Innovation Sandbox Programme Showcase 2026
On 25 June 2026, Central Bank of Ireland hosted the second Innovation Sandbox Programme Showcase at our Dockland Campus, bringing together innovators, industry and regulators to mark the close of the Innovation in Payments cohort. The theme of this year’s Sandbox Programme was “Innovation in Payments”.
Mary-Elizabeth McMunn (Deputy Governor, Financial Regulation) opened the event, reflecting on the Central Bank’s approach to innovation engagement and the role the Sandbox plays in supporting safe, well-governed innovation across financial services.
Eight firms took part in the programme, each presenting the outcomes of six months’ work across three problem statements:
- Making the movement of money more seamless and transparent
- Widening access to the digital economy
- Safely bringing new payment technologies into the system.
Along the way, each firm worked closely with Central Bank staff, drawing on structured workshops, tailored regulatory support and access to our data platform. 
Alongside the Showcase, we are pleased to share our latest Innovation Hub Report. Since the establishment of the Innovation Hub in 2018, the Hub has engaged with over 600 firms. This year, the Innovation Hub engaged with 78 firms innovating in financial services, a 10% increase from 2024.
Together, the Showcase and the Report forms part of the Central Bank’s ongoing commitment to engaged, forward-looking regulation, creating space for shared learning between innovators and regulators in support of better outcomes for consumers and the wider financial system. 
