About BankoftheFuture
Point of View
BankOfTheFuture is a point of view on sustainable development banking.
The purpose is to accelerate the transition to a financial sector that enables sustainable societies. BankoftheFuture started in 2010 in response of the financial sector crisis.
The point of view is a result of a series of events that included a diverse set of participants across society. The result has been a collection of tangible design points that help to see a pathway into the future. A bank of the future is a bank for the future. The future is NOW!
About the name BankoftheFuture
Design Point
Design points are qualities for a resilient and sustainable financial ecosystem
What is our goal?
Enable the transition from a monoculture around financial value to a resilient and sustainable financial ecosystem around societal value, that is a legacy for future generations.
A natural ecosystem is the most resilient system that we know. it includes key elements like diversity, selforganisation and a capacity to learn through feedback.
We define societal value to include economic value, financial value, social value, ecological value and cultural value. We believe that this broader value framework will deliver better outcomes for everyone.
What will the future look like?
It is impossible to know what the future will look like. At the same time there are some clear directions and trends that are emerging. The diagram below summarizes what trends we see for the financial ecosystem in terms of DNA, System, Landscape. We will use this framework to converge our efforts and choose where to focus. At the same time we will add new insights when we see them.
Opportunity to grow resilience and sustainability
It is important we keep a clear view on where we can best engage to achieve our objective. At this stage we have identified four area's of opportunities.
Selforganized financial networks
The basis for all natural ecosystems is a high degree of selforganisation as an individual and in groups or networks. For the financial ecosystem this translates into groups of people that loan, save, insure between them without the need for a bank, insurance company or any other institution. Crowdfunding is an example, but there are many other examples.
This is also the where alternative currencies play an important role. One can design a currency for any group of individuals that share a common objective. The currencies can have a local focus to enhance the resilience of the local economy, can be for a sector like energy, healthcare, education or a currency for sustainable energy. Diversification through currencies is a key driver to grow the resilience.
In the early stages we will focus on entrepreneurs in the small business segment and on the cultural sector. Both are experiencing difficulty in the economic crisis and are seeking for alternative means to create a future perspective.
Re-invest capital into societal return
It seems that today more then 90% of the money is invested in financial derivitives and do not connect to the real economy. At the same time we have both business and societies that are struglling find capital to invest.
The opportunity is to grow the % capital that create a societal return on ivestment
Rebalance debt and capital
For example in the netherlands we have a huge amount of capital in pensions and a huge state debt. In times of crisis it is the debt that creates a downward pull. And the capital tends to loose it value.
The opportunity is to use the capital to reduce the debt. In many cases this type of restructuring required government policy.
Grow sustainability
There is a significant opportunity to grow the amount of capital in sustainability and using finance to incentivise sustainable consumer and producer practices.
Our guiding principles
- Leading organizations of the future create societal value through their core business
- In this increasing interconnected world, people and organizations will increasingly interact on an equal basis (level playing field). We engage a broad playing field: Professionals, board members, management, citizens, politicians, Clients, Entrepreneurs, Policy makers, Researchers, Educators, Students, Children
- We use design points as our transition vehicle. Design points are qualities of a resilient and sustainable financial ecosystem.
- We start from existing value, bypass inefficiencies and address structural issues and shifts
- We see positive and inclusive as our foundational values to create a culture of societal innovation
