DFS2026MSCA DIGITAL Network Workshop at the European Central BankFrankfurt am Main

Digital Finance for Supervision

European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main

Monday 30 November 202610:00–15:00 CETHybridFree (grant-funded)

Programme

Workshop programme
10:00–10:15Registration & Welcome Coffee
10:15–10:30Opening RemarksTheodoros Mastrokostopoulos (ECB) and Jörg Osterrieder (University of Twente)

Welcome by ECB and DIGITAL Network representatives

10:30–11:15Keynote 1: The Role of Reference Datasets and Biases of LLMs for Banking and InvestmentProf. Charles-Albert Lehalle, CMAP, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris

Invited keynote (45 min) Abstract and biography

11:15–12:05Research Session 1: AI/ML for Bank Supervision and Nature-Related Risk

Chair: Codruta Mare, Babes-Bolyai University. Two invited talks, 30 minutes and 20 minutes

  • 11:15AI and BiodiversityInvited, 30 minProf. Ania Zalewska, University of Leicester School of BusinessAbstract and biography
  • 11:45Title to be confirmedInvited, 20 minProf. Huei-Wen Teng, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, TaiwanAbstract and biography
12:05–13:00Lunch Break & Networking
13:00–13:20Invited Talk: Digital Assets and Systemic RiskDr Roman Matkovskyy, Associate Professor, Rennes School of Business

Title to be confirmed (20 min) Abstract and biography

13:20–14:50Research Session 2: NLP, SupTech and Industry Perspectives

Chair: Maria Iannario, University of Naples Federico II. Two contributed talks (20 minutes each) and two invited talks (30 and 20 minutes)

  • 13:20A Comparative Framework for Industry-Relevant Narrative Modeling in U.S. Financial Headlines20 minAxel Gross-Klussmann (Quoniam Asset Management), with Gabin Taibi and Joerg Osterrieder (University of Twente)
  • 13:40Title to be confirmedInvited, 30 minÓlöf Jónsdóttir, Managing Director of Personal Banking, ÍslandsbankiAbstract and biography
  • 14:10Contingent capital: A tale of two valuationsInvited, 20 minProf. Tian-Shyr Dai, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, TaiwanAbstract and biography
  • 14:30Linking 10-K risk disclosures to macro news headlines20 minDennis Hoffmann, University of TwenteAbstract and biography
14:50–15:00Closing RemarksJörg Osterrieder, University of Twente

Call for papers

Extended abstract, 2–4 pages (excluding references), PDF format. Use single-column layout, 11pt font, standard margins. Include author names, affiliations, and a short abstract (max 200 words).

Topics of interest

  • AI/ML for bank supervision
  • NLP for regulatory reporting and compliance
  • Large language models in supervisory processes
  • SupTech innovations and applications
  • Explainable AI for financial regulation
  • Digital finance and financial stability
  • Nature-related and climate financial risk
  • Digital assets, crypto markets and systemic risk

Review

All submissions will be reviewed by the organizing committee based on relevance, novelty, and potential impact on supervisory practice. Authors of accepted papers will be invited to give a 15-minute presentation. We particularly encourage submissions from PhD students and early-career researchers.

How to submit

Submit your extended abstract as a PDF attachment via email to joerg.osterrieder@utwente.nl with the subject line 'DFS2026 Submission'. PhD students should indicate their PhD program and expected completion date.

Email your abstract

Key dates

Abstract submission closes1 October 2026in 36 days
Notification to authors15 October 2026in 50 days
Camera-ready abstract1 November 2026in 67 days
Registration closes1 November 2026in 67 days
Workshop30 November 2026in 96 days
Date
30 November 2026
Time
10:00 to 15:00 CET
Venue
European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main
Format
Speakers present onsite; remote participation available via live stream
Attendance
Free (grant-funded)
Capacity
30-50 participants

Research themes

1AI/ML for Bank Supervision

Application of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to enhance banking supervision and regulatory oversight.

  • Predictive models for identifying risks in supervised entities
  • Anomaly detection in financial reporting data
  • Automated risk scoring and early warning systems
  • Machine learning for stress testing and scenario analysis
  • AI-driven assessment of bank business models

Read more

2NLP for Regulatory Reporting

Natural language processing applied to regulatory documents, compliance monitoring, and supervisory communication.

  • Automated analysis of regulatory filings and disclosures
  • Text mining of supervisory reports and assessments
  • Sentiment analysis of central bank communications
  • Information extraction from annual reports and prospectuses
  • Compliance monitoring through textual analysis

Read more

3LLMs in Supervision

Large language models and generative AI for supervisory processes and regulatory technology.

