Accenture will acquire IBM's majority stake in a joint venture that manages a significant portion of UniCredit's technology infrastructure as part of a long-term strategic partnership. According to reports from Essential Business Intelligence, The Wall Street Journal, and Investing.com, the collaboration was announced on Friday and will establish the technology foundation to support the bank's operations across its 13 European markets while accelerating the adoption of cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Ali Khan, Group Digital & Information Officer at UniCredit, emphasized that technology is a key pillar of the bank's long-term growth strategy, stating that the partnership with Accenture and IBM marks an important milestone in building the next generation of their banking platform, combining resilience with agility to innovate faster and scale artificial intelligence responsibly across the Group. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and applicable employee information and consultation processes.
The consulting giant brings substantial scale to the partnership, with Accenture maintaining a market capitalization of $202 billion and annual revenue of $65 billion, as reported by Investing.com. Accenture employs approximately 799,000 people and generated approximately $70 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2025, demonstrating the company's efficiency in delivering technology services across its global operations. Under the agreement, Accenture will buy IBM's majority stake in the technology joint venture, while IBM will continue to support UniCredit by providing modernised technology platforms, including IBM Z systems, software and consulting services. As reported by Essential Business Intelligence and The Wall Street Journal, the companies said the agreement marks the beginning of a multi-year programme to modernise UniCredit's core technology infrastructure and operating model.
The partnership aims to create a new banking technology model that gives UniCredit greater control over its technology roadmap while combining the resilience of mission-critical systems with the flexibility of modern digital platforms. According to Essential Business Intelligence, The Wall Street Journal, and Investing.com, the transformation is expected to enable faster innovation, improve operational efficiency and support the responsible scaling of artificial intelligence across the banking group. The initiative is designed to create an operating model that combines mission-critical systems with cloud, data and artificial intelligence capabilities, with the collaboration intended to set a reference model for the next generation of banking technology in Europe, enabling faster innovation and scaling AI capabilities across the Group while strengthening competitiveness and delivering lasting value for customers, colleagues and shareholders.
Ali Khan, Group Digital & Information Officer at UniCredit, emphasized that technology is a strategic enabler of the bank's growth and transformation, stating that the partnership with Accenture and IBM marks an important milestone in building the next generation of their banking platform. As reported by Essential Business Intelligence, The Wall Street Journal, and Investing.com, he emphasized that together, they are creating the technology foundations that will strengthen competitiveness, support sustainable growth and deliver lasting value for their stakeholders. Mauro Macchi, Chief Executive Officer of Accenture EMEA, highlighted how the partnership brings together a pan-European footprint with mission-critical technology to accelerate adoption of cloud, data and artificial intelligence to unlock new sources of value and create greater value for customers, people and communities.
Ana Paula Assis, Senior Vice President and Chair of IBM EMEA & APAC, noted that the enhanced collaboration with UniCredit, including both their technology and consulting capabilities, reflects a shared commitment to innovation and transformation. According to Essential Business Intelligence, The Wall Street Journal, and Investing.com, by combining modern infrastructure with UniCredit's hybrid cloud architecture, they are helping to establish a technology foundation that can support UniCredit's long-term growth while delivering better experiences for its customers. The multi-year programme represents a comprehensive approach to modernising the bank's underlying systems and operating model, with today's news being part of UniCredit's broader growth strategy and intended to set a reference model for the next generation of banking technology in Europe, establishing a scalable model for cloud and AI adoption across Europe's banking sector.
