Connecting the dots: It’s time for integrated risk intelligence, says Swiss Re

In an era of mounting volatility, from increasingly severe natural catastrophes to growing regulatory pressures, insurers face unprecedented challenges. Swiss Re Risk Data Solutions CEO Jonathan Rake sets out how integrated risk intelligence can strengthen resilience.

Key points:
Swiss Re expands risk tools
Insurers seek better risk selection
Tech aids regulatory compliance

What risks are insurers struggling with most today?

The list is long and growing. For instance, insurers are looking for ways to select better risks in the face of heightened nat cat volatility; how to underwrite precisely when secondary perils are changing so quickly and whether their pricing is keeping pace with real exposure and evolving loss trends. 

They also want to monitor accumulation in real time and support clients before, during and after a loss event. These challenges demand a combination of advanced models, dynamic monitoring and actionable insights that allow insurers to make decisions consistently across underwriting, pricing, accumulation and claims.

How should insurers adapt to rising secondary perils?

Secondary perils such as severe convective storms, floods and wildfires, already account for most insured nat cat losses. According to Swiss Re Institute, severe convective storms generated more than $31 billion of insured losses in the first half of 2025 alone. That scale underscores the need for more innovative solutions. Insurers increasingly rely on high-resolution hazard intelligence, peril-specific calibration and tools that support decision-making as events unfold. At Swiss Re, for example, our CatNet® Suite offers overlays for hail and storm footprints, alongside live event monitoring, which allows insurers to visualise exposure and take real-time action. We’re also developing forward-looking tools like lightning hazard models and biodiversity risk scores to anticipate risks before they become systemic.

“Today’s challenges demand advanced models, dynamic monitoring and actionable insights.”

Beyond perils, how is technology changing risk management?

Latest technology enables insurers to connect hazard data, pricing models and portfolio insights in ways that weren’t possible before. What matters most is integration. Delivering insights when and where they are most needed – within underwriting systems, for example – is more valuable than standalone tools. Application programming interfaces (APIs) now allow underwriters to assess location-specific risks instantly and monitor their accumulation dynamically. Technology also supports regulatory readiness and climate disclosure frameworks, ensuring insurers can adapt not only to emerging risks but also to rising reporting expectations.

What impact is integration having on insurers?

The most important change is confidence. Insurers can move from fragmented data points to decisive action. We see them embedding our real-time risk scores into daily underwriting, adapting portfolios in line with climate-adjusted realities or using accumulation APIs to reduce exposure concentrations before they escalate. Some are partnering with our risk consulting and analytics team to align strategy with growth ambitions. The result is more consistent and faster decision-making that directly improves resilience and profitability.

How does Risk Data Solutions fit within Swiss Re?

Risk Data Solutions expands Swiss Re’s value beyond risk transfer by equipping insurers, corporates, and the public sector with data, models, and advisory to make smarter decisions earlier in the risk lifecycle. We help clients navigate volatility, manage portfolios with precision, and build resilience, strengthening Swiss Re’s role as a full-service reinsurer and strategic partner.

What prompted the creation of Risk Data Solutions (formerly Reinsurance Solutions)? 

This was a direct response to evolving needs in the market. Today insurers, corporates and the public sector alike demand highly differentiated solutions that meet their specific needs for strategic insight, technical guidance and actionable risk intelligence. Risk Data Solutions brings together Swiss Re’s combined expertise in these fields in one focused unit.

What’s next for the unit?

We are scaling in three directions. First, by expanding peril and regional coverage so our models are globally relevant while tailored to local realities. Second, by embedding insights more broadly, supporting underwriting, pricing, accumulation, regulation, and post-event response across insurers, corporates, and the public sector. Third, by building a unified platform that integrates data, models, APIs, and advisory services giving each segment easier access to advanced capabilities, simplifying complexity, and enabling smarter, faster decisions across the risk value chain.

Jonathan Rake is the chief executive officer of Swiss Re Risk Data Solutions. 

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