Europe’s technology sector is frequently criticised for lacking ambition, but growth in so-called “deep-tech” start-ups in less glamorous segments of the industry has raised hopes for the region’s digital hubs.

Industrial applications and technical platforms that underpin consumer- focused services are attracting record levels of activity and investment, according to Atomico, the venture capital fund that specialises in the sector.

The banking business is reinventing itself. The impact of fintech companies, technological maturity, and customers who are used to digital experiences, all mark a transformation that the financial industry is facing in the certain knowledge that innovation and collaboration with new players will play an important role in the future. But what are the most difficult barriers to overcome in this process? For BBVA Research, Santander, Banorte and Tecnocom, all present in the panel on The digitization of commercial banking at the Latibex Forum, the response is clear: the challenges are regulation and the change in corporate culture.

Americans and Spaniards working together online; helicopters landing and taking off; different kinds of uniforms; and conversations in both languages or, sometimes, in Spanglish. That’s a snapshot of everyday life at the BBVA branch in Rota, south of Spain.

People are also asking machines for real-time communication and customization to build loyalty to a company or brand.

Collaborative platforms among students, design thinking, mentoring….  Technology is changing educational models.

"Your data is brilliant," pronounced Martina King, CEO of Featurespace, to the audience at 2016 FT Banking Summit, held this year at London’s Intercontinental Park Lane. Marco Bressan, Chief Data Scientist at BBVA and responsible for helping the bank become a data-driven business, talked about the volume of data at the bank’s disposal.