Our Scans · (ZY.4.02) Business Studies · Weekly Summary

• [New] The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR; 2019/2088 / EU) imposes mandatory sustainability disclosures for asset managers, and the Shareholder Rights Directive II enhances transparency and engagement between asset managers and investee companies. / USA Bruegel | The Brussels-based economic think tank
• [New] In 2026, success will hinge less on experimentation and more on institutionalizing AI - embedding it into finance, security, workforce structures, and regional architectures to deliver durable business value. BusinessWorld Online
• [New] As open finance expands globally, fraud via TPPs is expected to increase. CGAP
• [New] Deloitte's 2026 CFO Signals survey reports a sharp rise in CFO confidence and AI use, and 87% of CFOs say AI will be extremely or very important to their finance operations in 2026. Prime AI Solutions
• [New] AI could enhance productivity by 3-5% and reduce expenditure by roughly $300 billion in the global banking and finance sector (via Zendesk). Coworker AI
• [New] By the end of 2026, more than 80% of small businesses will be using AI for marketing alone. Vanguard Observer - Latest Insights on Technology, Busi
• [New] Tokenization could reshape or fracture global finance. https://www.tokenwire.io
• [New] By 2030, adoption rates in regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government) will lag adoption in unregulated ones (marketing, customer support) by 3 to 7 years. Ariel Software Solutions
• [New] Financing Gap: India requires $20 trillion to achieve its net-zero transition by 2070, exceeding current domestic green finance capacity. PMF IAS
• [New] Mastercard is focusing on AI and tokenization for seamless embedded finance in retail vending, with partnerships in IoT potentially capturing 20% of new transaction volume by 2030. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Afreximbank said it will prioritize financing for local battery minerals processing, medical research and industrial development, moving beyond traditional trade finance as part of its Growth, Resilience and Optimization strategy to increase value-added manufacturing across Africa. More News From NowHere
• [New] Finance & Markets - Ukraine requested the EU allocate the remaining €6.6 billion ($7.5 billion) from the European Peace Facility for military aid, citing a temporary battlefield opportunity. More News From NowHere
• [New] Throughout 2026, RWAs have been heating up and are looking to become one of the four major crypto trends defining how money moves, how institutions will access the DeFi ecosystem, and what the future of finance will look like. Ideally Square Global
• [New] The new LNG carriers will support ADNOC's recently launched global LNG marketing and trading platform, which targets 47 million tonnes per annum of combined marketable LNG by 2035. MarineLink
• [New] In the U.S. spending on influencer marketing is expected to grow 15.7% in 2026, ultimately reaching $13.7 billion by 2027. Digiday
• [New] The distributors treating AEO as core commerce infrastructure now, not a marketing afterthought later, will be the ones whose catalogs AI procurement agents are actually citing in 2027. McFadyen Digital
• [New] By 2026, 9 out of 10 finance teams will use at least one AI tool. PrometAI
• [New] Standard Chartered's broader projection, including trade finance and bonds, reaches $30 trillion by 2034. Forbes
• The crowdfunding with decentralized finance (DeFi) and blockchain technology presents a groundbreaking opportunity to enhance transparency, reduce intermediation, and expand global participation. Market Data Forecast
• The global influencer marketing industry was valued at approximately $24 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed $40 billion by 2026, representing growth of more than 14 times in under a decade. California Management Review

Last updated: 24 July 2026