Regulatory Sandboxes and Software Evolution
About this event
Schedule
- 18:30 Welcome drinks and pizza
- 19:15 Talk By Dr. Alexander Apostolides
- 20:00 Networking
About the talk
What is a regulatory sandbox, where are they in Europe and are they useful to you?
By Dr. Alexander Apostolides
Regulation has to be increasingly taken into account when developing any technological solution. Concerns about data privacy and data security cut across all tech sectors, at the same time the packaging of products, including financial products, into SuperApps can lead to tech products coming under the purview of financial regulation.
Since the creation of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) first regulatory sandbox in 2016, regulators have been deploying regulatory sandboxes to allow live testing of products and services. The success of the FCA sandbox let to its emulation. In Europe they are more than 14 regulatory sandboxes, and their popularity is expanding out of financial services: Europe has launched an pan-European Blockchain regulatory sandbox, while under the EU AI Act, Member States must establish or participate in at least one AI regulatory sandbox by 2 August 2026.
In this talk I will present the key ways to engage regulators through innovation offices and regulatory sandboxes, and from a business perspective, discuss the pros and cons of engaging with a sandbox.
About the Speaker
Alexander is a researcher at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) and the European University Cyprus (EUC). In his time in CCAF and EUC, Alexander has trained policymakers into how to respond to technology, and provided bespoke training on the issue of regulatory sandboxes and innovation offices.
Alexander has thirteen years of experience in consultancy in a range of varied projects and EU funded projects, with specialty on the economy of Cyprus. He also has experience in policy, through his position in the National Economic Council of the President of Cyprus and as an economist at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Alexander is passionate for capacity building and University education, with experience in teaching a range of economics and entrepreneurship courses.
Source: meetup