PhD Opportunity: Technology, Competition and Risk Transfer in Commercial and Industrial Property Insurance

Industrial and commercial property insurance, like other forms of insurance, is a market for risk transfer. This project will use market data provided by WTW and other data sources, including insights obtained from research conducted by other students in the mini-CDT. This data will be used to address central questions on the efficiency and competition in this market and the potential impact of digital technologies on risk analysis and risk transfer. The research will initially examine the magnitude and determination of the risk premium, the excess of insurance premia over actuarially fair expected pay outs. This work will be pursued both from a theoretical perspective, capturing the role of information asymmetries, and empirically using WTW and other data. The research can also investigate the dependency of the risk premium on property specific risk information and market factors and the impact of technological innovation, including automation of risk data, on the setting of risk premia and on market competition. The development and execution of this program of work will be conducted in close co-operation with WTW staff and WTW clients.

This PhD project will be one of six PhD projects being pursued in a cross-disciplinary mini-College of Doctoral Training (mini-CDT) running at Loughborough University from 2022 to 2026. This mini-CDT is part financed and supported by the WTW Research Network https://www.wtwco.com/en-gb/Insights/research-programs-and-collaborations/wtw-research-network, the award winning collaboration between academia, finance and research industries on the understanding and quantification of risk.

This industry collaboration builds on the earlier partnership between Loughborough University and WTW in the recently completed TECHNGI https://www.techngi.uk/ research project on technology and next generation insurance services. For full description of the mini-CDT, of the individual PhD projects and of the support provided by the WTW Research Network to the mini-CDT see https://www.techngi.uk/mini-college-of-doctoral-training/.

Loughborough University is a top-ten rated university in England for research intensity (REF2014). In choosing Loughborough for your research, you’ll work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from our Doctoral College, to help you succeed in your research and future career. Find out more: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/supporting-you/research/

The studentship is for 3 years and provides a tax-free stipend of £16,062 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus tuition fees at either the UK or International rate. Note that the availability of this studentship is subject to a signed contract with the Industrial sponsor.

Fully-funded tuition fees at UK or International rate

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