Banks Accelerate Investment in Trade Finance Technology to Unlock Growth, New FIS Research Finds

Banks are accelerating their investment in trade finance technology to unlock growth in 2025, new research from global financial technology leader FIS® (NYSE: FIS) has found. The 2025 FIS Supply Chain Finance (formerly Demica) Benchmark Report found that despite economic shifts, 55% of global banks surveyed plan to increase spending on their trade finance platforms over the next 12 months. Unlocking financial technology to the world is crucial for businesses prioritizing operational efficiencies and exploring new growth opportunities.

The 2025 FIS Supply Chain Finance Benchmark Report is the fourth annual report covering key trends across all trade finance products. The report surveyed 200 banks across the globe and looks back at the previous year’s global growth and impact of geopolitical events, as well as potential market movements to help businesses bring trade matching into harmony.

Findings from the research included:

Increasing Investments

• Over the next 12 months, 55% of global banks surveyed plan to increase spending on their trade finance platforms. For all survey respondents, key priorities include improving operational efficiency (28%), enhancing customer experience (28%), and upgrading existing product functionality (15%).

• This focus reflects a broader push toward digital transformation as financial institutions seek to modernize aging systems, with 18% of banks surveyed reporting that their trade finance technology platform is over a decade old.

Buy vs Build

• The survey results indicate 52% of banks are investing in in-house development and 48% working with external partners. Notably, 19% of banks have now consolidated trade finance transactions onto a single third-party platform.

Technology and Product Innovation

• Technology is also playing a growing role in live client transactions, with the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning reported by respondents having surged by 50% in just a year, reaching 45% in 2025 compared to 32% in 2024. 

• Alongside digital innovation, banks remain focused on expansion, with 80% of the banks surveyed expecting asset size growth in the next 12 months. According to the survey, payables finance has overtaken receivables discounting as the fastest-growing supply chain finance product, reflecting evolving corporate needs. 

With these findings showcasing how crucial technology is for the future of trade finance, FIS can offer businesses with technology to unlock how money is put to work.  

Matt Wreford, CEO, FIS Supply Chain Finance (formerly Demica), at FIS said: “From this research it’s clear that inflexible and inefficient systems are no longer meeting clients’ needs. With geopolitical risk and interest rates having significant impacts on the market, alongside cost efficiency and security concerns influencing decision-making, investment in trade finance technology is now more crucial than ever to help banks transform the customer experience and drive growth.”

Steve Sabin, SVP, Lending at FIS, added: “Businesses need a technology partner that can help them grow and meet the increasing demand for supply chain finances. At FIS, we help to streamline the flow of money at work, and bringing Demica’s solutions under the FIS Supply Chain Finance ecosystem provides us with leading technology which can help unlock growth.”