Financial Sector & Digitalization
The Financial and Digitization Area monitors the situation of the financial system, with special attention to the banking sector and groups of savings banks, and its digital transformation.
In this area, research of international diffusion in the financial system is carried out, developed by the researchers that form it and also through collaborations of the same with other world-renowned researchers. Among the topics that are most developed are financial and banking regulation and its effects, the competitive structure of the banking sector, the means of payment for business financing and the role of finance in economic growth.
The digital transformation of the Spanish financial system is analyzed through the Observatorio de la Digitalización Financiera (ODF). The objective of this Observatory is to generate, accumulate and disseminate information on the progress of the digital transformation in the Spanish financial system.
Highlighted
Aunque la mayoría de la población española es consciente de que Europa se está quedando atrás en el desarrollo de la inteligencia artificial, solo el 35% estaría de acuerdo con flexibilizar la regulación de cara a fomentar la innovación en este campo. a encuesta Funcas sobre IA revela que el apoyo a la flexibilización tampoco es mayoritario entre quienes más familiarizados están con la IA, de modo que la mayoría de encuestados parecen priorizar la protección de la seguridad, la privacidad y la transparencia frente a los potenciales beneficios económicos de esta tecnología.
Vídeo
Los españoles prefieren una IA regulada aún a costa de una menor innovación
Fecha:
February 2025
Artículo
Corporate access to bank loans: Assessing the impact of company and loan size
Fecha:
February 2025
Spanish companies enjoy lower bank borrowing costs than their Eurozone peers, with neither the size of the loan nor the company significantly impacting costs. While micro firms face slightly more obstacles in obtaining loans, the size penalty is far less significant in Spain, making access to finance a relatively minor concern across all business sizes.
Artículo
Bank profitability in the context of declining interest rates: Managing funding cost and allocation of household savings
Fecha:
February 2025
As interest rates decline, Spanish banks face narrowing unit margins, prompting a strategic focus on managing retail deposit funding costs to preserve profitability. Banks with stronger control over deposit costs, particularly in smaller municipalities, are better positioned to stabilize savings flows because of their customers’ profile and the provision of tailored advice.
Artículo
Recent developments in bancassurance in Spain
Fecha:
February 2025
Spanish banks’ insurance business, particularly in life insurance, have been a crucial source of earnings, directly contributing nearly 14% of their domestic profits in 2023. This contribution remains essential for banks’ profitability, with further growth expected from premium adjustments and rising non-life insurance activity.