Indonesia’s financial sector is entering a new phase of transformation. While the past decade has been defined by efforts to expand access to financial services through digital innovation, the next challenge extends far beyond accessibility. The key question is no longer how to deliver more digital financial services, but how these services can generate meaningful outcomes for individuals, businesses, and the broader economy.
This vision lies at the heart of the Indonesia Digital Bank Summit (IDBS) 2026, organized by the Indonesian Fintech Association (AFTECH). Under the theme “Beyond Banking: Redesigning Finance for Wellbeing and Growth in the Real Economy,” the summit serves as a strategic platform that brings together regulators, banks, fintech companies, technology providers, investors, academics, and representatives from the real sector to collectively shape the future of Indonesia’s digital financial ecosystem.
Rapid technological advancement has fundamentally reshaped the traditional boundaries of the financial services industry. Banking, fintech, payment systems, and digital financial assets are increasingly converging into a more integrated ecosystem, marking the emergence of a new era of financial convergence.
This transformation is driven by several strategic developments, including the adoption of universal banking, the expansion of Open Finance, the growing application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the increasing importance of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Financial Infrastructure (DFI) as the foundation of future financial services.
Within this evolving landscape, fintech is no longer viewed as an alternative to banking. Instead, it has become a strategic partner expanding innovation, accelerating financial inclusion, and strengthening connectivity across the broader financial ecosystem.
IDBS 2026 delivers a clear message: digital transformation must create measurable value for society.
Accordingly, the discussions at IDBS 2026 extend beyond technological innovation to focus on four strategic pillars that will define the future of Indonesia’s financial services sector:
Exploring how universal banking and Open Finance are reshaping collaboration among banks, fintech companies, and technology providers to deliver more integrated financial services.
Shifting the industry’s focus from expanding financial access to improving people’s financial wellbeing through responsible, inclusive, and impact-driven financial services.
Highlighting the role of digital financial innovation in supporting MSMEs, the real economy, and underserved communities through business models that are scalable, sustainable, and commercially viable.
Examining the readiness of payment systems, data exchange, cloud infrastructure, and cybersecurity as critical enablers of a secure, interoperable, and trusted digital financial ecosystem.
Collectively, these four pillars underscore that the future of finance will not be determined solely by the pace of innovation, but by the ability of the entire ecosystem to build financial services that are secure, inclusive, resilient, and capable of delivering tangible benefits to society.
IDBS 2026 also marked the launch of the AFTECH Annual Members Survey (AMS) 2025–2026, providing valuable insights into the evolving state of Indonesia’s fintech industry.
The survey reveals that the industry is entering a more mature stage of development. Among the 141 AFTECH member companies surveyed:
These findings indicate a significant shift in industry priorities—from pursuing rapid expansion toward strengthening business fundamentals, enhancing governance, responsibly adopting emerging technologies, and generating broader economic and social impact.
One of the defining themes throughout IDBS 2026 is the importance of collaboration.
The transition toward the Beyond Banking era cannot be achieved by any single institution or industry alone. It requires stronger partnerships among regulators, financial institutions, fintech companies, technology providers, investors, academics, and businesses operating in the real economy.
Recognizing this, AFTECH will consolidate the key insights and recommendations generated throughout IDBS 2026 into a comprehensive policy brief, accompanied by actionable policy recommendations and a coordinated implementation agenda involving regulators and industry stakeholders to accelerate strategic initiatives across Indonesia’s digital financial ecosystem.
Ultimately, the success of digital financial transformation should not be measured by how quickly new technologies are adopted or how rapidly digital services expand.
Rather, success should be defined by the financial ecosystem’s ability to improve people’s lives, strengthen productivity across the real economy, expand opportunities for MSMEs, and contribute to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Through IDBS 2026, AFTECH reaffirms its commitment to strengthening cross-sector collaboration, ensuring that fintech continues to serve as an enabler of the real economy and a strategic partner to the banking industry. More importantly, AFTECH seeks to ensure that Indonesia’s digital transformation progresses toward a larger purpose: building a financial system that is not only more digital, but also more inclusive, trusted, resilient, and capable of delivering meaningful prosperity for society.
