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Innovation – Finance – Technology

Banking is necessary, banks are not

September 11, 2017September 11, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments bank, Fintech

Banking is necessary, banks are not was stated by Bill Gates all the way back in 1994, and has served as the mantra for the first wave of fintech. Following the Silicon Valley obsession of disrupting incumbent industries, numerous fintechs were ready to challenge every aspect of banking and deliver better banking services directly to consumers. Armed with the recent Millennial disruption index, where 71% of respondents claimed to rather visit the dentist than listen to their bank everyone was convinced that the days of incumbent banks were numbered.

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Is the surge of ICOs an innovative funding source or a bubble waiting to burst?

September 4, 2017September 5, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 1 Comment Blockchain

Initial Coin Offerings has suddenly emerged to be a fast growing funding source for technology startups, and by July this year, almost $1,3 billion has been raised through this funding mechanism, where more than half of the amount was raised in June. With this speed of adoption, wither someone has figured out something ingenious to fill a gap in the market, or we are looking at a greed-driven bubble.

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The promise of Machine Learning in Anti Money laundering

August 28, 2017August 28, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 1 Comment Artificial Intelligence, Compliance

One of the biggest hurdles for banks is the never-ending growth in complexity and regulations in the compliance department. This is one of the areas in banking where Artificial Intelligence (AI) shows vast promise. As machine learning techniques become more advanced banks are looking to Anti Money Laundering as one of the hot application areas.

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Informatikk er det nye realfaget

August 21, 2017August 13, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments Digital, Education

Grunnleggende forståelse av informatikk er avgjørende for å forstå hvordan mennesker og maskiner kommer til å samhandle i fremtidens arbeidsliv. Fagene i skolen må derfor endres i takt med samfunnsutviklingen.

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Unleashing the global potential of Norwegian fintech

August 14, 2017August 14, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 2 Comments Fintech

The Norwegian fintech scene has in few years grown from a modest infancy to a force to be reckoned with in only a few years. In order to utilize this potential we have decided to establish the association Finance Innovation with the main objective to build a global fintech hub. Behind the inititive is more than 20 key finance and tech companies in Bergen. The cluster will act as a catalyst to launch new initiatives in research, education, innovation infrastructure and internationalization.

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How big is the problem of plastics in the ocean and what are we doing to solve it?

August 7, 2017August 7, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 1 Comment Sustainability

One of the biggest environmental threats facing the ocean is plastic waste. More than 80% of waste that ends up in the ocean is generated on land, and one of the major contributors to this mess is plastic. According to a recent report by World Economic Forum the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050 if we continue at the same pace. How severe is the issue, and what are we currently doing to solve it?

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Fintechs and incumbents accelerating together

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments Fintech

The Nordic fintech scene is growing fast in terms of number of startups and investments and innovative and ambitious startups are popping up in all of the major cities. TheFactory – a Nordic Fintech accelerator and incubator based in Oslo, Norway, is running 12-week accelerator programs tailored to fintech startups, TheFactory is open for applications through August 3rd. Startups seeking industry partnerships, mentoring and seed investments are encouraged to apply.

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2017 has been an eventful year so far

June 25, 2017June 25, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 1 Comment Banking, Digitalization, Innovation

It has been almost 6 months since I got on the plane and headed over to Bergen to take on the role as Chief Digital Officer in Skandiabanken. By now, fintech has exploded as a mainstream topic with an increasing level of interest from the general public. As customer expectations intensifies, so does the sense of urgency for banks to actually but those words into action and put their money where their mouths are. So far this year, I have done my part to make that happen.

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Skandiabanken Capital Markets day webcast is now available

June 21, 2017July 27, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments Banking

Banking used to be somewhere you go, seventeen years ago Skandiabanken made it something you do as the first online-only bank. During those years, we have continued to maintain our position as the leading challenger bank, and now we are stepping up the game and taking digital banking to the next level. The webcast is now available here.

