ECB invites private sector to join digital euro innovation activities

The European Central Bank (ECB) has announced the launch of a new invitation for private sector participation in work linked to the digital euro innovation platform.

The call for expressions of interest was issued by the Eurosystem, the eurozone’s monetary authority, which includes the ECB and the national central banks of member states. It invited private companies and organisations to collaborate in exploring “how the digital euro can foster innovation in the market”, a statement said.

Participation is open to a wide set of stakeholders. Eligible groups include merchants, payment service providers (PSPs), technical service providers, fintech companies, consumer associations, public institutions and research institutes.

The programme builds on earlier work under the digital euro innovation platform, launched in 2024.

The new activities are structured around two workstreams: “Experimentation” and “Exploration”. The Eurosystem said participants can gain insight into innovation opportunities, contribute to discussions on infrastructure, and develop and test solutions.

Under the “Experimentation” workstream, selected participants will be expected to take ideas identified through the earlier initiative and develop them into solutions. The work will focus on features and services based on the digital euro’s core infrastructure and functionalities.

Experimentation activities are scheduled to run from January 2027 to June 2027. Participants will be asked to develop and test solutions, and to submit a proof of concept and an outcome report. The ECB may invite selected participants to present results at an event and may publish key findings from this workstream.

The “Exploration” workstream is intended to examine emerging technologies and developments that could inform future releases of the digital euro. The ECB said it will bring together participants from different sectors to exchange ideas and assess potential use cases for consumers, merchants, market participants and public sector entities.

The exploration track will examine possible AI applications in a digital euro context, including AI-enabled payment experiences, AI agents and their interactions, micropayments and user-facing payment app features. It will also assess how a digital euro could support payments linked to public services, including transport and mobility, utility bills, smart city initiatives, financial inclusion, public sector automation and resilience scenarios.

Exploration activities are expected to take place through workshops hosted on-site at the ECB in the first and second quarters of 2027.

The deadline for submitting applications is 9 November 2026.

“These activities aim to foster innovation and collaboration and help ensure a future digital euro meets the evolving needs of the market and will be conducted transparently, reflecting the Eurosystem’s commitment to a responsible and trusted introduction of a digital euro, should a decision to issue be taken in the future,” ECB statement said.

It added that the final decision on whether to issue a digital euro will only be taken “once the relevant EU legislation has been adopted.”