Availability of data for financial services is key to unleash the potential of Artificial Intelligence technologies: the INFINITECH project, lighthouse EU H2020 project, approaches application deployment by leveraging on testbeds and sandboxes. The session will explore the importance of data-driven AI for the financial sector by comparing the highly innovative and revolutionary world of Fintech companies with Financial Institutions, conservative and resistant to digital transformation and technology disruption. The panel will focus on innovation in the financial sector, what are the main trends, challenges, and ecosystems, the evolution of digital finance and some insights towards future opportunities. The session will also present briefly the newly published book “Big Data and Artificial Intelligence in Digital Finance” (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-94590-9)