Tech Providers Compete in Trade Transformation Challenge

A high-level workshop for trade & supply chain finance and technology professionals was conducted on 20 February 2025 in Dubai following the ICC Banking Commission Meeting held days earlier at Dubai Chambers.

The workshop brought together key enablers in trade facilitation, the ICC Digital Standards Initiative (ICC DSI), ICC UAE, and Dubai Chambers Legal Department. A highlight of the full-day event featured ardent competition among candidates vying for top honors in the “Trade Transformation Challenge – show us what you’ve got!” 

Trade Transformation Challenge Finalists (L-R): Aneel Sabir of Enigio, Tom O’Brien of China Systems, Sam Sehgal of Traydstream

Three finalists were each given 12 minutes to articulate a specific challenge facing the trade finance industry and how their advanced technology solutions provider addressed or solved the problem.

Global Shipping Business Network CEO Bertrand Chen, who led evaluation of the presentations, announced Tom O’Brien of China Systems as the outright winner based on the competition’s core criteria of identifying a problem and the advanced technology needed to solve it. The China Systems presentation delivered an effective and efficient solution, enabling the City Bank in Bangladesh to enhance its trade processing and facilitate customer acquisition in delivering seamless trade transaction processing.

Despite the competitive nature of the Challenge, the technology solutions of each presenter complimented each other and collectively add value in advancing the trade & supply chain finance environment.