21-22 June 2023
Uzbekistan, Tashkent
International Hotel, 107А Amir Temur Avenue
About PLUS-Forum
The PLUS-Forum “Fintech, Banks & Retail. Digital Transformation” is devoted to key issues of interaction between state structures, banking sector and trade retail. Among its strategic objectives is to give an additional impetus to the development of the economy of Uzbekistan, to promote international cooperation in banking and financial technologies, as well as the deployment of new promising projects, including international ones. The Forum will provide similar assistance to the development of online and offline retail, including its effective further transformation.
We invite companies and organizations interested in the implementation of ongoing initiatives, joint projects and the development of cooperation with partners in Uzbekistan.
PLAS-Forum is supported by the Central Bank and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Who are our participants?
- Fintech companies and startups, IT parks, gas pedals
- Business angels, venture capital firms
- IT, telecom, and integrators
- World leading experts of banking and payment industry
- Managers of retail networks, e-commerce, wholesale companies, shopping malls
- Payment systems
- Research agencies and consulting companies
- International banking community, including participants of country markets throughout Central Asia (top management of banks, MFIs, investment funds)
- Insurance companies, management of logistics companies
Join PLUS-Forum!
Agenda
Day 1. June, 21
Session 1
Further digitalization as a global trend of banking business
- Development of the national payment system. New vectors. Goals and tasks.
- Main tendencies in the payments industry.
- The most significant regulations of the CB RU in 2022-2023. We explain the essence. We analyze the impact on the market. We take the issues off the table
- Global financial sector. Digital society and banks. Challenges of the digital world. Platforms. Ecosystems. Marketplaces
- Development of a digital cashless economy in Uzbekistan. Digitalization of banking and retail amid the transformation of the market and society
- Retail banking trends in Uzbekistan
- Vector of the payment systems development. Shift in trends 2.0
- eGOV. From e-government to digital society
- From cyber attacks to cyber wars. Cybercrime and fraud as a global threat to the world community and country markets. How to counter the modern scale of threats?
Session 2
Transformation process 2023. Turning banking into Finance as a Service
- Fintech as a driver of the digital economy and a guarantor of further development
- Transformation of banks. The main goals of digitalization. Migration from analog-style thinking to digital reality. Banking technologies in the field of data management
- Turning banking into Finance as a Service
- Stages of digital transformation of the bank. A look from inside. The role of Agile
- New lending technologies. Automation of installment cards and retail banking systems
- Innovations and trends in the development of digital commercial products
- Data storage and data processing. Systematization
- Handling large amounts of data
- Effectiveness of Big Data. Further broadening of their application areas
- Project Management (PM). Modern problems in project management and their leveling
Session 2A
Round Table: Retail sector of Uzbekistan. The current state of e-commerce. Key tendencies. New challenges and future-oriented solutions
- Transformation of the retail business. Challenges and sustainable development of the market.
- Acquiring business 2023. Rethinking the experience gained. Formation of effective strategies
- Marketplaces. The optimal e-Commerce model for capturing the real market share
- Problems of taxation of marketplaces. How do they affect business? Possible solutions
- The overall situation and regulatory issues in e-Commerce
- Fintech development for e-commerce. Which tasks are most relevant and sought-out by fintech?
- The project of self-service checkouts by the example of some stores of retail chains. Practice and results of the self-service checkouts operation. Prospects for the project scaling
- Payment link, QR code, what’s next? What we use now, and what changes lie ahead
- Classic POS-terminals in the retail sector — no replacement so far? What’s next?
- Logistics and fulfillment. Prospects for building a regional e-Commerce hub
- Customer service management in e-commerce
- Consumer lending. Business models in emerging and prospective markets
- BNPL. A successful competitor to consumer finance and credit cards? Or a project that already evokes anxiety of top global central banks?
