TechWeek 2018

The event dedicated to technological innovation, Societe Generale’s TechWeek took place from 3 to 5 July, 2018 at the Dunes technological hub in Val-de-Fontenay and the Group’s head offices in La Défense. This year’s theme is: applying new technologies to banking professions.

A digital ambition for strategic challenges

Over three days, the Group’s members of staff have been able to explore the Group’s 6 strategic IT routes: disruptive innovation, platform, data centric, cybersecurity, digital workplace & Cloud, new operating models.

Designed and put together by around a hundred Group staff from various business lines, TechWeek was proposing a journey that highlights technological innovation and IT expertise. The conferences include an introduction to Quantum computing by Digital Influencer Olivier Ezratty, “monkey business and the bank of tomorrow” by Collège de France palaeontologist Pascal Picq and talks by executive managers of world leaders such as Dell, Vodafone and VLC. They will address major societal issues, as well as their vision of technology within their professions.

Aimed at members of staff, TechWeek 2018 has hosted by some external visitors including start-ups, university and research institute representatives and suppliers.
Whether an expert or a beginner, each visitor could discover these numerous innovations in a practical manner thanks to the event’s organisation based on conferences, stands and workshops. “TechWeek represents a way of sharing the challenges associated with our digital transformation, without any theory, by illustrating them with very practical applications”, says Alain Voiment, the Group’s Deputy CTO (Chief Technology Officer). “Technology is not an end in itself. We must know how to identify the most efficient technologies very early on and then rapidly share them in order to create the bank of tomorrow’s new services and improve our operational efficiency”.

TechWeek in figures

Innovations serving the Bank

During these three days, TechWeek has spotlighted on practical technological achievements that benefit Societe Generale’s clients and business lines. These innovations include:

Voice to make transactions more secure
A new app uses voice biometrics to transform the validation process for certain financial operations. Until now, a member of staff had to validate the transaction via a phone call, but now the call is automated and the client’s voice is recognised with total reliability.

Quickly identify fraudulent transactions
A new solution, based on machine learning and big data, has been developed to fight fraud and protect our clients’ transactions. Its powerful algorithm enables it to model our clients’ habits (browsing, connections, transactions) and continually compare them with ongoing operations. The goal is to be able to detect, in real time, operations that appear to be fraudulent and immediately issue alerts.

AI to identify the most talented people
HR experts are now assisted by a new app that helps them rapidly identify the applicants who are the best suited to a specific job vacancy. A new way for Artificial Intelligence to enhance business expertise by automating functions with less added value.

“We have substantial digital expertise”, emphasises Pascal Dumesnil, Deputy Head, Transformation, Processes & Information Systems. “In 2017, we wanted to share it with our entire IT community via the first TechWeek. The event was a major success in Paris, but also elsewhere, thanks to events in other cities around the world such as London, New York, Moscow and Bangalore. For this year’s edition in July, we want to go even further”