CfP Deadline:
September 30, 2026
Conference Event:
December 1, 2026
Event Location:
Milan, Italy
Organizer(s):
The Centre for Cooperative Banking (CRCC) at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
The Centre for Banking Research(CBR) at Bayes Business School
The Building Societies Association (BSA)
Federcass
Description:
Mutual financial institutions—including cooperative banks, building societies, credit unions, and savings banks—play a key role in many economies by providing financing to households and small and medium-sized enterprises, often holding a significant market share. The literature highlights several distinctive features compared with traditional banks. Their strong ties to local communities and governance structures based on member participation and stakeholder orientation allow them to rely more heavily on “soft” information about borrowers. At the same time, increasing consolidation in credit markets has made it more difficult for smaller institutions to remain competitive. Moreover, the sector faces growing
challenges: rapid technological change (from FinTech to artificial intelligence), shifting customer preferences, higher interest rates, energy price shocks, and new regulatory reforms have all added pressure.The Centre for Cooperative Banking (CRCC) at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, the Centre for Banking Research (CBR) at Bayes Business School, the Building Societies Association (BSA), and Federcasse are jointly organizing the 7th Research Workshop “The Future of Financial Mutuals” at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan). The workshop provides a timely opportunity for academics, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss the sector’s future. We welcome contributions on mutual financial institutions, their activities, and market structures, including topics such as financial performance, competition, resilience, risk management, governance, innovation, access to finance, financial inclusion, and banking biodiversity.
Submission:
Please submit your full manuscript in PDF format via email to: centro.creditocooperativo@unicatt.it
Deadline for Submission: September 30, 2026
Notification of Acceptance: October 23, 2026
Registration Deadline for Accepted Authors: November 13, 2026
Conference Date: December 1, 2026