LSEG: Real-Time Risk Intelligence Lacking in Asia

LSEG: Real-Time Risk Intelligence Lacking in Asia

There is a lack of real-time risk intelligence that matches the speed at which criminal actors are operating, according to a report by the London Stock Exchange Group. This is a global phenomenon, but Asia stands out for its readiness to embrace innovation.

Eight out of 10 financial institutions in the Asia Pacific region said that they experience days in screening «at least occasionally», according to a report by the London Stock Exchange Group’s (LSEG) Risk Intelligence team. This figure rises to 90 percent in Japan and Hong Kong.

97 percent of respondents in APAC said that real-time access to sanctions and risk data is important to their compliance workflows, in line with the global average of 98 percent.

The top benefit cited in the region was avoidance of outdated data (54 percent) while budget or resource constraints were named as the leading hurdles to adoption of real-time tools (52 percent).

Regional Bias Towards Automation

While the lack and need for real-time data is a global phenomenon, APAC was unique in its view on the solution. 23 percent of financial institutions in Asia said compliance workflow automation and AI integration were key priorities. In fact, 44 percent view lower manual review workload as an important factor when considering customer screening tools, significantly above peers in EMEA (36 percent) and, especially, North America (14 percent).

«While the global survey highlighted widespread inefficiencies and growing demand for real-time intelligence, APAC stands out for its readiness to embrace innovation despite persistent hurdles such as manual processes, integration issues, and resource constraints,» said Michael Meadon, head of risk sales, APAC, LSEG.

The report was based on a survey conducted in mid-2025 with 850 senior decision makers with responsibility for risk intelligence at financial institutions, including top-tier banks, wealth and advisory, banking (retail and digital) and investment (asset management and insurance). By markets, respondents originated from APAC (250, including Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore), EMEA (400) and North America (200).