Munich Re America's new "Mobility Domain" will help the insurer identify opportunities and risks in an ever-more digitally driven world, the company says in an announcement.
The Domain will focus on establishing strategic partnerships and pilot projects that will enable the company and its clients to develop risk management solutions for such areas as vehicle telematics, shared mobility, crash avoidance systems, and autonomous driving.
“Autonomous vehicle and other mobility technology sit at the intersection of a number of emerging trends that, together, will change not only driving but the nature of mobility," said Mike Scrudato, SVP of New Strategic Markets and leader of the Mobility Domain at Munich Reinsurance America. "Development of these visions could face a host of social, economic and regulatory factors impacting insurers and their customers. Those who remain at the forefront of [autonomous vehicle] developments will be better positioned to successfully manage and leverage these impacts and business opportunities.”
Initial Mobility Domain business engagements include:
- Partnering with a developer of mobile robotics pilot projects, to gain firsthand knowledge of how autonomous vehicles (AVs) will operate in real-world environments, and to gather AV data;
- Joining a leading academic Mobility Transformation program—part of a major research partnership of industry, government and academia, laying the foundation for a commercially viable system of connected and automated vehicles;
- Aligning with a global Mobility Business Accelerator program to support entrepreneurs in data analytics, the sharing economy, and the Internet of Things as they create the mobility systems of the future;
- Implementing a Crash Avoidance Pilot program for city buses with a Western state public transportation system;
- Partnering with the developer of a motorcycle safety warning system to bring crash avoidance technology to the motorcycle market;
- Developing insurance options for a classics car provider to foster the growth of the car sharing economy;
- Working with a premier academic institution and state leaders on the potential of establishing a center for research, certification and commercialization of automated driving technology in New Jersey;
- Supporting a non-profit organization that is utilizing a collaborative open source forum to encourage the development, engagement and acceptance of AV technology; and
- Piloting a vehicle safety technology tool with Munich Re employees to help assess how technology can change driving behavior.
