Close $5.7 Trillion MSME Financing Gap: Bridge the Chasm with Trusted Infrastructure

Location: Paraninfo of the Sevilla University – San Fernando street, 4, Sevilla 41004

Time: 13h – 14h CET

Close $5.7 Trillion MSME Financing Gap: Bridge the Chasm with Trusted Infrastructure

High-Level Session at FfD4, Seville | July 2025
Organized by the IEEE Sustainability Technical Committee
In conjunction with GovStack Global and the SME Finance Forum (World Bank/IFC)

Session Description

This high-level session launches a strategically transformative Platform for Action to bridge the $5.7 trillion global MSME financing gap—by building on proven models like US Housing Finance (Fannie Mae) applying the world’s financial and digital expertise on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and AI to architect  systems designed to be trusted, adaptive, and scalable from the start.

Around the world, small businesses and entrepreneurs are ready to grow, and scientists and engineers ready to research and innovate —but lack the financing and tools they need. This initiative builds trusted digital infrastructure so that everyone—no matter where they live or what language they speak—can access opportunity, research, innovate, do projects, grow businesses, and shape OUR digital future. By working together to protect data rights and build systems people can trust, we unlock funding for MSMEs, strengthen cultural resilience, and intergenerational thriving.

Speakers

Opening Remarks by Convenor and Co-Chair:
Mei Lin Fung (Singapore) – Chair, IEEE SSIT Sustainability Technical Committee; Co-Founder, People-Centered Internet
A strategic voice on AI and MSME finance at the G7 Think7 (Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada), and 2020 keynote speaker for the SME Finance Forum’s “Decade of Digital Transformation.”

Co-Chair:
Declan Kirrane (Ireland) – Chair, UN Science Summit; CEO, ISC Intelligence

Opening Keynote: Architecting $5 Trillion in Financing: From Housing to MSMEs – Infrastructure, Trust and Open Finance at Scale”
Michael MacFarland (Canada / United States) – Former Chief Architect, Fannie Mae

Expert Commentary:
Qamar Saleem (Pakistan) – Global Head of SME Finance, IFC/World Bank

GovTech Innovation Spotlight:
Francesca D’Angelo (Italy) – Advisor on Innovation & Sustainability; GovTech Global Mentor

Architecting Trust: Building Confidence in MSME Finance through Digital Infrastructure – – to be confirmed

Yannis Ioannidis (Greece) – President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

Closing Keynote: From Aid to Investment:   – to be confirmed

Homi Kharas (US) – Senior Fellow, Center for Sustainable Development, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institute

Registration