Mobility Technology Center Established In Munich
New Mobility Technology Center will support companies from the automotive, mobility and insurance industries in making the risks of new mobility insurable and in developing (digital) products, technology and business models
Toronto, ON (May 26, 2022) – All systems are go for the Mobility Technology Center (MTC), as the new partnership between ERGO, Munich Re, in-tech, and MaLiBu – the consultancy firm owned by Professor Markus Lienkamp, Chair of Automotive Technology at the Technical University of Munich – was given the green light. The MTC will provide services for the development of innovative automotive insurance products and risk management solutions, placing a focus on electromobility, automated and autonomous driving, new mobility concepts, and digital and integrated services. Clients from automotive, mobility and insurance companies in Germany and abroad will be able to take advantage of the MTC’s offerings.
“The future of mobility is electric and autonomous, and one where digital and situational products are set to prevail. That also has direct implications for insurers and their services,” explains Karsten Crede, Board member of ERGO Digital Ventures AG with responsibility for ERGO Mobility Solutions, the insurer’s automotive and mobility subsidiary. “Advanced in-vehicle sensor technology and augmented computing capacity enable the dynamic and continuous assessment of the risks associated with modern cars, and enhance existing methods such as crash tests. The vast array of modern vehicle technology, such as sensor systems, functions on demand and over-the-air updates, along with flexible ownership or usage concepts, are opening up new options for insurers, but also forcing them to act – to develop smart insurance solutions suitable for intelligent cars.”
“MTC combines expertise from the automotive and insurance industries with findings from applied research to come up with solutions specially tailored to tomorrow’s mobility,” explains Christian Wagner, CEO and co-founder of in-tech, one of the largest service providers in the German automotive industry. “Autonomous driving in particular calls for new business models and insurance solutions, which we’ll be able to design thanks to the infrastructure available at the MTC.”
From benchmark analyses for high-voltage batteries to advanced risk assessments for assistance systems
Insurance solutions and services for the new age of mobility will be created in the MTC on behalf of insurers, carmakers and mobility service providers. The primary focus will be on technology-based and data-based risk analyses and assessments, which serve as the starting point for developing the requisite insurance products.
In the case of high-voltage batteries, for instance, the MTC can perform a standardised comparison of all functionalities and develop models for analysing and predicting the ageing of in-vehicle battery cells under real operating conditions. This, in turn, enables providers of performance-guarantee insurance to offer insurance solutions for such batteries.
Another service the MTC will offer for car manufacturers and insurers is an analysis of the safety and effectiveness of driver-assistance systems, especially in relevant accident scenarios. Here, the idea is to provide partners with a dynamic assessment of the associated risks with a view to incentivising their customers to purchase and use these assistance systems.
Integration of digital on-demand insurance covers into the vehicle platform and development of risk management concepts for mobility service providers will also play an important role.
“The experts at the MTC have access to the latest findings from science and research and to unparalleled resources and equipment, including test benches, battery testing facilities, data loggers and driving simulators, which can be used, for instance, to test the boundaries of high-voltage batteries and assistance systems,” explains Professor Markus Lienkamp, CEO and founder of MaLiBu Vehicle Concept Engineering and Chair of Automotive Technology at the Technical University of Munich. “We see huge potential in designing innovative insurance solutions based on dynamic developments in automotive technology,” he says.
According to Karsten Crede, setting up the MTC as an independent spin-off “puts us in an excellent position to build greater trust in new technology and business models at the interface of the mobility industry and insurance. In this way, the MTC will help pave the way towards a safe and sustainable future for mobility.”
Subject to approval by the relevant supervisory authorities, the MTC is scheduled to start business operations in June 2022.
About the ERGO Group AG
ERGO is one of the major insurance groups in Germany and Europe. Worldwide, the Group is represented in around 26 countries and concentrates on Europe and Asia. Four separate units operate under the umbrella of the Group: ERGO Deutschland AG, ERGO International AG, ERGO Digital Ventures AG and ERGO Technology & Services Management AG. German, international, direct and digital business as well as the global management of IT and tech-nology services are combined there. Over 37,000 people work for the Group, either as salaried employees or as full-time self-employed sales representatives. In 2021, ERGO recorded a total premium income of over 19 billion euros and rendered benefits to customers (gross) of around 17 billion euros. ERGO is part of Munich Re, one of the world’s leading reinsurers and risk carriers. For more information, visit www.ergo.com.
About Munich Re
Munich Re is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance and insurance-related risk solutions. The group consists of the reinsurance and ERGO fields of business, and the asset manager MEAG. Munich Re is globally active and operates in all lines of the insurance business. Since it was founded in 1880, Munich Re has been known for its unrivalled risk-related expertise and its sound financial position. It offers customers financial protection when faced with exceptional levels of damage – from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake to Hurricane Ida in 2021. Munich Re possesses outstanding innovative strength, which enables it to also provide coverage for extraordinary risks such as rocket launches, renewable energies or cyber risks. The company is playing a key role in driving forward the digital transformation of the insurance industry, and in doing so has further expanded its ability to assess risks and the range of services that it offers. Its tailor-made solutions and close proximity to its customers make Munich Re one of the world’s most sought-after risk partners for businesses, institutions and private individuals. For more information, visit www.munichre.com.
About in-tech
in-tech specialises in the design and development of digital solutions for the automotive sector, smart mobility, transport systems and smart industry. Developers and engineers at the company work in a range of fields including autonomous driving, electromobility, digital rail and smart factory. in-tech was established in 2002 and has been growing steadily ever since. It currently employs around 1,700 people at locations in Germany, Austria, the USA, China, the UK, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Spam and Romania. Managed by its owners, the medium-sized company has a shining reputation as a top employer with an outstanding corporate culture. in-tech has already received several awards for its pleasant working atmosphere, team spirit and great work-life balance. For more information, visit www.in-tech.com.
Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on current assumptions and forecasts of the management of ERGO Group. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the forward-looking statements given here and the actual development, in particular the results, financial situation and performance of our Company. The Company assumes no liability to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
Source: ERGO, Munich Re Group Media Relations & in-tech GmbH
Tags: Mobility as a Service (MaaS), Munich Re
