The Fifth European Conference on Banking and the Economy (ECOBATE 2023) will cover a range of topics concerning digital technologies for finance, monetary economics and macroeconomics, covering theory, applications and policy. A particular, though not exclusive, focus will be the opportunities and challenges posed by the modern digital economy, including the rise of such innovations as fintech businesses and central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). The organizing committee invites scholars, researchers, and experts to submit their work in all these areas, but particularly also concerning new directions in digital finance.

As the financial services industry has undergone rapid innovation since the 2007-2010 US and European financial crisis, propelled by advancements in big data, cloud computing, blockchain and other technological developments, new forms of digital finance have emerged as a facet of our lives. Such fintech and central bank responses challenge the long-established status-quo of the traditional banking industry and monetary policies designed around it, opening up both developmental opportunities and complex challenges (see Vallet, Kappes and Rochon, 2022a,  2022b; Kappes, Rochon, and Vallet, 2022; Ioannoi and Wojcik, 2021, 2022; Hashimoto, Pazitka and Wojcik, 2021; Duan, Ivanov and Werner, 2023; Werner, 2013, 2016a, 2016b).

We encourage submissions that examine the opportunities offered by digital finance, including CBDCs, in achieving financial inclusion, enhancing financial efficiency, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, promoting a green economy, and optimizing economic structures for high-quality development. Papers exploring the following themes are particularly welcome.

Financial Inclusion and Efficiency: 

• Opportunities for large and small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) arising from digital finance, such as impacts on borrowing costs, financing gaps, and liquidity efficiency
• The benefits and challenges of new forms of digital finance for SMEs in accessing financing and overcoming liquidity constraints
• The role of CBDCs in reducing information asymmetry, enhancing trust, and improving access to financial services in developed and developing countries
• The potential impact of CBDCs on the provision of banking services to SMEs and micro businesses

Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development:

• How CBDCs will affect business innovation and entrepreneurship in the context of digital finance
• The impact of new or centralised digital finance on the optimization of economic structures and the promotion of high-quality economic development
• The pros and cons of centralising forces vs. decentralised financial structures in achieving sustainable development

Environmental Sustainability and the Green Economy:

• The role of new or centralised digital finance in promoting environmentally friendly practices and sustainable economic growth
• The potential of CBDCs in advancing green finance, sustainable investments, and transitioning to a green economy

Financial Stability, Regulatory Challenges, and Risks:

• Regulatory challenges associated with the development and implementation of new forms of digital finance
• The impact of CBDCs on financial stability and systemic risks
• Potential risks, such as debt trapping and issues related to digital neutrality, in the context of new forms of digital finance
• The pros and cons of centralising forces vs. decentralised financial structures in achieving financial stability.

We welcome submissions from diverse methodological traditions in economics. We encourage scholars to contribute to a pluralistic view of economic research, enriching our understanding of CBDCs and their implications. Please submit abstracts via abstracts-ecobate@winchester.ac.uk.