Financial IT 2026 will be held on May 28 at the Marriott Hotel in Budapest. The one‑day conference examines technological changes and challenges in the banking sector, with emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), fintech competition, payments trends and cybersecurity.
Focus of the event
Organised by Portfolio, the conference addresses how AI is moving beyond pilots into tangible results, how fintechs are gaining market share, and how banks respond to regulatory and security pressures. The programme is designed for bank executives, IT decision‑makers, consultants, fintech experts and bank IT suppliers to exchange experiences and present practical implementation examples.
Format and highlights
Alongside plenary sessions the organisers introduce new formats: three debate panels staged as live debates, and a two‑part "Vibe Coding Workshop" offering hands‑on, interactive work with AI tools. The day ends with a standing reception for networking.
Main sessions and topics
- Session I: Fintech competition, digitalisation and the AI boom in banking — strategic responses and acceleration of digital transformation.
- Session II/A: AI and innovation in banks — agentic AI, new business use cases and AI’s transformative potential for banking.
- Session II/B: Technology deep dive — practical implementations and case studies.
- Session III/A: Payment trends in Hungary — market changes from card trends to payment sovereignty; the opening talk is delivered by an Magyar Nemzeti Bank director.
- Session III/B: Fraud and cybersecurity — defending against cyber threats, with attention to AI‑driven attacks.
- Session III/C: Vibe coding workshop part 1 — interactive implementation of a banking use case using AI tools.
- Session IV/A: Debate session — three staged debates on whether AI will displace jobs, whether fintechs or banks will dominate the Hungarian market, and whether cryptocurrencies are a lasting innovation or a speculative bubble.
Notable speakers and participants
The programme features Hungarian and international senior practitioners, including:
- Kurtisz Krisztián (UNIQA Biztosító, CEO)
- Sebők András (OTP Bank, Deputy CEO)
- Vinnai Balázs (MBH Bank, IVSZ, presidential chief advisor, president)
- Harmati László (Erste Bank, Deputy CEO)
- Jendrolovics Péter (Gránit Bank, Deputy CEO)
- Márkus Gergely (Mastercard, Country Manager)
- John Ford (Paymentology, Senior Technology Partner)
- Horányi Gergő (Wise, Product Director)
Speakers in the AI and innovation blocks include:
- Kaliszky András (Erste Bank Hungary, Deputy CEO responsible for IT and operations)
- Prokop Péter (UNIQA Biztosító, Operations and Customer Management Director)
- Vedran Bajer (Wonderful, General Manager, Hungary, the Baltics and Adriatics)
- Mátyás‑Kollár Gabriella (Shiwaforce, Head of AI)
- Schenk Tamás (Deloitte Hungary, Partner - Strategy & Operations Consulting)
The technical and case study sessions feature professionals such as Ács Tamás (K&H Alapkezelő), Sallai Péter (Dorsum, CTO), Molnár Ádám (1337 Partners, Co‑founder, CTO) and Gaál Norbert (1337.partners, AI Budapest, Co‑Founder), who will lead the Vibe Coding Workshop.
In the payments and cybersecurity panels are speakers including:
- Luspay Miklós (Magyar Nemzeti Bank, director)
- Czimer Gergely (Raiffeisen Bank Hungary, CEO)
- dr. Borókai Bence (OTP Bank, group‑level head of cybersecurity)
- Halász Viktor (National Bureau of Investigation, Cybercrime Division)
- Somkuti András (Netlock, CEO)
- Weissmüller Gábor (Citi, EMEA CSIS IAU Head Lead Investigator)
Debate participants include Rab Árpád (NKE EJKK ITKI senior research fellow), Demeter Ákos (Binx, CEO), Nagy‑Józsa Dorka (Y2Y, CEO), Gyurcsik Attila (Accorde Alapkezelő, CEO) and Fischer Bálint (Dorsum, Head of Business Development).
Attendance and practical information
The conference is aimed at representatives of banks, fintech companies, IT suppliers, startups, consultants and regulators. The participation fee is 179,900 Ft + VAT. Registration and further details are available on the conference website.
Closing note
Financial IT 2026 aims to give attendees an up‑to‑date view of AI, digitalisation, payments and cybersecurity in banking, while providing practical tools and contacts to accelerate digital transformation. The closing reception offers additional networking opportunities.
