Premiere in Munich: the first DLDsummer Conference took place in the Allianz Auditorium. The partnership with Digital Life Design (DLD) was established by Claudine Perlet and Jörg Richtsfeld from Allianz. The initiators explain what the partnership is all about.
Mr. Richtsfeld, where did the idea of working with DLD come from?
The digital world needs networks to survive. We only need to look to Silicon Valley to see how things are done: players from a whole range of sectors, including technology, the capital market, education and politics are working together, constantly developing new products and redefining customer orientation in the process. But there is a strong digital and global network only a stone’s throw from Allianz’ headquarters in the heart of Munich, too: the DLD (Digital Life Design). This network is a meeting place for influencers from the digital world, as well as of experts that build bridges to other industries: automotive, healthcare, financial services. Mark Zuckerberg, Eric Schmidt, the Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and also Jimmy Wales have already been welcomed as conference guests. And from our perspective, access to these networks is important. Why? Because we are convinced that networks like these, which involve dialogue between academia, the technology sector, politics and business, are a key prerequisite for innovation and the targeted enhancement of our business models. That’s why we started the dialogue with Steffi Czerny (editorial note: the chairperson of the DLD) last year to talk about how a partnership could look like.
The talks resulted in a completely new format being launched: the DLDsummer. Ms. Perlet, why did you want to host the event at Allianz?
The basic idea is that we wanted to become an integral part of the DLD calendar. We wanted to appear in the DLD landscape in global, content-related terms, i.e. not to simply act as a sponsor, but also to showcase our expertise in practice. During our talks, “digital health” soon emerged as a topic that we wanted to make a permanent contribution to within the framework of the partnership. There are three reasons that support this decision: first of all, our society wants to live ever healthier lifestyles – health is becoming a megatrend. Second, the healthcare market has always been of interest to Allianz: we rank among the top 5 insurers in the life and health insurance segment. Third, the topic is an interesting one in a variety of markets: in the established markets, because we are getting older and older, in emerging markets, because these countries often still have a lack in medical care structures, and in the world’s megacities, because people living there are faced with very specific living conditions.
Ms. Perlet, which aspects of the conference did you enjoy in particular?
The interesting mix is what makes the event so attractive. A podium discussion on the “patient of the future”, featuring experts for wearables and data protection, was followed by a presentation given by a rational scientist who became a medical doctor and is now improving his treatment by paying respect to the individual life stories of his patients.. Sheila Marcelo, CEO of care.com, spoke about the global challenges relating to long-term care for older people and the opportunities that technology offers in this regard. Ski professional Maria Höfl Riesch explained in an interview how she used various digital measurements and data from her training sessions to improve her daily workout, meaning that she was less exhausted at the end of the day.
At the very latest when you are confronted with specific examples like this one, you truly realize how all-encompassing the digital revolution is and what range of opportunities it opens up.
Mr. Richtsfeld, why is “digital health” so important to Allianz?
We are ideally placed to play an active role in the emerging digital health ecosystems by combining our expertise in the fields of insurance, services and digital customer contact. After all, at the moment, we only have contact with our health insurance customers when they are ill or submit an invoice. Innovative digital products and services will allow us to step up and expand our contact with customers, for example acting as health coaches for them. Another possibility would be to use digital technology to improve preventative health measures and, in doing so, help people to avoid coming down with certain conditions in the first place. The healthcare segment is currently undergoing a process of fundamental transformation worldwide, and the main drivers behind this development are the speed and availability of technological innovation. This is changing the way we think about health and the way in which people can access treatment and preventative health measures. The “Digital & Health” is a really exciting field because it opens up completely new services and, as a result, business opportunities for us.
