AXA Report Highlights Shift Toward Prevention and Resilience
The insurance sector is shifting its focus toward helping clients anticipate hazards and limit exposure, according to a new report from AXA. The group’s Future Risks Report highlights that the industry must evolve to meet rising threats, moving beyond traditional coverage to emphasize resilience.
Public confidence in the sector
Despite these complex challenges, the public maintains a high level of trust in insurers. A majority of the general population, 68 percent, views insurance companies as key partners in prevention and resilience. This sentiment is stronger among younger generations, with 72 percent of people under 45 holding this view, compared to 65 percent of those aged 45 and older.
Corporate clients are also demanding more from their providers. As risks become more interconnected and difficult to predict, clients expect insurers to offer broader support. While innovative risk management and transfer solutions remain the top expectation at 66 percent, knowledge sharing and risk education follow closely at 65 percent. Support in prevention and resilience building is requested by 59 percent of commercial partners.
Prevention as a core strategy
Guillaume Borie, AXA’s global head of finance, strategy, underwriting, risk and technology, says the industry must rise to this challenge. He argues that threats like climate change, cyber incidents, and AI do not evolve in isolation. These risks reinforce one another, creating cascading effects that impact individuals, businesses, and communities.
The report offers a reason for optimism: 85 percent of experts and the general population believe the consequences of these risks can be at least partially avoided through prevention. This finding suggests that while certain hazards may be unavoidable, their impact can be mitigated.
AXA is already deploying specific measures to address these concerns. The company has delivered more than 19,000 climate adaptation solutions and services over the last two years. These range from severe weather alerts and risk assessments to training programs. In health, the group integrates prevention and early detection into services for cancer and mental health. Cybersecurity support involves working with specialized partners to help clients improve practices before incidents occur.
For AXA, the challenge is not whether prevention works, but how to deploy it broadly and consistently. The insurer is making prevention a systematic part of its business model by combining coverage with data, technology, and practical services. This approach aims to help customers reduce their exposure before losses happen.
However, the insurer acknowledges it cannot succeed alone. Building resilience requires cooperation between insurers, investors, infrastructure operators, and public authorities. Cyber resilience depends on partnerships with technology and intelligence specialists. Society’s resilience can only be strengthened through collaboration between businesses, researchers, governments, and local communities.
