On May 27, 2026, SME Banking Club, together with Comarch, gathered leading SME banking executives, technology experts, and industry stakeholders in Bucharest for a high-level event focused on how banks in Central and Eastern Europe can strengthen their competitiveness through digital SME banking, advanced loan origination models, and the strategic adoption of artificial intelligence.
The event provided a comprehensive platform to discuss the rapidly evolving banking landscape, showcase real-life case studies, and outline actionable strategies for preparing financial institutions for the AI-driven future.
Key Themes and Insights
Digital SME Banking in the CEE Region: Progress and Gaps
The event opened by Olena Gryniuk (SME Banking Club) with an overview of digital SME banking across the CEE region, highlighting both significant progress and remaining gaps.
Research presented during the session showed that:
- 63% of banks now offer digital onboarding for SMEs, though mostly limited to sole entrepreneurs, with corporate onboarding still heavily reliant on branches.
- Mobile banking solutions currently provide only about 50% of the functionalities available in online banking, signaling untapped potential for mobile-first strategies.
- Only 28% of institutions offer fully digital SME lending processes, indicating that lending remains a key area for transformation.
Speakers emphasized that digital SME banking is becoming a critical battleground for differentiation, especially as fintech competitors continue to set new standards for user experience and speed.
Comarch & BRD Case Study: Transforming Loan Origination
A key highlight of the event was a case study on the loan origination partnership between Comarch and BRD, illustrating how banks can modernize credit processes.
The session demonstrated how advanced loan origination platforms:
- Streamline the full credit lifecycle—from application to administration
- Integrate alternative data sources (e.g., transaction data, ERP systems)
- Enable faster credit decisions and improved customer experience
The discussion reinforced that digitizing loan origination is not just about efficiency, but also about enabling data-driven lending and improving risk assessment capabilities.
Banking 2030: Preparing for the Age of AI
One of the central sessions explored how banks should prepare for the next decade, where AI will fundamentally redefine banking models.
Experts outlined three core pillars for “Banking 2030”:
- Interface as Conversation
Traditional banking interfaces are evolving away from dashboards and menus toward intent-based, conversational experiences, where users simply express goals and receive actionable insights.
- Logic as Swarm (Agent-Based Banking)
A shift toward AI agents acting on behalf of customers was identified as a transformative trend. These agents:
- Operate autonomously
- Make real-time decisions
- Learn continuously from data streams.
- AI-Driven Development
AI is also reshaping how banks build technology, enabling:
- Faster development cycles (from weeks to potentially 24-hour sprints)
- Increased productivity through human–AI collaboration.
Speakers concluded that banks must evolve from being customer “destinations” into intelligent operating systems embedded in clients’ daily workflows.
AI-Augmented Business Banking: Practical Use Cases
The event also showcased concrete AI-driven use cases already being deployed in business banking:
Virtual CFO
An AI-powered assistant capable of:
- Forecasting cash flow and identifying liquidity risks
- Running “what-if” scenarios in real time
- Recommending actions such as factoring or leasing options.
For example, the system can automatically detect a future liquidity gap and propose financing strategies before the user even logs in.
ERP Integration & Embedded Finance
Banks are increasingly integrating directly with SME ERP systems, enabling:
- Automated invoice processing
- Embedded payments
- Real-time synchronization of financial data.
Agent Mesh Architecture
A new paradigm where multiple specialized AI agents collaborate to execute tasks, such as:
- Loan calculations
- Risk scoring
- Customer onboarding
- Product recommendations.
This architecture replaces traditional monolithic systems with flexible, scalable ecosystems of intelligent agents.
Conclusion
The Bucharest event clearly demonstrated that the future of banking in the CEE region will be shaped by the convergence of digital SME banking, advanced lending platforms, and AI-driven transformation.
Key takeaways include:
- Digital SME banking remains a major growth and differentiation opportunity
- Loan origination modernization is critical for competitiveness
- AI adoption must move beyond experimentation toward full-scale integration
- Agent-based architectures and conversational interfaces will define next-generation banking
As the industry moves toward 2030, banks that successfully embrace AI and reimagine their role as intelligent financial ecosystems will be best positioned to compete with fintechs and deliver superior value to their customers.
If you’re looking to transform your SME banking and SME lending process today, reach out to our team to learn how we can support and accelerate that transformation.
