Driving Competitive Advantage Through Artificial Intelligence and Digital Financial Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, big data, and digital technologies have profoundly transformed the financial sector. Financial institutions, fintech firms, and platform-based ecosystems increasingly rely on AI-driven solutions to enhance decision-making, optimize risk management, improve customer experience, and build sustainable competitive advantages. At the same time, the rise of digital financial ecosystems introduces new strategic, organizational, and regulatory challenges that require rigorous academic and practical investigation.

The Journal of Risk and Financial Management is pleased to announce a Special Issue entitled “Driving Competitive Advantage Through Artificial Intelligence and Digital Financial Ecosystems”, aimed at fostering high-quality research and critical debate on the role of artificial intelligence and digitalization in shaping competition, innovation, and performance within financial markets and institutions.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions that explore how AI technologies and digital financial ecosystems are transforming business models, competitive dynamics, and value creation in finance. We are particularly interested in studies that examine the interaction between technological innovation, strategic capabilities, risk management, and regulatory frameworks in AI-driven financial environments. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in finance and financial markets;
• AI-driven strategies for competitive advantage in banking, insurance, and fintech;
• Digital financial ecosystems, platforms, and ecosystem-based competition;
• Big data analytics and data-driven value creation in financial services;
• AI, automation, and risk management in financial institutions;
• Algorithmic decision-making, pricing, and portfolio management;
• Digital transformation and business model innovation in financial services;
• Governance, ethics, and regulatory challenges of AI in finance;
• Financial stability, cybersecurity, and systemic risk in digital ecosystems;
• The role of AI and digital finance in financial inclusion and market efficiency.

We invite scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to submit high-quality, original research that addresses these themes. This Special Issue aims not only to advance the theoretical and empirical understanding of AI and digital finance but also to provide practical insights into how financial institutions and ecosystems can leverage digital technologies to achieve sustained competitive advantage.

By contributing to this Special Issue, authors will help shape the academic and policy debate on the future of finance in an increasingly AI-driven and digitally interconnected world.

Dr. Mihail Busu
Dr. Petre Caraiani
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Risk and Financial Management is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• artificial intelligence
• digital finance
• financial ecosystems
• competitive advantage
• fintech
• big data analytics
• digital transformation
• risk management
• financial innovation
• platform economy