‘A mind that is stretched to a new idea never returns to its original dimensions.’ The American author and physician Oliver Wendell Holmes said this about a hundred years ago. It expresses exactly what we want to accomplish at ITC DIA Europe, taking place at the end of June in Barcelona. It is also the reason why we immediately run to the bookstore each time the annual ‘The WIRED World in 20..’ comes out. And why we invited Greg Williams, WIRED’s chief editor and renowned thought leader on the impact of tech, to speak at ITC DIA Europe. Greg will help us step out of the comfort zone of ‘tech in insurance’.

WIRED is mandatory reading for every insurer that looks beyond the coming financial year. Each issue of the magazine helps readers think beyond today and tomorrow. It puts the possibilities and challenges of new technologies in a broader social perspective. So, it doesn’t only address the impact of new technologies on consumer behaviour and the opportunities for companies, but also, for example, the consequences for the design of cities and the protection of citizen rights. Obviously, insurers also play a role in that context and understanding that ever changing context results in better decisions regarding the company’s strategy.

After all, The Future of Insurance is determined by the Future of Health, the Future of Mobility, the Future of Cities – actually by The Future of How We Live. It is evident that digitisation plays a crucial role in all aspects of this. But, concretely speaking, what will that look like?

In health, think of new approaches to the biology of the aging process, which can make lives longer and healthier. Or manipulating the microbiome of bacteria living in ours guts, which could bring relief for suffers of chronic diseases and allergies, and boost immunity.

With wearables rapidly evolving into AI-health assistant at every level, having control over one’s data will become an extension of having control over one’s body.

Looking at how we work and live; forget home or hybrid. Top talent wants to work from anywhere. Employers need to get on board. Workspaces must undergo huge structural changes to keep talent happy and retain them.

New housing can be expensive, generates huge amounts of carbon, and often doesn’t reflect how we live now, or how we’ll need to in the future. So, how can we build a better, greener tomorrow?

Electric vehicles will become sort of mini, mobile power-plants, at the heart of distributed energy network. Hydrogen fuel cells turn one of the most polluting forms of transportation into a green joyride whose only by-product is water. And of course, robots will take the road, with the rise of autonomous vehicles.

Digital is part of the essential national infrastructure. Consequently, building government AI capabilities is as important as roads and rail. More and more governments are convinced of guiding the economy by boosting innovation. By overtly supporting green and tech sectors, they are actively stimulating sustainable growth and new markets.

Although we live in time of wars, climate collapse and rising costs of living, downturns often result in mind shifts and breed transformative businesses. Be sure to attend ITC DIA Europe 2023, as Greg Williams will dive deeper into this theme during his presentation.