The Flow Factory is a joint research institute of the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS) and the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe at the University of Münster. It bridges the gap between academia and industry to make the use of artificial intelligence in the financial sector more efficient and responsible. As part of our partnership with the Flow Factory, Deka employees bring in questions from everyday business life, which are then addressed in collaboration with researchers and students. The results are consistently geared toward practical application and strengthen knowledge transfer as well as Deka’s capacity for innovation.

The Hochschule für Finanzwirtschaft und Management is the central educational service provider of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. High-ranking academics and practitioners train the next generation of managers in accordance with the standards and value system of the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. Many of the more than 3,000 graduates are now specialists or managers at the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe - including DekaBank.

Deka invites the current students to Frankfurt every year. Since 2015, we have also awarded prizes to the best graduates of the year. They then spend four weeks sitting in on the Deka Group - in an area of their choice. They gain practical experience, get an exclusive insight into the company and make valuable contacts.

Since January 2020, Deka has been funding the “Banking Regulation” endowed chair at the School of Finance and Management. The chair holder, Prof. Dr. Anja Schulz, is intensively dedicated to the challenges of banking regulation and develops innovative solutions that take into account both the size and the business model of banks.

In July 2024, Dr. Maik Grabau also took over the endowed professorship for Sustainability and Financial Markets. This professorship aims to promote the transfer of knowledge between academia and financial practice and to further develop sustainable financial strategies.

The university is characterized by its high practical orientation and the targeted focus of its research projects. It works on forward-looking topics that are also of great importance to DekaBank as a financial services provider.

IQAM Research - Private Institute for Quantitative Capital Market Research, founded by Deka, promotes the exchange between practice and academic research. Here, academics and practitioners conduct joint research in the field of capital markets.

Every two years, IQAM Research honors outstanding research work by students and graduates in the field of capital market research. These awards recognize excellent contributions to the further development of quantitative capital market research and provide valuable impulses for practice.

IQAM Research makes it possible to review and evaluate current academic developments and integrate them into business practice. Employees who publish their academic work via IQAM Research have the opportunity to come into contact with renowned researchers. This exchange of knowledge ensures the high research quality of IQAM Research and strengthens the positive perception of DekaBank as an employer and product provider.

Deka has been supporting the Sparkassen's “Planspiel Börse” since 2014. In this game, students and trainees learn what stock market trading is all about - in an exciting and very practical way. With this sponsorship, DekaBank aims to impart financial and capital market knowledge, reaching young people and young adults in particular. In addition to basic economic skills, stock market knowledge and securities culture, the game's special “sustainability” rating is also intended to promote future-oriented and responsible action.