Digital Changing in the financial system

1. Mobile Payment Industry: Research on this topic aims to highlight the changes in the financial system introduced by mobile devices and its applications, focusing on how M-Payments has made the financial system permeable to the entry of new players, and the affirmation of new business models.

2. DLT in the banking System: research in this context aims to understand how Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) can represent an opportunity for the banking system, that is called to respond to the newest needs of their customers, and the competitive pressure coming from traditional and newcomers.  Some in-depth studies are underway on possible applications in the field of financial inclusion.

3. Cyber security: I began to approach the theme of Cyber Security by joining the Research Centre (CIS), developing the issue in the context of information assurance, critical information infrastructure protection for the financial system. In this regard, I participated in the elaboration of different reports and surveys conducted by the research centre, mainly, but not exclusively, concerning the Italian context.

ESG in the Financial System

In the broader context of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) components within the financial system, two main areas of recent in-depth research have emerged. On one hand, there have been investigations into the links between financial performance and ESG factors in the European banking sector, explored from various perspectives and using different methodologies. On the other hand, there has been a focus on theoretical constructs and their evolution for the study of green bonds 

Islamic Finance

The overall research focusing on Islamic finance is part of the broader study of different international financial systems. In this specific case, the aim is not to pass judgment - in a logic of opposition - on which infrastructure/solution may be the best, but to identify valuable insights for the overall enhancement of the global financial system, following a logic of integration.

Credit guarantee institutions 

I explored the functioning of guarantee systems both at the national and international levels. In particular, I focused on four key investigation areas:

• The legal, regulatory and institutional frameworks in different countries

• The structure of the market, its dimensions and the operational features

• The performance analysis

• The role played in facilitating the SMEs’ access to the formal credit market

In particular, at the national level, I explored the functioning of mutual guarantee institutions (risk management process used, accounting system, performance measure). Mutual guarantee institutions can count on a fair, competitive advantage in the availability of information flows on business, and, therefore, they could make an assessment more accurate than some banking companies. In particular, I looked at the conditions necessary to translate the distinctive evaluative skills into more effective (better capacity for screening) and efficient (with lower costs) rating systems, on the one hand, and operational solutions to address key operational difficulties, on the other hand. The results of these studies were published (also at the international level) and presented at several conferences and technical meetings. More recently, potential applications of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) in the sector are under investigation. 

Corporate Governance 

I started to deepen the theme of banking corporate governance during her PhD programme, forming the theoretical basis for a large part of her scientific output on this topic. In this field, my studies aim to explore the governance mechanisms able to achieve higher levels of efficiency from both a micro and macro perspective. With a robust review of the literature, I approach the banking CG examining how regulation (internal system control, new capital accord on capital, and civil law), the proprietary model, and the legal forms affect the efficiency of banking corporate governance. In particular, I deepened the study of cooperative banks’ corporate governance models, both from a theoretical and empirical point of view. More recently, I approached the task of IT governance in the banking system. Since IT governance (like other aspects of banking business) can be influenced by the regulatory environment, I concentrated my attention on examining whether any differences in supervisors’ attitudes towards IT issues induce differences in IT governance across countries. 

2008| 12 febbraio 2008 - Sapienza, University of Rome, Faculty of Economics: Scholarship aimed at carrying out a research project on "Banks, businesses, territory: the role of local banks in supporting entrepreneurial activity in the current economic context" financed by the Cassa di Risparmio di Civitavecchia (RM) Foundation.

2006| 28/29 September- Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale: Best Young Researchers paper awarded by Aidea during annual conference "Finance and industry in Italy: rethinking corporate governance and relations between banks, companies and savers for the development of competitiveness", title of the essay "Corporate governance in cooperative credit banks".

2000-2002 and 2003-2004| Research grants - research title "The optimal size of banking assets with reference to financial, credit and operational risks" - Sapienza, Faculty of Economics