RegGenome, a UK-based regulatory technology company, has secured a contract with the Asian Development Bank to deploy AI-powered compliance analysis across 14 Pacific Island nations.

The project will compare anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing and cybersecurity frameworks across the Pacific region against standards in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Japan and the European Union.

Australia and New Zealand maintain robust AML/CFT frameworks under AUSTRAC and the Department of Internal Affairs respectively. Both countries serve as financial services hubs for Pacific Island nations, making regional regulatory harmonisation commercially significant.

The initiative addresses declining correspondent banking relationships in the Pacific, which have restricted international financial services access. Higher compliance costs and limited regulatory information have challenged regional financial institutions.

Commenting on the engagement, Bob Wardrop, Executive Chair of RegGenome, said: “This project with ADB comes at a critical time for Pacific Island countries facing restricted access to international financial services.

“By providing regulators with structured data and AI-enabled tools, RegGenome is helping strengthen compliance frameworks and financial resilience while demonstrating the practical impact of computational regulation in supporting supervisors and policymakers.”

The platform will deliver quarterly gap-assessment reports and training programmes for Pacific regulators. Financial institutions will be able to compare requirements across different jurisdictions more readily.

For Australian and New Zealand compliance professionals, the project offers insights into regional regulatory harmonisation and demonstrates AI applications in regulatory analysis. The outcomes may inform cross-border compliance strategies for institutions operating across the Pacific.

RegGenome is a regulatory data technology company founded at the University of Cambridge The Asian Development Bank, founded in 1966, supports development across 69 member countries.