Swiss Re Institute-AXA Research Fund: A Risk Resilience Partnership Fostering Research on Systemic Risk
Swiss Re and AXA, two prominent re/insurance companies with a strong connection to science, have launched a collaboration to help build resilience to systemic risks. The Risk Resilience Partnership will be led by their scientific initiatives: the Swiss Re Institute and the AXA Research Fund. The partners have contributed equally to a total budget of €1M. The amount will be attributed to advancing research on systemic risk over the next three years.
A new era for societal risk and the re/insurance industry
The interconnectedness of our world has resulted in an increasingly complex risk landscape with widespread, cascading effects, that can negatively impact our planet, people and economies. The spread of these impacts can lead to potentially existential consequences and creates new challenges for the re/insurance industry, whose mission is to protect our world, people and business against adverse developments.
Science is crucial in helping identify, understand, and anticipate these key challenging risks, as well as their impacts and possible ways to mitigate them. Science can integrate different systems' perspectives and foster systems thinking across disciplines and geographies. Its input is instrumental in supporting decision-making and maintaining stability, resilience, and societal progress.
The re/insurance industry stands at the forefront when it comes to protecting our world by anticipating and managing risks. Both AXA and Swiss Re stand out through their strong affiliation to science and their support for risk research.
Building on a longstanding track record of financing scientific and applied research, the AXA Research Fund and Swiss Re Institute have established a new Partnership to jointly identify, incentivize and fund independent research and innovation projects that demonstrate the highest potential for transforming our industry and helping society become more resilient.
Presentation of the Partnership by Patrick Raaflaub, Group Chief Risk Officer, Swiss Re and Ulrike Decoene, Group Chief Communications, Brand and Sustainability Officer, AXA.
Supporting research projects on systemic risk resilience
The new Partnership will support top-tier risk research on systemic risks that pose serious threats to societal resilience. It aims to improve risk management and inform private and public decision-making.
More specifically, the Partnership will:
Incentivize and finance research towards closing knowledge gaps within the re/insurance industry
Translate research outcomes into solutions for public and private decision-making
Thematic calls for research proposals will be launched on a yearly basis. The first Call will be announced on December 1st, 2023.
About the Swiss Re Institute
Swiss Re Institute harnesses Swiss Re's risk knowledge to produce data driven research across the company and with partner organizations. We foster knowledge sharing and support decision making with our industry focused publications, client programs and conferences.
November 2023