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Digitaliseringens syv dødssynder

June 19, 2017June 19, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments Digitalization, Leadership

De fleste vellykkede selskaper er gode på tradisjonell forretningsutvikling som belønner forutsigbar vekst og risikoredd ledelse. Det er en dårlig forutsetning for å vinne nye posisjoner.

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Skandiabanken taking the next step

June 12, 2017June 12, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments Banking

Banking used to be somewhere you go, seventeen years ago Skandiabanken made it something you do as the first online-only bank. During those years, we have continued to maintain our position as the leading challenger bank, and now we are stepping up the game and taking digital banking to the next level.

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The most important trait of an innovator is resilience

May 29, 2017May 29, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 3 Comments Innovation

In the age of digital disruption, the ability to be innovative is crucial for every incumbent. Changes are happening fast, and incumbent business models are challenged from every direction. No matter the resources allocated to innovation, supporting structures and conditions for innovation, the ability to innovate boils down to the competence and talent in the organization.

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If developers are the new rock stars, APIs are their instruments

May 23, 2017May 23, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 1 Comment Innovation, Open banking

Last week we announced that Skandiabanken will be supporting digital currencies by integrating to Coinbase Connect and exposing the account balance held at Coinbase. The real innovation really has little to do with bitcoin and digital currencies, but rather a representation of the way open banking will shape new products development and customer experience.

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Digital currencies available at Skandiabanken

May 15, 2017May 15, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 4 Comments

Ever since the advent of bitcoin, the debate has alternated between bitcoin as a currency, blockchain as a protocol and bitcoin as an asset class. No matter how you choose to look at it, blockhain and digital currencies are gainging a lot of interest, and we wanted to explore this space by allowing our customers to view their Coinbase account balance directly in their online bank.

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What makes a bank innovative?

May 9, 2017May 10, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 2 Comments Banking, Innovation

The rise of fintech, changing consumer behavior and new technology are just some of the trends that puts innovation in the spotlight for banks these days. Even incumbents that were once considered the least susceptible to change are investing in innovation. But what makes a bank innovative?

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What made me go into banking?

May 1, 2017May 1, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments

If anyone had told me fifteen years ago I would end up working in the banking sector, I would probably have thought of it as a highly unlikely outcome, but here I am. The other day, a former colleague and friend asked me what made me see the light and enter the banking sector, and it got me thinking. I guess my natural curiosity and passion for innovation and change to the positive has led me this where I am today, and I still feel like we are just scratching the surface of the future ahead.

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Blockchain – hype or reality?

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 4 Comments Bitcoin, Blockchain

Around this time last year, blockchain was the hottest subject in finance and tech. It was close to impossible to attend an industry event or read a subject-specific news source without hearing about blockchain. As the attention to blockchain has cooled down some might ask whether it was all just a hype.

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Is technology contributing to increased inequality

April 18, 2017April 17, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments

As global poverty is continuing to decline, another issue emerges. According to the World Economic Forum, rising income inequality and the pose a risk to the global economy, and may lead to increased polarization and lack of political stability.

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Identitet i en digital verden

April 3, 2017March 19, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments Blockchain, Digitalization

Hver person, ting og entitet har sin egne unike identitet, og evnen til å bevise denne er nøkkelen til alt fra å logge inn på Facebook til å levere inn selvangivelsen. Vi omgir oss med ulike former for digitale identitetsløsninger som gir oss tilgang til innhold, foreta betalinger og kommunisere gjennom dagen. Samtidig henger mange av prosessene og reglene knyttet til opprettelse og verifisering av identitet igjen i den fysiske verden med signaturer, papirbasert ID og fysisk oppmøte.

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Skandiabanken becomes largest shareholder in Quantfolio

March 23, 2017March 23, 2017 Christoffer Hernæs 0 Comments

Artificial intelliegence will undoubtedly revolutionize wealth and asset management, and we wish to take an active part in this revolution. Last week Skandiabanken entered an agreement to purchase 39,9% of the shares in Quantfolio AS. The investment represents an important step in the banks ongoing work to further strengthen and facilitate user-friendly digital saving options for the private market.

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