According to the magazine bne IntelliNews, which focuses on economic and financial news from emerging markets, the International Investment Bank (IIB) is the Most innovative IFI (international financial institution) of the year. The magazine’s decision to award the IIB was based on such criteria as operational efficiency, the institution’s development strategy and market reputation.

Summarising the year, emphasis was placed on the evolution of the Bank’s investment activities in the area of innovation and sustainable development. In particular, the magazine noted IIB’s participation in the project of the BRICS’ New Development Bank regarding construction of two hydropower plants in Karelia, Russia.

In other categories this year, bne IntelliNews named Citigroup as the Best investment bank, UniCredit as the Best corporate bank, Erste Group as the Best retail bank, and Société Générale and Commerzbank as leaders in the areas of transaction services and trade finance, respectively. Another of IIB’s partners, Raiffeisen Bank International, has received the award for Best restructuring.

It is important to mention that since the launch of its reform in 2012 and following improvement of performance, on several occasions the IIB received recognition from the public authorities of its member states as well as awards from international business associations. Thus, in 2015 the Bank was awarded by the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific for its SME Support Programme and by the Banking Association for Central and Eastern Europe for development of international banking co-operation. In November 2016, after a successful bond placement on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, for the second year in a row the IIB received an award from the Romanian Stockbrokers’ Association for its contribution to the development of the national bond market.