- Servicing a private client and working with retailers. Market transformation. Building a sustainable business ecosystem of banking
- Loyalty program — not only cashback and bonuses. The demand for an advanced loyalty program in the Uzbek market — from aviation and public transport to retail and banking. Loyalty promotion project as a method of customer acquisition and retention. Revenue growth opportunities for a company (bank)
Session 3
Payment business. Development in all azimuths. Best retail banking business cases
- Digital bank as an example of a successful business case
- Interbank cooperation and international projects. Prospects for the integration of national payment systems
- Digitization of cross-border payments and value-added services
- Seamless, simple and secure. The basic triangle of development of digital solutions. Basic cases of new generation products
- Digitalization and cybersport. The role and place of cybersport in modern society
- Acquiring business strategies. Building a unique acquiring ecosystem
- Instant (faster) payments systems
- Mobile payment services. Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, WeChat, Alipay. Current state. Prospects
- Further development of brokerage services by banks. Mobile applications
- Electronic money. Market experience of various countries
- Digital services and facilities. Digital mortgage. Other areas of digital lending, including consumer loans
- “New marketing” — why banks need it. Communication channels — are they all effective? Re-assessment of strategies and tools
- First steps and lessons learned. Experience gained from previous activities to widely take into account in the future
Session 3A
Security. Cyber threats, social engineering and other currently central challenges
- Cyber resilience of the banking and payments industry. Concentration of cybersecurity resources
- Cyber threats and information security measures in the banking sector in the Republic of Uzbekistan
- Electronic signature and multi-factor authentication technologies for the benefit of cybersecurity
- Mass consumer and financial literacy. From counteracting social engineering to creating conditions for more effective economic development and improving the welfare of citizens
- Adaptive authentication of internal and external users. Antifraud and social engineering, RBS protection
- Who is attacking banks today and how? Overview of cyber gangs, their techniques and tactics over the past two years
Session 4
Remote identification as an essential element of modern society. Biometrics — from public services to banking and retail
- Biometrics in the country and globally. Prospects for biometric technology development in the financial sector
- Biometrics and identification. Role and place. Prospects
- Payment confirmed by biometrics. Cashless payments only? What prevents the expansion of biometric identification-based payments
- The need for payment confirmed by biometrics in case of insufficient funds. Solving the problem
- Biometrics and security. Early detection of shoplifters and not just that. Biometrics capabilities to combat insider fraud
- Attacks on biometric systems. Probability of success. Counteraction
- Biometric solutions’ immunity to fraud attempts. Test methodology
- Loyalty and biometrics. Quick shopper onboarding
Session 4A
Innovative solutions for digitalization. Neobanks. Challenges and opportunities in the age of digital transformation
- Digital tendencies in banking and financial services
- Bank cards. Tokenization and virtualization
- Innovative tools for bank’s efficient business processes
- Open API — a step towards Open Banking. We choose the path of open platforms!
- API economy. Digital transformation of the banking sector
- Banks and payment preferences of customers
- Online insurance — a successful retail case
- Digital mortgage as part of the digital ecosystem
- The role of new technologies in lending to individuals. Digital lending. Best cases
- How can a bank become a part of the new reality and meet the expectations of a business client?
- Which neobanks are already present in the Central Asian market and how do they influence traditional players in the industry?
- Scenarios for the development of neobanks in the near and medium term, or NeoBANK 4.0. From the former enthusiasm and freedom in choosing the directions of implementation towards the super-efficient divisions of classic banks. Copywriting of pioneers’ best practices by market monopolists. Modern NeoBANK 4.0 = XaaS (Anything as a Service)?
- Mobility, price affordability and user-friendliness. How do neobanks benefit from their advantages over traditional banks?
- The emergence of neo-banking services — the reaction of the regulators? What legislative amendments may be required to support the development of the industry?
Day 2. June, 22
Session 5
Debt collection activity in the modern conditions of the market of Uzbekistan
- Consumer lending and credit cards in the Uzbek market at the beginning of 2023? Main trends
- BNPL from the consumer’s perspective. Demand for BNPL as a product that solves the problem of the debtor’s over-indebtedness on a standard credit card. A successful competitor to consumer finance and credit cards? Or a project that already evokes anxiety of top global central banks?
