What’s Next for Nordic Payments?
Sessions Overview:
- 9 am: Welcome Remarks
- 9:10 am: Keynote Interview with Bankgirot
Welcome Remarks
Debi Bell Hosking opened the NextGen Nordics 2025 conference by inviting attendees to engage with one another and share insights. She referenced insights from a recent Finextra survey regarding challenges and priorities in Nordic payments for 2025. Hosking highlighted that Nordic banks are prioritizing large-scale innovation, with 32% of organizations emphasizing the acceleration of technology adoption, closely followed by a focus on enhancing customer experiences.
To conclude her introduction, she presented the day’s first audience poll: should there be more friction in payment processes to better identify fraud? The majority supported this notion, and an even larger group concurred that regulations are indeed stifling innovation within their organizations.
Keynote Interview: Bankgirot
Following the opening remarks, Hosking engaged in a keynote interview with Clarina Olsson, CEO of Bankgirot. They discussed Bankgirot’s objectives for 2025, specifically the ambition to develop a new payments system while navigating the delicate balance between innovation and compliance. Olsson emphasized that current efforts are heavily centered on regulatory compliance, stating, “Right now, our main focus is on fulfilling regulations. Creating a new platform for mass payments takes precedence as we move forward.”
The discussion shifted towards the P27 project, with audience insights pointing out that regulatory burdens contributed significantly to its challenges. A participant shared that issues related to internal governance and vendor selection also played critical roles in the project’s struggles.
Olsson expressed skepticism about the Nordics’ readiness for another initiative like P27, noting that nations are currently concentrating on their individual projects. “In Sweden, we are developing a new platform for batch payments, with migrations set for the upcoming year,” she explained.
In concluding thoughts, Olsson highlighted the dual challenges of cybersecurity and fraud prevention, along with the necessity of being prepared for geopolitical uncertainties. “These are challenging times. Our need for preparedness has certainly increased over the past five to ten years.”