Changing customer expectations, digital transformation, growth needs in the face of resource scarcity, and environmental impact concerns are impacting every industry, including financial services. These changes accelerate the growth of the sharing economy and the demand for new customer value. For example, the rise of sensors and intelligent digital ecosystems blur the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds and generate massive new data sources. Next-generation analytics and artificial intelligence are coming on stream to harness that data and provide new services to prospects and clients.

To get the view from the front-lines, Celent invited innovation professionals from financial services firms to participate in an online survey. The respondent group was composed of insurers, banks, and wealth management firms, predominantly based in North America.

“The participants in the survey all are involved in leading innovation efforts on a day-to-day basis,” says Mike Fitzgerald, a senior analyst and author of the report. “They bring a current and practical perspective to their predictions.”

Companies which have invested in innovation programs can use these results to benchmark their own expectations. Firms which are considering such initiatives will gain a valuable insight into the activities of their competitors.