ING GROEP NV

Their core work

ING is one of Europe's largest banking and financial services corporations, headquartered in Amsterdam. Within H2020, ING contributes industry expertise in financial data analytics, risk management, and AI ethics — acting as a real-world testing ground for academic research. Their participation focuses on training the next generation of data scientists for finance (BigDataFinance, DSSC) and shaping responsible AI development (HumanE-AI-Net). They bring the perspective of a major financial institution that must handle massive data volumes, algorithmic decision-making, and regulatory compliance at scale.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ING's H2020 trajectory shows a clear pivot from quantitative finance toward responsible AI. Their early projects (2015–2019) centered on big data analytics, financial risk modeling, and complexity science — the computational backbone of modern banking. From 2019 onward, they shifted decisively toward human-centric AI and ethical AI governance, reflecting both industry trends and regulatory pressure on algorithmic decision-making in financial services.

ING is moving from pure data-driven finance toward responsible AI governance — expect future interest in explainable AI, algorithmic fairness, and trustworthy automation in financial services.

How they like to work

ING never coordinates H2020 projects — they join as a participant or third party, contributing industry use cases and real-world data environments rather than leading the research agenda. With 84 unique partners across 22 countries, they operate within large, multi-partner consortia (especially flagship-style networks like HumanE-AI-Net). This makes them an accessible partner: they are used to working in big teams and value the role of industry end-user rather than project driver.

ING has collaborated with 84 unique partners across 22 countries, giving them a broad European network despite only 4 projects. This wide reach comes from participation in large consortium networks, particularly in the AI and data science communities.

What sets them apart

ING is one of very few major European banks actively engaged in H2020 research consortia. They offer something most academic partners cannot: a live, large-scale financial services environment where AI, big data, and ethical algorithms can be tested against real regulatory and operational constraints. For any consortium needing an industry validation partner in finance, ING brings credibility, data scale, and a direct path to commercial deployment.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HumanE-AI-Net
  A flagship EU network on human-centric AI with broad membership — signals ING's commitment to responsible AI in the financial sector.
• BigDataFinance
  Largest single EC contribution to ING (EUR 255,374), focused on training researchers in financial big data and risk management — their core business domain.