Curiosity Meets Courage – That Was Bank Innovativ Day 2026

„The future won’t wait. It is shaped by those who have the courage to tackle it today.“

That was precisely the message of Bank Innovativ Day 2026. Under the motto „Curiosity meets courage. Shaping innovation in banking together.”.“On July 14 and 15, thought leaders, decision-makers, and innovation drivers gathered once again at Werkbank32. In keeping with the spirit of „Be Innovative Today“ Not only was the future of banking discussed, but, above all, the event demonstrated how innovation is already succeeding in practice today.

Inspiring presentations, hands-on workshops, engaging discussions, and—above all—personal interaction were the focus of our two-day event. Because one thing quickly became clear: the challenges in banking are best solved together.

Day 1: Rethinking Customer Interfaces and Bringing Innovation to Life

The event kicked off two days full of ideas, inspiration, and practical examples with Dr. Julia Breßler (TeleskopEffekt) and Dominik Baumann (TeleskopEffekt).

Immediately afterward, our First Session: Customer Interfaces in Transition. The focus was on new ways for banks to reach and support their customers in the future. Frederik Mügge (DZ Bank AG) introduced Wero as the European alternative in the payments sector, Robin Höring (Atruvia AG) spoke about the potential of Agentic AI for the banking of the future, Paul Lehmann (Union Investment) demonstrated approaches to customer-centric market development and Kim Michaela Schmitz (Mastercard) highlighted the use of AI in payment transactions.

That afternoon, the following took place Session 2: „Putting Innovation into Practice“. Instead of just lectures, there were three interactive workshops.

Practical workshops

• Visual Digital Twins in Building Insurance with Dr. Michelle Luckas and Johannes Weber (Startraiff/R+V)
  Participants were able to learn not only in theory how digital twins can revolutionize damage assessment. With the help of a VR application, they were able to experience the topic firsthand, which impressively demonstrated the potential that immersive technologies offer in practical applications.
• Gamification as a Driver of AI Transformation with Susanne Schwirner and Gordon Bell (WG-DATA GmbH)
  The workshop highlighted how playful approaches can help get employees excited about AI and successfully support change processes. Real-world examples demonstrated how gamification can foster innovation within a company.
• Bullseye or Bankruptcy? The Most Dangerous Mental Trap in Innovation, with Gabriele Herdin (Herdin Training)
  Sometimes innovation just has to hit the bullseye. In this case, quite literally: A dartboard served as an interactive element to make the typical pitfalls of innovation work tangible.

During the group dinner and the subsequent get-together at the Hotel Sonnenlandpark, participants delved deeper into the topics discussed in the sessions, made new connections, and further developed their ideas.

Day 2: Putting Capabilities, Regulations, and AI into Practice

The second day of the event began with a keynote address by Prof. Leonhard Zintl (Volksbank Mittweida eG) on responsibility and the ability to get things done in banking. This was followed by Session 3: „Future-Readiness in Banking: Empowerment, Regulation, and AI“ to.

The speakers outlined the conditions banks must establish in order to successfully navigate this transformation. Isabell Prager and Luca Schipper (Neon Blue) focused on the topic of financial education among Gen Z, Andreas Kötter (ZAM eG) showed how regulation can become a driver of innovation, Kim Schneider (Cisco) spoke about the path to AI readiness and Matthias Biniok (IBM) provided insights into the capabilities of Agentic AI.

In Session 4: „Bringing Innovation to Life: From Idea to Implementation“ The discussion focused on how to turn good ideas into measurable results. Nils Wilke-Gießmann (PSD Bank Braunschweig eG) spoke about idea management and asking the right questions. As part of the innovation rally we conducted earlier, PSD Bank Braunschweig systematically analyzed and refined its innovation process. As a result, the bank now stands out for its very clear approach to innovation management. Gaston Volk (Schufa Holding AG) introduced the Next Gen Score and the Fraud Pool, Johnny Kreisig (Volksbank Mittweida eG) apiMatch presented its solution for automated personnel management, Tobias Brand (VR-NetWorld GmbH) demonstrated how important it is to engage customers at the various digital touchpoints. Christina Kohlmann (Adobe) explained how banks can maintain their visibility in the age of generative AI.

Two days filled with ideas, perspectives, and practical insights came to a close with a closing address by Dr. Julia Breßler. The Bank Innovativ Day 2026 has once again demonstrated that Innovation happens where people remain curious, boldly explore new paths, and share their knowledge.

We’re already looking forward to exploring these ideas further together at the next Bank Innovativ Day.

Are you interested in the Bank Innovativ Day, too? Sign up now for the Innovative Banking Day 2027 in Mittweida or for the ADG Bank Innovation Day in September 2026!