NorthStandard rate increases
NorthStandard provided details of rate adjustments for the 2025/26 policy year. Rates for persistent oil tankers have been set at US$0.625 per gross tonnage, reflecting a 1.5% increase. Clean tankers will see rates of US$0.433 per gross tonnage, up 8.9%, while dry cargo vessels will pay US$0.605 per gross tonnage, representing a 3.3% rise.
Across Aviva’s North region, the team encounters a broad array of sector types, notably industrial, manufacturing, and motor trade, where Aviva has strengthened its knowledge appetite and capacity. Flannery noted that these markets, while not entirely unique to northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, require a deeper understanding given the local context.
“Our big, lofty, audacious goal is that when we save £1 – through a combination of good insurance, good risk management, good claims management, tackling fraud etc. – and we add up all those pounds, that means a client can employ more teachers, more police officers, more social workers, more elderly care support staff,” he said. “Every pound we can save them is public money which they have the ability to reinvest into frontline services. That’s our drive, that’s our mission, and that’s what we come into work every day to do.”
This marks the second rollout under a collaboration aimed at integrating Blink Parametric solutions within Zurich’s Asia-Pacific network, which includes Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Indonesia. The initial deployment earlier this year was with Singapore-based online travel platform Klook.
Dr. Ann Irvine (pictured left), Resilience’s chief data scientist, anticipates a major cyber incident involving an obscure company in the coming year. “In 2025, the biggest cyber incident will involve a company that most people haven’t even heard of before, and the impact will be devastating to a small group of companies – just like we saw with CDK Global this past summer,” she stated. This prediction underscores the ripple effects smaller, less-visible organisations can have on broader networks and industries.
The new AI capabilities leverage large language models (LLMs) and generative AI technology to improve actuarial modelling processes. According to WTW, the enhancements streamline tasks such as writing model code, refining and extending existing code, and explaining actuarial concepts, enabling insurers to improve efficiency in model development and maintenance.
The report underscored the economic impact of major cyber events, citing examples like the NotPetya malware attack, which caused US$10 billion in damages across multiple continents. It also highlighted gaps in preparedness: more than a third of businesses surveyed lack incident response plans, and nearly half do not have cyber insurance coverage.
The report, based on research and client engagement, aims to help organisations prepare for evolving challenges in the year ahead. It identifies several critical focus areas for 2025, including workplace trends, regulatory compliance, disaster recovery, technological advancements, and business continuity planning.