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Web3 is a relatively vague term with a complex meaning. At its most basic, it could be viewed as an inevitable expansion of our digitalisation journey...

Not much has captured the imagination of the finance and business community as much as Environmental, Social and Governance.

Countries must end their reliance on coal and other fossil fuels and move towards a greener, more sustainable 21st Century. Although a challenging undertaking, the transition to a green economy provides particular promise for the Balkan region — and many projects are already on the way to delivering a cleaner economy.

Blended finance is an elegant concept – minimising the amount of money coming from taxpayers and taxpayer-funded, state-led institutions, and using it to create a safer, more stable destination for private capital.

The climate crisis is already here – and, although it should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind, it is not a universal issue; in terms of its cause or effects. Unfortunately, many of the people who had the least to do with creating it will be the same communities experiencing the most pernicious of its impacts.

Banking is undergoing another transformation, with people switching from high street banks to digital-first platforms — cue the rise of fintechs and challenger banks. Consumers no longer want to tolerate transfer delays, fees, and in-store visits, and, with so much innovative competition, they no longer have to.

Banking, at its core, is a simple concept; however, today, it is a technological marvel. From business banking to consumer fintechs, it is awash in innovation. Artificial intelligence (AI), or its programmed and non-autonomous cousin, machine learning, are areas of particular promise.

With banks driving digital for the past two years, 2022 is set to be the year of sustainability. Given the shift in public awareness towards climate change and ESG initiatives, it's becoming more important for consumers to support companies they view as proactive in combating environmental and societal issues.

The world is now coming to terms with hugely disrupted supply chains, with new and increasing fears of just how fragile and wasteful the global manufacturing and distribution networks are.

At the end of 2020, international analyst house Gartner found that some 23% of organisations rely on supplier finance as a means of increasing cash flow.