  • LLM-assisted review of regulatory documentation
  • Generative AI for drafting supervisory assessments
  • Question-answering systems for regulatory frameworks
  • Summarization of complex financial documents
  • Ethical considerations and hallucination risks in supervisory AI

Read more

4AI, Nature and Environmental Risk

The environmental footprint of AI infrastructure, and the measurement of nature-related financial risk that supervisors are beginning to ask about.

  • Where to site data centres: greenfield land against brownfield
  • Brownfield sites that themselves carry biodiversity value
  • Remote sensing and digital monitoring of ecological change
  • Making biodiversity risk measurable and environmental outcomes verifiable
  • Regional governance and the implementation of biodiversity policy

Read more

5Digital Assets and Systemic Risk

Crypto markets, digital-asset interdependencies and the systemic risk they carry into the regulated financial system.

  • Systemic risk transmission from crypto markets, and what the FTX collapse showed
  • Interdependence between digital assets and traditional markets
  • Herding and behavioural effects in digital-asset markets
  • Supervisory implications under MiCA
  • Machine learning for monitoring digital-asset risk

Read more

Welcome

Dear colleagues and friends, it is our great pleasure to welcome you to the Digital Finance for Supervision workshop, hosted at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt am Main on 30 November 2026. This hybrid event, with all speakers presenting onsite and remote participation available via live stream, brings together ECB supervision experts with researchers from the MSCA DIGITAL network to explore how artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing are transforming the landscape of banking supervision.

The DIGITAL network, funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, unites 18 partner institutions from across Europe, including universities, central banks, financial institutions and technology companies. Our shared mission is to advance the frontiers of digital finance research while training the next generation of researchers who can navigate both the technical and regulatory dimensions of financial innovation.

We are particularly grateful to the ECB for hosting this event and for the active engagement of ECB staff in both the organisation and the intellectual programme. We encourage you to engage actively in the discussions, connect with fellow researchers and practitioners, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Joerg OsterriederDIGITAL Network CoordinatorUniversity of Twente, Netherlands
Theodoros MastrokostopoulosECB Lead OrganizerEuropean Central Bank

About the workshop

Digital Finance for Supervision is a hybrid half-day workshop organised by the MSCA DIGITAL network at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt am Main. All speakers present onsite; remote participation is available via live stream. The workshop brings together researchers and practitioners to explore how AI, machine learning and NLP can transform banking supervision.

The event features one keynote presentation, five invited talks, and two contributed research talks. We particularly welcome contributions from PhD students and early-career researchers.

Registration

Attendance is Free (grant-funded), capacity 30-50 participants. Registration closes 1 November 2026.

Contact

For questions about submissions, registration or the workshop, write to joerg.osterrieder@utwente.nl. The network site is at digital-finance-msca.com.

Organising committee

  • Joerg OsterriederDIGITAL Network CoordinatorUniversity of Twente, Netherlands, Netherlands
  • Theodoros MastrokostopoulosECB Lead OrganizerEuropean Central Bank, Germany
  • Filippo BartoliEuropean Central Bank, Germany
  • Eva MorinEuropean Central Bank, Germany
  • Daniel PeleBucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania, Romania
  • Wolfgang HaerdleHumboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Germany
  • Maria IannarioUniversity of Naples Federico II, Italy, Italy
  • Codruta MareBabes-Bolyai University, Romania, Romania
  • Claudia TarantolaUniversity of Milan, Italy, Italy
  • Alessandra TandaUniversity of Insubria, Italy, Italy
  • Hanna Kristín SkaftadóttirBifröst University, Iceland, Iceland

Venue

European Central Bank
Sonnemannstrasse 20, 60314 Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

The workshop runs 10:00 to 15:00 CET. Speakers present onsite; remote participation available via live stream.

https://www.ecb.europa.eu

The network (18 institutions, 11 countries)

Beneficiary partners (10)

  • University of TwenteNetherlands
  • University of Naples Federico IIItaly
  • Kaunas University of TechnologyLithuania
  • Bucharest University of Economic StudiesRomania
  • Babes-Bolyai UniversityRomania
  • Cardo AIItaly
  • Poznan University of Economics and BusinessPoland
  • University of PaviaItaly
  • University of MilanItaly
  • Bern University of Applied SciencesSwitzerland

Associated partners (8)

  • European Central BankGermany
  • Deutsche BankGermany
  • Raiffeisen Bank InternationalAustria
  • SwedbankLithuania
  • Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial MathematicsGermany
  • EIT DigitalBelgium
  • Athena Research CentreGreece
  • Royalton PartnersLuxembourg

Announcements

  • Call for Papers Now OpenWe invite researchers and practitioners to submit extended abstracts (2–4 pages) on AI/ML for bank supervision, NLP for regulatory reporting, and LLMs in supervisory processes. Submission deadline: October 1, 2026. Notification of acceptance: October 15, 2026.
  • Workshop Website LaunchedThe official workshop website is now live with full details on the program, call for papers, organizing committee, and venue information. Registration will open in summer 2026.
  • Workshop AnnouncedWe are pleased to announce the Digital Finance for Supervision workshop, jointly organized by the European Central Bank and the MSCA DIGITAL network. The half-day event will take place on November 30, 2026 at the ECB in Frankfurt am Main. Attendance is free of charge.

