On 3 April 2026, the 2026 Giorgio Mortara Prize was awarded to Lucas Mariani (Università Bocconi), José R. Ornelas (Banco Central do Brasil), and Bernardo Ricca (INSPER) for their path-breaking work on “Banks’ Physical Footprint, Digital Payment Technologies, and Fintech Growth.”

Using data from Brazil and an innovative empirical strategy, their research addresses a central question for modern economies: how the branch networks of traditional banks shape and constrain digital innovation in payments, with important implications for the growth of neobanks.

The Prize’s Scientific Committee recognized the paper as a very timely contribution at the intersection of finance, technology, and development. We warmly congratulate the authors on this outstanding achievement.

The award ceremony will take place in Milan during the 2nd AIBE Workshop (2–3 July 2026). Lucas Mariani, pictured above, will present the paper during a special award session.

We also extend our sincere thanks to all applicants—this inaugural edition attracted an exceptionally strong pool of submissions.

The prize is awarded annually by the Italian-Brazilian Economics Association to the best paper in economics co-authored by an Italian-Brazilian research team. The award honours the legacy of Italian-Brazilian economist Giorgio Mortara.