:

• The inaugural Layer One Summit which aims to promote a public-private sector dialogue on the future of financial infrastructure.
• The inaugural Green Circle Climate Forum which will bring together corporate leaders, NGOs, and financiers to discuss the challenges and solutions for high quality carbon markets.
• Public-Private Roundtables which will feature public-private sector leadership dialogues to produce actionable outcomes in key focus areas.

5. The Conference segment of SFF 2024 will feature over 900 speakers across more than 400 sessions covering six themes:

• Roadmap for AI and Quantum: Exploring responsible use of AI and quantum solutions for financial services, and measures needed to address related associated risks.

• Blueprint for Digital Assets: Insights on scaling the use of digital assets, achieving interoperability that drives value, and developing regulation for secure and industry-wide adoption.
  
  
• Next-gen Transactions: Addressing global payment gaps and opportunities, and facilitating cross-jurisdictional alignment and tech-driven innovations for efficient cross border payment solutions.
  
  
• Sustainability in Action: Unpacking innovation in ClimateTech, climate data and ESG ratings, and enhancing financing mechanisms to drive global decarbonisation efforts.
  
  
• Bridging the Financial Inclusion Gap:  Exploring strategies for financial health and inclusion, and how leveraging technology, coupled with impactful policies and partnerships, can drive greater financial access for underserved communities.
  
  
• Talent of Tomorrow: Learning how Generative AI is reshaping roles, skills, and career pathways in financial services. Expert panels will discuss in-demand skills, meaningful career pathways in FinTech, and insights on navigating the tech talent landscape.

Please see Annex A for the list of headline and notable speakers.

6. The SFF Exhibition will host over 600 exhibitors and 41 international pavilions across five thematic zones – Technology, Founders and Investors, ESG, Regulation, and Talent. Each zone will spotlight cutting-edge innovations and key discussions that will shape the future of financial services.

7. Six new certificate programmes from Elevandi Education¹ and professional development partners will be available this year, enhancing participants’ learning experience. Among these is the Leadership in the Future of Finance executive education programme, offered jointly by BondbloX, Elevandi Education, and the Singapore FinTech Association. This programme provides Chief Experience Officers with in-depth insights into the three pillars shaping the future of finance: AI, Digital Assets and Sustainability.

8. Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Group Chief Executive Officer (Designate) of Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)², said, “Architecting the next transformation for our digital future requires thoughtful planning, strong partnerships, and sustained investments. As we navigate the transformative potential of emerging technologies, SFF 2024 will serve as a crucial platform for uniting innovators, industry leaders and policymakers to shape a resilient, inclusive digital economy that serves the greater good.”

9. Paul Lee, Chief Executive (Markets) at Constellar, said, “With emerging technologies rapidly transforming the global financial services industry, it is a critical time for businesses to identify opportunities, understand risks and take action. Attendees at SFF this year can expect twice as many showcases of AI solutions offering a range of products and services to build business resilience.”

10. SFF 2024 is organised by MAS, GFTN and Constellar, in collaboration with The Association of Banks in Singapore. For more details and SFF 2024 registration, visit www.fintechfestival.sg.

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Annex A – List of headline and notable speakers at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2024

Headline and notable speakers at this year’s SFF conference include:

Public Sector

• Hon. Caroline Pham, Commissioner, Commodity Futures Trading Commission
• Chia Der Jiun, Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore
• Denis Beau, First Deputy Governor, Banque de France
• Dr Ernest Kwamina Yedu Addison, Governor, Bank of Ghana
• Gabriel Makhlouf, Governor, Central Bank of Ireland
• H.E. Gilles Roth, Minister of Finance, Luxembourg
• John Rwangombwa, Governor, National Bank of Rwanda
• Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Minister for Information Technology & Digital Services, Tamil Nadu
• H.E. Pedro Reis, Minister of Economy, Portugal
• Ravi Menon, Ambassador for Climate Action and Senior Adviser to the National Climate Change Secretariat, Singapore and Chairman of the Board of Directors, GFTN
• Sarah Breeden, Deputy Governor, Bank of England
• H.E. Dr Serey Chea, Governor, National Bank of Cambodia
• Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, Governor, Bank of Thailand
• Dr Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament & Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, Republic of India
• Valérie Pécresse, President, Paris Région
• Venkatraman Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India

Private Sector

• Barkha Dutt, Television Journalist & Author, MoJo Story
• Charles Cascarilla, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer, Paxos
• Clay Chandler, Executive Editor, Asia, Fortune
• Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Global Policy, Circle
• Dr Dimitrios Dosis, President, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Mastercard
• Dowson Tong, Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer, Cloud and Smart Industries Group, Tencent
• Eric Anziani, President & Chief Operating Officer, Crypto.com
• Eric Lim, Chief Sustainability Officer, United Overseas Bank
• Forrest Li, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Sea Limited
• Dr Gillian Tett, Columnist and Member of the Editorial Board, Financial Times (Speaking virtually)
• Gurcharan Das, Former Chief Executive Officer at Proctor & Gamble India, Author & Thought Leader
• K. V. Kamath, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Jio Financial Services Ltd (Speaking virtually)
• Kfir Godrich, Chief Innovation Officer, BlackRock
• Prof. Kishore Mahbubani, Distinguished Fellow, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore and Former President of the United Nations Security Council
• Lesley Paterson, Film Writer & Producer and Professional Triathlete, Brave Art Entertainment
• Li Bo, Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
• Monica Long, President, Ripple
• Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, DBS Bank
• Richard Teng, Chief Executive Officer, Binance
• Rajat Taneja, President of Technology, Visa
• Rodrigo Kede Lima, President, Microsoft Asia
• Umar Farooq, Co-head of Global Payments, J.P. Morgan
• Yang Peng, Chief Executive Officer, Ant International
• Yoshihiro Hyakutome, Senior Managing Executive Officer & Co-head of Global Banking Unit, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)

About the Singapore FinTech Festival

The Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) is organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) and Constellar and in collaboration with The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS). Since its inception in 2016, SFF has become the premier platform for the global FinTech community to engage, connect, and collaborate on issues relating to the confluence of financial services, public policy, and technology. Last year’s edition brought together 66,000 participants from 150 countries.

This year’s Singapore FinTech Festival will be held from 6 to 8 November 2024 and is poised to be the most consequential event charting a new path for tech, policy and finance worldwide.

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 the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)

The Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) is a not-for-profit organisation established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in 2024 to harness technology and foster innovation for more efficient, resilient, and inclusive financial ecosystems through global partnerships. GFTN organises convening forums, offers advisory services on innovation ecosystems, provides access to transformative digital platforms, and invest in technology startups with the potential for growth and positive social impact through its venture fund.

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 the 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.

¹ Elevandi Education will be rebranded as Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) Education in 2025.
² The Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN) is a not-for-profit organisation established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to harness technology and foster innovation for more efficient, resilient, and inclusive financial ecosystems through global partnerships.