How are digital customer interfaces changing? What strategic questions does Open Finance raise? And what do the current fit-and-proper requirements mean for banks? At the CPB Impulse Day on September 21, 2026, in Freising, the focus was on three topics that present banks with concrete technological, strategic, and regulatory decisions.
Under the theme “Innovation. Dialogue. Networking,” the CPB Inspiration Day brought together clients, prospective clients, and experts from CPB as well as external specialists. Following a group breakfast, the agenda featured three key topics: PROFOS x CIFRA, Financial Data Access (FiDA), and the 2026 Fit and Proper Update.
Designing Flexible Digital Customer Processes: PROFOS
To kick off the technical program, Michael Draschl, CFO and Managing Director at CPB Software, provided an overview of PROFOS. The solution bundles key digital banking services into an app and a website—from opening accounts and brokerage accounts to managing payments and savings, as well as providing securities information and an electronic mailbox.
The focus was particularly on PROFOS as a standalone solution. This enables banks to flexibly deploy digital customer processes and integrate them into existing system landscapes.
“I’m pleased that our product not only meets the standard but also allows us to be architecturally independent of the core banking system,” said Michael Draschl.
Open Finance is more than just a regulatory initiative
With Financial Data Access—or FiDA for short—the focus then shifted to a topic whose implications extend beyond compliance and technical implementation.
Steffen Rummel of bankon demonstrated how FiDA is taking the concept of open banking a step further toward open finance. In the future, this standardized and secure exchange is expected to cover a significantly broader range of financial data. Common standards and the active management of data sharing by customers are central elements of this approach.
For banks, this raises more than just the question of technical implementation. Another crucial factor is the role they intend to play in the future within a more data-driven financial ecosystem. This applies to their own data infrastructure and interfaces as well as to business models, product strategies, and the digital customer interface.
The key point: Even as the regulatory timeline continues to evolve, it’s worth it for banks to start thinking strategically about open finance today.
Fit & Proper: Risk Competence as an Ongoing Responsibility
Prof. Dr. Stefan Zeranski provided the third key topic with his “Fit & Proper Update 2026.” Geopolitical shifts, economic developments, climate risks, and regulatory requirements are transforming the environment in which banks make decisions and manage risks.
It became clear that the “fit and proper” assessment goes beyond a one-time formal demonstration of suitability. Regulatory authorities review the professional and personal qualifications of members of executive management as well as administrative and supervisory bodies. The professional qualifications of individuals in key positions also play a role.
For banks, this means continuously adapting their professional qualifications, risk management capabilities, and governance to new requirements and a changing risk environment.
From Professional Input to Personal Exchange
In addition to the presentations, direct dialogue was a key component of the event. On September 22, customers and interested parties had the opportunity to explore the topics covered the previous day in more depth during one-on-one conversations with CPB employees.
The workshop thus moved from a technical overview to concrete banking practices—with opportunities for individual questions and personal exchanges among banks, experts, and the CPB.
“In addition to the technical presentations, the main purpose of the Impulstag is to engage in conversation with our customers and partners in a relaxed atmosphere, even beyond the scope of day-to-day business. The most important insights often don’t come from the conference room, via email, or through a support ticket, but rather from face-to-face conversations. The Inspiration Day provides the perfect forum for exactly that, and I’d say we’ve succeeded in doing so once again this year,” said Fabian Kiesel, Head of Corporate Sales.