Cash management in focus: Trends shaping the treasury’s strategic outlook

Episode 35 of IFZ Talking Finance features a special format — an audio summary of ING’s recent perspective on cash management trends in the most recent Funding & Treasury Study of the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. The summary covers cash management trends across the EU and Switzerland, highlighting how regulatory dynamics, instant payment adoption, and digital transformation are reshaping the strategic treasury agenda. It builds on ING’s latest publication, outlining developments such as the introduction of the EU’s Instant Payments Regulation, Switzerland’s rollout of real-time payments, the evolution toward open finance, and the growing interplay between digital identity, blockchain, and central bank digital currencies so called CBDCs. This content is particularly relevant for CFOs and corporate treasurers who need to stay ahead of structural financial change. Understanding these shifts is crucial for optimizing liquidity structures, future-proofing payment infrastructures, and aligning treasury strategies with the digital and regulatory trajectory of Europe’s financial landscape. So, lean in for a compact yet insightful exploration of how Europe’s evolving financial frameworks are redefining treasury priorities — powered by data, regulation, and innovation! The guest article can be found in the 2025 Financing and Treasury Study, which can be downloaded free of charge at this link: https://www.hslu.ch/de-ch/wirtschaft/ueber-uns/institute/ifz/forschung-und-dienstleistungen/corporate-finance/