Swiss Re

(IN BRIEF) Swiss Re Corporate Solutions has agreed to acquire QBE Insurance Group’s Global Trade Credit and Surety business, aiming to expand its specialty insurance platform and strengthen services that help corporations manage payment and performance risks. The portfolio, with … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) The Swiss Federal Council has confirmed Tanja Zimmermann for a second four-year term as Director of Empa, extending her leadership through May 2030. During her first mandate, Zimmermann strengthened Empa’s strategic position within the ETH Domain, expanded collaboration … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Stadler will modernise and resell 93 GTW trains from Swiss operator Thurbo to the Hungarian State Railways, enabling a fast and sustainable expansion of passenger capacity in Hungary. The refurbished trains will add around 14,000 seats, feature modern … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Three Swiss deep-tech startups spun out of Empa are showcasing cutting-edge hardware innovations at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. BTRY AG is presenting ultra-thin solid-state batteries with one-minute charging, Ionic Wind AG is demonstrating fanless ionic-wind cooling for … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Swiss Re has appointed Nicole Pieterse as Chief People Officer, effective 1 January 2026, succeeding Cathy Desquesses, who will step down for personal reasons. Pieterse, currently Head of HR for Property & Casualty Reinsurance, joined the company in … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) EMPA has contributed vital insights to a major ETH Zurich-led study showing how flexible operation of electric vehicles and heat pumps could strengthen Switzerland’s energy system. Coordinated use of these technologies would make renewable energy more efficient, reduce … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Swiss start-up BTRY AG has secured $5.7 million in an oversubscribed seed round to industrialize its ultra-thin solid-state batteries, combining rapid charging, high safety, and temperature stability. The funding round, led by Redstone VC with support from Bloomhaus … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) At the Rendez-Vous de Septembre in Monte Carlo, Swiss Re has highlighted how climate change, geopolitical uncertainty, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the global re/insurance market. The company warns that insured losses from natural catastrophes, which have exceeded … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Patrick Tiernan, CEO of Lloyd’s, has been named Vice-Chair of the Reinsurance Advisory Board (RAB), succeeding John Neal. Tiernan’s background as Lloyd’s Chief of Markets and roles at Aviva, StarStone and Zurich position him to guide the RAB … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Swiss Re’s 2025 SONAR report identifies extreme heat as a leading emerging risk, attributing up to 500,000 deaths annually to heatwaves—more than floods, quakes, and hurricanes combined. The report traces rising severity and duration of heat events, notes … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Swiss Re has announced the appointment of Bernhard Kaufmann as its next Group Chief Risk Officer, effective 1 October 2025. Kaufmann, who currently holds the same role at Helvetia and has served as CRO at NN Group and … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Swisscom has been named the best mobile network in Switzerland by CHIP magazine for the tenth year in a row, scoring highest across all categories including mobile Internet, telephony, 5G availability, and long-distance train coverage. The award confirms … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Effective 7 May 2025, Swiss Re, through its subsidiary SRILIAC, will co-manage GAM’s insurance-linked security funds, including the GAM Star Cat Bond UCITS Fund. This partnership involves managing approximately USD 3 billion in assets from GAM’s ILS funds … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Empa researchers from the nanotech@surfaces laboratory have experimentally recreated two fundamental quantum physics models originally inspired by Werner Heisenberg using innovative “quantum Lego” constructed from nanographenes. Building on a previous success with the alternating Heisenberg model, the team, … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Global insured losses from natural catastrophes in 2024 are projected to exceed USD 135 billion, marking the fifth consecutive year such losses have surpassed USD 100 billion, according to Swiss Re Institute. Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused nearly … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Swiss Re is selling its iptiQ European P&C business to Allianz Direct, including its Luxembourg-based risk carrier, over 100 employees, and existing distribution agreements in several European markets. This move aligns with Swiss Re’s strategy to exit iptiQ, … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Empa has launched the “Mining the Atmosphere” initiative, aiming to transform buildings from CO2 emitters into carbon sinks. Through the NEST unit “Beyond Zero,” the project develops and tests innovative materials, such as carbon-based aggregates in concrete, that … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Switzerland launched instant payments on 20 August 2024, with around 60 financial institutions now able to process these transactions, covering over 95% of Swiss retail payments. Instant payments allow for immediate account-to-account transfers, 24/7, offering significant benefits such … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) A study by the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW), co-authored by Empa researcher Gerrit Kuhlmann, highlights how artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite-based earth observations can help reduce the impact of climate change in Switzerland. The study suggests … Read the full press release →

(IN BRIEF) Swisscom, in collaboration with NVIDIA, introduces the Swiss AI Platform, a cutting-edge infrastructure designed for developing trustworthy AI applications. Offering modular services including access to NVIDIA supercomputers, generative AI tools, and a model library, the platform ensures flexibility … Read the full press release →