The project is led by Group CEO Mario Greco (pictured above) and involves collaboration with the University of St. Gallen’s Institute of Management & Strategy and ETH Zurich’s Agentic Systems Lab. The lab will operate across St. Gallen, Zurich, and Singapore.
The Zurich AI Lab will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team of PhD and master’s students, working under the guidance of Zurich executives and university professors. Executive sponsors for the initiative include Ericson Chan, group chief information and digital officer, and Carlos Rey de Vicente, group chief transformation officer, alongside Prof. Dr. Karolin Frankenberger from the University of St. Gallen and Prof. Dr. Elgar Fleisch from ETH Zurich.
Zurich says that the lab will focus on developing scalable AI solutions to address challenges in the insurance sector. The company also plans to publish academic research on the impact of AI on insurance, strategy, and business models, using data and insights from its research activities.
“AI has proven its significant value by enabling us to better serve our customers, reduce response time, and deliver more accurate risk information,” said Greco said. He described the Zurich AI Lab as a facility that brings together business and technology expertise with the aim of advancing the company’s business model and developing new insurance solutions.
The launch of the Zurich AI Lab comes as the company continues to expand its efforts in digital innovation and responsible AI use. At the Insurtech Insights Europe 2025 conference, Zurich’s group chief claims officer, Tom Thornberry, emphasized the need for AI to be implemented “responsibly, for the right reasons.”
The group’s commitment to technological advancement also extended to its first Innovation Festival in 2025. The event brought together startups, AI specialists, investors, and customers to explore the role of technology in transforming insurance.
During the festival, Zurich recognized winners of its Innovation Championship and the Agentic AI Hyper Challenge, both of which focused on developing solutions to automate and improve insurance processes through AI.
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