PayVolution 2025
The Salone dei Pagamenti - PayVolution returned to Milan this autumn, October 29–31, 2025, for its tenth edition, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, institutions, and professionals from across the global payments and fintech ecosystem. Held over three days at the Allianz MiCo Congress Centre, the event reaffirmed its role as Italy’s premier platform for exploring the future of payments, digital innovation, and financial services. Across three days, the event provided rich content and inspiring conversations on topics ranging from instant payments and digital identity to open finance, AI, and cybersecurity — all framed under this year’s theme “Generative Talent,” designed to highlight the importance of creativity and collaboration in building the payments ecosystem of tomorrow.
Walking through the exhibition halls again this year, it was striking to see how much progress the ecosystem has made. With thousands of attendees, more than 400 speakers, and nearly 100 sessions and workshops, the Salone showcased not only cutting‑edge technologies but also the breadth of partnerships driving digital transformation forward. Leading banks, payment networks, technology providers, and regulatory institutions all took part, presenting real-world innovations and debating critical challenges such as interoperability, fraud prevention, and the move toward real-time, seamless payment experiences.
As always, I found the networking and informal exchanges just as valuable as the formal sessions — from discussions on real‑time payments to how policy and regulation are shaping innovation on a global scale.
Notable contributions came from major players who showcased emerging solutions:
- Industry giants highlighted the role of AI and advanced analytics in enhancing transaction security and user experience.
- Global networks outlined visions for secure and personalized commerce, emphasizing the future of contactless payments and digital wallets.
- Collaborative initiatives and standard frameworks were discussed as key enablers for broader digital adoption.
A Focus on the Future of Payments
The Salone dei Pagamenti offered deep dives into thematic areas including:
- The evolution of business models and global competition in payments
- AI-driven security and cybersecurity challenges
- Open finance and decentralized technologies
- Digital identity and biometric solutions
- Sustainability and inclusion in financial services
These sessions highlighted how the intersection of technology, regulation, and customer expectations is redefining the way money moves and how people interact with financial systems.
One of the highlights was seeing Thales’ perspective represented through Simone Suriano, Sales Director Digital Payments at Thales, in an interview conducted by Wall Street Italia. Suriano underscored why the Salone dei Pagamenti is indispensable for Thales, particularly in understanding how the adoption of digital wallets and regulation such as the European Digital Markets Act are accelerating change in our industry. He emphasized that the shift in payment experiences is not just about growing transaction volumes but also about how consumers engage with their financial services — increasingly through mobile devices. This aligns with broader trends we’re seeing where digital banking interactions now dominate and where innovation must be rooted in both user experience and secure, scalable infrastructure.
At Thales, and through the legacy of Gemalto — a recognized global leader in digital security and identity — we continue to work at the intersection of security, convenience, and trust. Gemalto, now an integral part of Thales, serves clients in over 180 countries with technologies that enable safe digital transactions, secure mobile identity, online banking, and data protection across industries. What excites me most about our participation each year is how Thales’ portfolio, especially platforms like Digital First (D1), speaks directly to the challenges and opportunities discussed at the Salone: helping banks modernize legacy IT systems, adopt seamless digital payment experiences, and build secure foundations for future innovation. In particular, technologies like HCE (Host Card Emulation), which enable advanced digital wallets on mobile devices independent of specific device ecosystems, demonstrate how the market is evolving toward open, user‑centric payment models that co‑exist with, and often extend beyond, traditional mobile wallets.
Participating in Salone dei Pagamenti for the third time reinforced how critical multi‑stakeholder collaboration is to advancing digital financial services. The event isn’t merely a showcase of products and demos — it’s a forum for collective learning, where ideas, challenges, and breakthroughs are shared across the ecosystem.
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