Edinburgh Financial Technology Conference

We are pleased to announce the next edition of the biennial Edinburgh Financial Technology Conference (EFT) will be held in Edinburgh on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 September 2026 at the University of Edinburgh Business School.

Against the backdrop of regulatory developments, innovations in technology have significantly reshaped the finance landscape across the world, upending long-established orders of asset transformation. The economic processes in the finance sector are inextricably linked to the wellbeing of everyone in a modern economy. Therefore, our ongoing understanding of the evolution of the sector is non-negotiable. Academics, finance experts, and policymakers have a responsibility to lead this drive.

The Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations at the University of Edinburgh Business School is organising the Edinburgh Financial Technology Conference to stimulate debate and research on financial innovation and the digital economy and how they impact welfare. The conference brings together academics, policymakers, and finance professionals to share new insights and discuss the economic issues related to the application of technology to the practice of finance in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

The two-day conference will include keynote lectures, a policy-oriented panel discussion on how academic research can help accelerate innovation in the finance sector for societal benefit, and presentations of research papers.

Conference Organising Committee

• Raffaella Calabrese, (Co-Chair), The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Miguel de Carvalho, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Gbenga Ibikunle, (Co-Chair), The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Tiejun Ma, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Khaladdin Rzayev, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Nadine Salkeld, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Tobi Schneider, The University of Edinburgh, UK

Scientific Committee

• Raffaella Calabrese, (Co-Chair), The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Gbenga Ibikunle, (Co-Chair), The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Miguel de Carvalho, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Tiejun Ma, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Khaladdin Rzayev, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Taylor Spears, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Matteo Aquilina, Financial Conduct Authority, UK, and Financial Stability Board, Switzerland
• Emilios Avgouleas, The University of Edinburgh, UK
• Sean Foley, University of Sydney, Australia
• Guy Liu, Peking University, China
• Frank McGroarty, University of Southampton, UK
• Talis Putnins, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
• Boris Vallée, Harvard Business School, USA
• Pierangelo Rosati, University of Galway, Ireland
• Tong Wang, The University of Edinburgh, UK

Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations

The Edinburgh Centre for Financial Innovations, in collaboration with external stakeholders, exploits the big data and computational evolution in financial services for societal benefit. Using a unique interdisciplinary lens combining the physical and engineering sciences with the social sciences, humanities and the arts, ECFI engages in research addressing real world challenges facing society today, challenges that the application of finance and technology-inspired thinking within a truly interdisciplinary context can help address.

University of Edinburgh Business School

The University of Edinburgh Business School enjoys a long tradition of teaching and research. The School is triple accredited, offers undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education programmes in business and management, and provides a platform for research, discussion and debate on a wide range of business issues.

Key dates