Abstracts and biographies

10:30–11:15

Keynote 1: The Role of Reference Datasets and Biases of LLMs for Banking and Investment

Prof. Charles-Albert Lehalle, CMAP, École Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris

About the speaker. Member of the Scientific Committee of the AMF, the French financial markets regulator. Co-director, with Prof. Vianney Perchet, of the MScT programme AI for Markets and Quantitative Investment. Leads the Finance Vertical of the AI Factory project (European Commission / France / GENCI) together with Prof. Damien Challet, where they are launching a research project on biases in large language models.

Back to the programme

11:15, 30 minutes

AI and Biodiversity

Prof. Ania Zalewska, University of Leicester School of Business

Artificial intelligence and nature conservation are both becoming defining priorities, and their relationship is far from straightforward. AI promises productivity, innovation and growth, and can help fight climate change through remote sensing, digital monitoring and other data-intensive technologies that make ecological change more observable, biodiversity risks more measurable and environmental outcomes more verifiable. Yet AI’s expansion requires substantial physical infrastructure, particularly data centres, with growing demands for land, energy and water. At the same time, biodiversity loss and climate change are increasing the pressure to protect land, restore ecosystems and reduce demands on natural resources. The pursuit of a digital future could therefore come into direct competition with the pursuit of a nature-positive one. A key question is where data centres should be built: on greenfield sites, or should brownfield land be prioritised? What happens when brownfield sites themselves have significant biodiversity value? And how should environmental costs be weighed against regeneration, employment and other socioeconomic benefits? These questions ultimately become local decisions. National and European governments can set ambitious biodiversity, planning and sustainability policies, but implementation depends on regional authorities and politicians. Does the quality of regional authorities and politicians really matter, and if so, which qualities?

Back to the programme

11:45, 20 minutes

Title to be confirmed

Prof. Huei-Wen Teng, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

About the speaker. Associated partner of the MSCA DIGITAL network. Her work applies machine learning to credit card default prediction and evaluates tail risk under Basel standards.

Back to the programme

13:00–13:20

Invited Talk: Digital Assets and Systemic Risk

Dr Roman Matkovskyy, Associate Professor, Rennes School of Business

About the speaker. Associate Professor of Finance and Geopolitics at Rennes School of Business, and a Management Committee member of the CA19130 FinAI COST Action. His research covers digital finance, cryptocurrency markets, systemic risk and financial market interdependencies.

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13:40, 30 minutes

Title to be confirmed

Ólöf Jónsdóttir, Managing Director of Personal Banking, Íslandsbanki

About the speaker. Managing Director of Personal Banking at Íslandsbanki, bringing extensive senior leadership experience from the Icelandic financial sector.

Back to the programme

14:10, 20 minutes

Contingent capital: A tale of two valuations

Prof. Tian-Shyr Dai, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

This study investigates the valuation gap between buyers and sellers of insurers' contingent capital, driven by asymmetric exposures to tax benefits, capital injections and bankruptcy costs. We develop a novel Twin-Tree Model with Jumps (TTMJ) that models the insurer's asset value dynamics by incorporating catastrophe risk, insolvency risk and contractual features observed in practice. Using U.S. earthquake loss data and a representative real-world contract, we show that early exercise and net-worth provisions significantly affect contract tradability by expanding the range of mutually acceptable prices. Our results provide new insights into reconciling valuation asymmetries and offer guidance for designing contingent capital instruments that enhance insurers' financial resilience under catastrophe risk.

About the speaker. Tian-Shyr Dai received his Ph.D. from the Department of Computer Science, National Taiwan University. He chaired the Department of Information Management and Finance from 2016 to 2019 and directed the Taiwan Association of Business School from 2018 to 2020. He is currently Full Professor in the Department of Information Management and Finance at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, and a Research Member of the Risk and Insurance Research Center at NCCU. He has been a Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE and a Faculty Member of Beta Gamma Sigma since 2021. His research interests include financial engineering and financial technology.

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14:30, 20 minutes

Linking 10-K risk disclosures to macro news headlines

Dennis Hoffmann, University of Twente

About the speaker. PhD candidate at the University of Twente, Faculty of Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences, in collaboration with Quoniam Asset Management.

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