NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

With a growing number of Fintech platforms and increased digitalization infiltrating the microfinance industry, the pressure to adapt and implement these technologies in order to stay competitive and innovative puts MFIs to the test. While some microfinance industries excel at digitalization, others struggle to keep up. Part of the challenge of technological transformation is the widespread skepticism of leaving behind traditional operations to adopt more digital ways of working. How well the industry has adapted to these changes and challenges varies from region to region and opens a multitude of possibilities to learn and start shifting from the basics to more complex areas of digitalization.

Changing social expectations, like increased gender equality, and unprecedented external factors, like the outbreak of COVID-19, have major influences on the operational success of MFIs around the APAC region and have become common points of concern. This conference will be a platform for experts and industry professionals operating within microfinance to convene, network, and share knowledge and experiences. The common themes and topics of discussion will include the difficulties of digitalization and key trends for microfinance industry-players, challenging traditional working systems and innovating, and becoming more agile to changing external factors.