- The debt load of the population of Uzbekistan. Activities of the regulator and banks to prevent a critical situation with delinquency
- Regulation of debt collection business. Law on debt collection. Have all problems been resolved? What else needs to be decided at the legislative level?
- The experience of the CIS countries in the regulation and organization of debt collection activities
- Automation of debt collection
- The specifics of the Uzbek market and the problems of banks in organizing debt collection.
Session 5A
Fintech Women. Gender equality in business as a phase of further development and social well-being in Uzbekistan
- Will the stronger role of women be capable of bringing synergy among public services, Fintech and IT?
- Opportunities for women in the IT world. Digital as a driver for resolving issues, including an option for achieving gender equality in this area and beyond
- Women in the Digital World. One of the ways to solve existing problems?
- Fintech Women. How can a balance be reached between personal and professional life?
- Why is women’s potential underestimated in many industries? How are things going in the banking and IT sectors, in the public service?
- Balancing work with family responsibilities — how realistic and problematic is this? Are additional efforts needed compared to the “standard” family model? Are there compromises? How does the family feel about the irregular working hours?
- Female leadership. Innate or acquired quality?
Session 6
From cash circulation to payments and banking. ATM and POS-terminal networks. Banking self-service
- Banking self-service as a foundation wall for the development of a modern bank
- ATM and POS-terminal networks. New functionality: cardless service at an ATM. Online fiscalization at POS devices and more
- ATM and banking services from client’s perspective
- Banking self-service systems and counting and sorting equipment in the current environment
- Consumer experience and self-service devices
- Reorganization of bank branches. A new generation of offices — a combination of digital and physical experience. Tasks to solve. Modernization of processes and cash cycle automation in bank branches
- The global ATM market. Latest trends. Technology and business
- Cash withdrawals at the checkout. Practice and prospects
- Cash transactions in online/offline retail in the current era
- The relevance of financial services for people with disabilities. Improving the availability of services
Session 6A
Round table. Environment Social Governance (ESG). Demand for usage, necessity and timeliness of using some elements of the green economy in the Republic of Uzbekistan
- Relevance of the ESG (Environment Social Governance) agenda. ESG at the global and local level. An element of building a country’s creative economy
- Essence and relevance of ESG-principles in Central Asia. Shifting prerequisites for a company’s success towards the responsible business that takes care of society and nature
- Sustainability & ESG: evolution & revolution. What is the difference between sustainable development and ESG?
- ESG in Uzbekistan. Understanding the characteristic aspects and specific practices. ESG opportunities in the fintech industry
- Does a modern fintech company need an ESG transition? ESG transition roadmap
- ESG: the meaning and actual role of the ESG principles implementation in the economy and banking sector of Uzbekistan
- The Green Agenda: what we expect from adhering to its postulates
Session 7
Crypto industry. Status, trends, forecasts. Asset tokenization, fintech platforms and distributed data ledgers. Blockchain
- Crypto: yesterday, today. Tomorrow? Hype amid global bankruptcies. Will it be replaced by an era of regulated practicality? What the world practice shows
- Global Cryptocurrency Industry 2022–2023. Current state and main trends. Expected scenario for the crypto market development
- Regulation of the crypto assets circulation and prospects for the development of the crypto industry in Uzbekistan
- Virtual assets. Tokenized stock trading. A modern response to classic trading. A unique symbiosis of crypto and familiar assets. Smart integration of the crypto industry into the financial sector
- Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). Digital and crypto currencies: analysis of the global market
- Innovations in the blockchain. International best practices
- NFT — shift in the product implementation vectors. New opportunities for the application of NFT technology. Scenario for the use of non-fungible tokens in the near and medium term
Session 7A
Pathways of the banking market development in Uzbekistan. Promising solutions. Digitalization of SMB
- Banking as a Service (BaaS). New banking model
- Open platform as a bridge between the client and the bank
- Digital transformation of the banking industry
- Digital ecosystems and super apps — the new standards of everyday banking
- Embedded Finance. Why the embedded finance opens up a powerful channel of offers to users for non-bank players. What should banks do?
