What are UNIQA Insurance's plans for 2024 concerning new products or services you plan to launch in the market?

2024 will be an exciting year for UNIQA in the SEE region as we take the next step in our business and technology transformation. In the past year, we all worked hard to lay strong foundations for our new digital tools, which will help our colleagues to be faster and more efficient, but at the same time provide our clients an individual approach for their insurance needs. Our goal is to bring insurance to a new level in the next couple of years and become trendsetters in the insurance sector in the region. We are also working on the development of new standardized regional products, focusing on SME, Motor, Life, and Health. Our clients are our biggest inspiration, so we took their suggestions to heart and included them in our product development process to provide them exactly what they need. We are all looking forward to the next year. It truly will be full of innovation.

How do you foresee the business opportunities in the insurance market in the coming year, particularly regarding emerging trends and changes in client needs?

The insurance sector proved to be very resilient in the past, growing constantly even during a global pandemic and other economic challenges. The circumstances in which we operate are changing constantly, which also means that the needs of our clients change. Besides classical Motor and property insurance lines we see two segments that offer the most significant opportunity for development and growth, one of them being SME insurance. Small and medium enterprises are the most vulnerable business model in this high paced economy. Many SME owners have dedicated their personal assets to their businesses, thereby amplifying the financial risk to their overall well-being. With the right insurance, those risks can be minimised and allow more space for growth and development. The second opportunity we have to seize is the health insurance segment. People are paying increasing attention to a healthier lifestyle and seeking medical advice and second opinions more frequently. Offering clients the possibility to create their individual insurance coverage will provide them and us with a significant advantage in the future. Besides an individual approach, one of the biggest opportunities is to be flexible, fast, and innovative using technology. Using a omnichannel strategy allowed us to be more present, which means that our clients can reach us whenever they need.

How does UNIQA Insurance plan to invest in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategies in the upcoming fiscal year?

Our ESG strategy is something we are already extremely proud of. In each field, we are trying to be as active as possible. For the upcoming year, we have already plans to surpass this year's goals when it comes to sustainability, biodiversity, and energy efficiency. The UNIQA Group is already a member of the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance and is a founding member of the Green Finance Alliance, and we are also dedicated to making a big impact in the region regarding those topics. Our overall goal is to achieve climate neutrality by the end of 2050. To achieve this, we have focused our ESG strategy on four areas – asset management, products, operations and reporting. The UNIQA Group has invested over 300 milion € worth of financing for sustainable infrastructure projects and renewable energy technologies, such as wind and solar energy and waste-to-energy processing. We will continue with sustainable investments in the region as well, helping our communites and local economies at the same time. Our products play also a crucial part in our strategy. We want to offer our clients the right support which will encourage them to switch to more sustaibable solutions as well (e.g. insurance of solar panels).
UNIQA is also very engaged when it comes to various initiatives in this field. Our offices in the whole region are using recycled paper and we use sustainable energy sources wherever it is possible. We planted over 4.500 trees, supported local beekeepers, and our procurement team is working hard to provide us with sustainable sources to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible. To stay on track to achieve our climate neutrality goal we are conducting regular detailed analysis and reporting measures, making sure our governance politics are clear and transparent.

Do you see priorities in innovation or technological advancements that will be pivotal for UNIQA's development in 2024?

UNIQA in the SEE region is currently going through a significant digital transformation. The decision to go along this path did not come overnight. We have all done a lot of research and all results pointed to this move. The technological advancements we are acquiring from this strategy will form our future and make a big impact on the insurance market in our region. Since the insurance industry is based on people and their needs, our goal with this digital transformation is not to replace human interaction but to create tools that will help us to offer our clients an easier and faster solution to their needs. A large regional team of our IT experts is working tirelessly on developing new features that will be implemented very shortly into our unique and unified regional IT system. Most of the features aim to help our clients be more independent and efficient when it comes to insurance. We are creating a user-friendly and efficient self service oriented interface that will not only speed up all our processes but also simplify them while offering a wider range of options for our clients.

How does UNIQA Insurance plan to support social initiatives and the communities where you operate during the next year?

UNIQA is strongly committed to all communities in which we operate. Our overall goal is to be a strong and dependable partner to all people and businesses, and that means not only our clients. We have partnered with a lot of local and regional organizations in various fields with the main goal to give back to the community. Our first regional activity is our exclusive sponsorship of the Sarajevo Film Festival, which helped us explore our options when it comes to cultural investments in the region. We are also very proud of our cooperation with Goran Ivanisević, our first regional brand ambassador. We will work closely with both of our partners to create new opportunities for young talents and support them in their first career steps. Our guiding principle is based on strengthening our community, and young people are our top priority. What is very special for UNIQA is our unique approach to social initiatives. Our UNIQA SEE community is very eager to truly be part of every initiative, offering a helping hand and volunteering in many activities in addition to our donations and sponsorships. Our focus for the next year will be aimed towards culture, green initiatives, and sports, as we try to build a future in which we all live better together.