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Being ‘future proof’ means taking a long-term view

The world has transitioned from a period of relative predictability into a new age of heightened uncertainty and fragility. No sooner do we get a handle on one situation, and the next one is already following in its wake. And 2022 was no exception.

Being ‘future proof’ means taking a long-term view

Expecting the unexpected

Some events take the world by surprise. Covid certainly did. Others arise because of geopolitical tensions that are not always easy to forecast. The conflict on Europe’s eastern borders has a huge human impact but also massive global economic consequences. And sometimes ‘the unexpected’ can take the form of market disruptors: new entrants who have the capacity to impact our daily lives by changing deep rooted behaviours.

We are accustomed to expecting the unexpected. But that doesn’t necessarily translate to businesses being well prepared for all scenarios, let alone grasping new opportunities that hide beneath the surface.

Long-term thinking is part of our DNA

Insurance is by its very nature a long-term business: the choices we make today can easily impact our stakeholders over several decades. Our future is heavily influenced by long term and significant trends, not by ephemeral hypes. To remain relevant in an increasingly complex environment, we need to look at the world through a ‘long-range’ telescope. Four years ago, Ageas embarked on a trend scanning exercise with the Belgian start-up Trensition, to unleash the capabilities of AI as a complementary tool in strategic foresight. Today, the so-called Horizon Scan’s insights are baked into our core strategy, and we took our partnership with Trensition to a next level.

Moreover, as the world changes, new societal issues arise that ask for innovative solutions – think for example of how technology in vehicles is changing motor insurance risks. As a (re)insurer, we have a role to play in exploring how we can better cover client needs as they evolve.

Forewarned is forearmed… and to be prepared is half the victory

In Impact24, Ageas has designed an “all weather” strategy, one that can withstand changing conditions. At its root, our unique approach to trend scanning helping us to predict, detect and analyse challenges and opportunities for our business. Equipped with these insights, we are better placed to adapt and fine-tune our strategy on an ongoing basis – keeping pace with the trends we see emerging.


In Impact24, we identified new opportunities for growth where Ageas has the capability to act and create impact. In the past year, we could already see some of the underlying topics accelerate or growing in importance.


Hans De Cuyper

If you are curious to learn more about trends impacting our future – and YOUR future – I invite you to discover this very first Horizon Scan report.

Hans De Cuyper, CEO Ageas
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