- Online fiscalization as an effective element of the government control over trade activities and tax collection
- Financial inclusion in the Central Asian region
- Small and medium businesses. SMB as a catalyst for the development of modern economies
- Main problems of SMB. The state of the economy. High tax rates. High insurance costs. Shortage of qualified personnel, etc. Can some of those be solved? And by what means?
- SME as a bank client. Why does the level of financial services for small and medium-sized businesses still leave much to be desired?
- The role of the regulator. What the regulation needs to work with SMEs successfully?
- Contactless and mobile payments. From technology and business improvement to solutions that support SMB
Session 8
Islamic finance and Islamic banking in Central Asia. Current state and prospects
- Islamic economic paradigm and Islamic banking. Alternative economic models built on the basis of confessional principles. Further development paths
- Development of Islamic economy and financial services in the countries of Central Asia. Current opportunities and challenges
- Impact-economy: a new economic trend. Risk assessments and responsible investment. ESG investment
- Regulatory framework for Islamic finance and Islamic banking. History of development. Stages of formation
- Islamic mortgage. Demand and prospects for it
- Islamic finance. Principles of credit card use
- “Islamic window” in traditional banking structures. Key challenges and benefits
- Fintech as a driver for the financial products development in Islamic banking. Key innovations in Islamic finance in 2022-2023
- Government regulation in the context of digitalization. Improvement of legislation. Regulatory sandboxes. Implementation specifics
Session 8A
Round table “Progress and society. How do Web 3.0, AI, ChatGPT-like resources and the Metaverse affect business? Immediacy of risks of artificial intelligence
- Panel discussion “Progress and global digital transformation. Results and effects. What do we get for sure? What kind of unchartered waters awaits us on this path? Banks and retail. Cases
- Risks of dehumanization of progress. We have plenty to think about
- Artificial intelligence is the core of progress in the 21st century. Expected positive developments and potential problems. Real threats or yet another science fiction spine-chillers?
- Web 3.0. Decentralization and the token-based economy. Internet on the blockchain platform. What will the new concept bring with it? What will have to be abandoned?
- ChatGPT as an example of the record-breaking growth of the chatbot audience. Prohibitions at their peak. Italy, Germany — who’s next?
- Is the launch of ChatGPT a harbinger of a massive layoffs in banks? Pros and cons, or the End of the banking system in its modern form?
- TruthGPT as an example of creating competitive versions of ChatGPT
Speakers of the Forum
Sponsors and Partners
Title Sponsor
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Main Sponsor
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Platinum Sponsors
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Associate partners
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Registration
Offline participation for employees of banks, МDOs, retail of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and
Transcaucasian countries
Free
The delegate package of the Forum includes:
- Attendance at events (conference, round tables, exhibition) during the Forum
- Meals (Coffee-breaks, lunches) during the Forum
- Gala evening and cocktail
- WiFi Internet access
- Information materials of the Forum (conference program, participants information, presentations of key speakers, photos from the Forum)
Make appointments and contacts!
There is a QR-code with contact information on the badge of every participant:
- The company
- Department
- Position
- Contact phone number
You can scan the QR-code with your smartphone and save the business card in contacts.
Hall plans
1st Floor
2nd Floor
Venue
International Hotel, 107A Amir Temur Avenue, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
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Source: ihthotel.uz -
Source: ihthotel.uz -
Source: ihthotel.uz
Accommodation
Dear forum participants!
We offer you a special rate for accommodation at the International Hotel Tashkent (valid from June 15 till June 25, 2023).
To get a promo code send your request to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Tatiana Chugunova and get a promo code from her.
After receiving your promo code, you can directly book your hotel room by filling out the form on the website and indicating the promo code
