Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance and its wholly-owned subsidiary Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe established the Aioi R&D Lab - Oxford on November 15, in collaboration with Mind Foundry, an AI venture from the University of Oxford, to conduct advanced technology and science research and development.

Background

In recent years, business environments have undergone rapid changes due to factors like climate change response (carbon neutrality, decarbonization), technological innovation, and shifts in lifestyles, demanding transformation in corporate business operations. Viewing these changes as opportunities, the company has placed CSV×DX (Creating Shared Value by Digital Transformation) at the core of its management strategy, collaborating with global partners to solve social and regional issues and create new value. As part of this, a capital and business alliance was formed with MF in October 2020, focusing on AI development, including models for detecting hazardous driving patterns.

The R&D Lab's Themes

The R&D Lab will focus on a range of topics including the development of next-generation telematics services for auto insurance, insurance services for autonomous driving societies, personalized insurance services in health and healthcare through technology for personal insurance, and reforming insurance services through AI and data-first approaches. Other areas include developing new services using AI and technology in fields like the environment, logistics, and disaster prevention.

Operational Framework

To enhance the effectiveness of R&D for advancing the insurance business, the company will lead this initiative through a global cross-border project "Future Strategy Creation Project" and a dedicated department "Future Strategy Creation Department."

Future Development

Initially, the R&D Lab, centered around MF, will expand as a hub for conducting research and development with top-notch professors from Oxford University. This will include talent exchange and deepening research themes with global bases in Japan, the UK, Europe, the US, and Singapore. The outcomes from the R&D Lab will not only be integrated into domestic insurance businesses but also globally, updating advanced services like telematics auto insurance to version 2.0 and addressing future societal and regional challenges like autonomous driving societies.