Annual Report 2020 of the Cologne Research Centre for Reinsurance

The Cologne Research Centre for Reinsurance analyses the latest developments in the reinsurance market and, where appropriate, monitors these through research projects. In the process, the Research Centre for Reinsurance links its research activities with practices in the reinsurance sector. The year 2020 was dominated by the global COVID-19 pandemic. There were numerous substantial challenges that arose not just in general but also for the (re-)insurance industry in particular. Naturally, interaction and practical, bidirectional knowledge transfer at the Cologne Research Centre for Reinsurance was also hard-hit by the many event cancellations and their makeshift relocation to online formats. We particularly regretted the cancellation of the 17th Cologne Reinsurance Symposium. The 13th Annual Meeting of the Sponsoring Group Reinsurance was quite a success in the chosen online format – but of course we would like to return to the traditional event format at Clostermannshof as soon as possible. A complete success, on the other hand, with 178 participants, was the webinar series hosted by the Research Centre for Reinsurance on the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) initiative on risk mitigation techniques that could alter the effects of reinsurance under Solvency II. There are twelve people currently employed at the Cologne Research Centre for Reinsurance. All of the personnel, material and travel costs for the Research Centre for Reinsurance are fully financed by third-party funds provided by the Sponsoring Group Reinsurance. The special circumstances were scarcely an impediment to the research, communication and cooperation among the employees of the Research Centre for Reinsurance. As most employees do not live and work in Cologne, anyway, working from home and online had been the rule for them even before the coronavirus crisis hit. The transition to a setting working from home was (nearly) a smooth one for the other employees as well. As every year, we would like to express our appreciation to the Sponsoring Group Reinsurance, the University leadership and administration, and the Institute of Insurance Studies for their support of our research work.