UniCredit Rewires Its Technology With Accenture and Ibm, and Accenture Takes Control of the Joint Venture

UniCredit, Accenture and Ibm have announced a long term strategic collaboration meant to lay the technological groundwork for the bank's growth across the thirteen European markets where it operates. The three will design a new operating model for banking technology, with the aim of giving UniCredit more control over how its own systems evolve, combining the resilience that mission critical infrastructure demands with the flexibility of modern digital platforms.

The structural change sits inside the announcement. Accenture will acquire from Ibm the majority stake in the joint venture that currently runs a significant part of UniCredit's technology infrastructure. Ibm will continue to supply the bank with modernised technology platforms, including Ibm Z, along with software and consulting services. What follows is a multi year programme to strengthen the bank's core systems and its operating model.

The stated ambition goes beyond one bank. The partners describe the work as an attempt to define a reference model for the next generation of banking technology in Europe, one that allows faster innovation and lets artificial intelligence capabilities scale across a group rather than sit in isolated pilots.

Ali Khan, group digital and information officer at UniCredit, called technology a strategic enabler of the bank's growth and transformation, and said the partnership marks a significant step towards a next generation banking platform that combines the resilience customers expect with the agility to innovate faster and to scale artificial intelligence responsibly across the group.

Mauro Macchi, chief executive of Accenture Emea, framed the deal as evidence that technology can act as an engine of growth, describing a transformation model built to scale across different markets by bringing together a pan European presence, execution capability and mission critical technology, and pointing at cloud, data and artificial intelligence as the levers.

Ana Paula Assis, senior vice president and chair of Ibm Emea and Apac, said the strengthened collaboration covers both technology and consulting, and that combining modern infrastructure with innovation expertise, in line with UniCredit's hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence strategy, helps build a technological base capable of supporting long term growth while improving what customers experience.

Completion is subject to the usual closing conditions, including the necessary regulatory approvals and the applicable information and consultation procedures.