Brighton, UK (Nov. 21, 2018) – The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to increase complexity and amplify risk, but it could also enable more innovation throughout the entire insurance value chain, including the way claims are settled in future, according to new research from Lloyd’s.
Networked World: Risks and Opportunities in the Internet of Things, published in collaboration with University College London’s (UCL) Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) and the PETRAS Internet of Things Research Hub, analyzes the impact of the IoT on the insurance sector.
IoT will lead to data capture and management at an unprecedented scale, according to the report. This could mean better risk assessment and more flexible, bespoke and real-time products. It may also increase policyholder concerns about the use and accuracy of their data.
Meanwhile, interconnectivity will create new business models where more is known about insureds, policies are generated in real-time and are bespoke, and fraudulent claims are recognised quicker. The ability to create personalized policies will also enable insurers to more accurately predict and mitigate risks.
However, the report also noted that new types of threats will emerge, which will increase the demand on insurers to come up with new products and services. The scale and variability of the type of disruption that could occur will affect multiple sectors and lines of business.
In addition, the range and quality of security standards that currently exist for the IoT will make it hard for insurers to make risk assessments. And there are critical blind spots in the regulation and legislation of IoT devices and their impacts. These include uncertainties surrounding attribution and liability should anything go wrong.
To help insurers to understand the evolution of the adoption of the IoT and its potential impacts, the report includes ten extreme scenarios on four critical sectors: Infrastructure and Water, Agriculture, Marine and the Smart Home. Each scenario highlights how IoT technologies could generate and exacerbate risks that could cause losses in several lines of business at the same time.
Dr. Trevor Maynard, Head of Innovation for Lloyd’s, said: “Insurers should play a role in shaping the IoT landscape and Lloyd’s has proposed several options from leading on data standardization to working with governments and tech companies. Insurers should proactively talk with clients to review and assess all risks associated with IoT to provide them with advice on best practice and appropriate risk solutions, thereby shaping the development of the IoT ecosystem in which they operate.”
Dr. Madeline Carr, Director of STEaPP’s Digital Policy Lab, said: “Any large-scale technological shift raises challenges to the status quo and creates opportunities for those who see them early on in periods of transformations. Early adopters, especially in markets, are afforded additional benefits, as they can shape expectations, terms of engagement, and best practices in ways that address their interest. This report with Lloyd’s provides a timely study of not only the challenges but also multiple opportunities that the IoT will introduce into the sector.”
About Lloyd’s
Lloyd’s is the world’s specialist insurance and reinsurance market. With expertise earned over centuries, Lloyd’s is the foundation of the insurance industry and the future of it. Led by expert underwriters and brokers in more than 200 territories, the Lloyd’s market develops the essential, complex and critical insurance needed to underwrite human progress. Backed by diverse global capital and excellent financial ratings, Lloyd’s works with a global network of over 4,000 insurance professionals to grow the insured world – building resilience for businesses and local communities, and strengthening economic growth around the world.
About STEaPP at UCL
University College London’s (UCL) Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP) mobilises science, technology, engineering and policy expertise to help change the world for the better.
About the PETRAS Internet of Things Research Hub
The PETRAS Internet of Things Research Hub is a consortium of nine leading UK universities working together to explore critical issues in privacy, ethics, trust, reliability, acceptability, and security. The PETRAS IoT Hub is led by UCL and includes Imperial College London, Lancaster University, University of Oxford, University of Warwick, Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, University of Southampton, and University of Surrey. Funding for the Hub includes a grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) augmented by partner contributions. This project also runs in collaboration with IoTUK. For more information, visit www.petrashub.org.
Source: Lloyd’s
Tags: Digital Innovation, Innovation, Internet of Things (IoT), Lloyd's, University College London (UCL)
