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Snapshot: A Quick Look at the Insurance Industry in Belgium

4 minutes, 33 seconds read

The market for insurance in Belgium has been stable for over a decade. Unless Insurers adopt new strategies and embrace external partnerships, organic growth seems next to impossible. 

While insurers in other parts of the world are leveraging technology for better customer acquisition, Belgian Insurers struggle with stringent customer data protection laws.

This is the time for major business alignments to keep up with the changing customer expectations. For instance, the brokerage system dominates nearly 60% of non-life insurance distribution in Belgium. Unfortunately, 31% of the brokers have a negative attitude towards digitization and InsurTech, mainly because of the lack of awareness about the subject.

With current business models, there’s negligible hope that Belgian Insurers will remain competitive. Let’s look at the key drivers of ‘change’.

Challenges-and-opportunities-of-insurance-in-Belgium

The ‘Change’ Drivers for Insurance in Belgium

The threat to lose customers for being slow in a fast-moving age is imposing some serious pressure on Insurers in Belgium. The change in customer expectations and lifestyle will drive the transformation of the Belgium Insurance Industry. The other factors that will impact the insurance include- economy, technology, life expectancy, climate change, and competition.

Digital and Mobile Adoption

The Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey 2018 reveals— 84% of Belgians own at least one mobile device. This indicates a growing preference for digital, self-service platforms, and ease of access irrespective of location. Insurers are, thus, compelled to look beyond agent-driven pitches. 

For example, Trov— an American technology company provides ‘on-demand’ insurance for individuals’ properties for short durations. Customers only need to register their properties, activate insurance for a desired duration, and pay a daily premium. 

Now that over 60% of non-life insurance products are distributed by brokers, this is also the time to train and equip brokers with handy apps.

Economical Changes

The world is rapidly moving towards a sharing economy, which involves short-term P2P (Peer-to-peer) transactions for shared use of products and services. The societal shift towards the open data economy fueled the open banking trend. Recently, insurers are following the trend as open insurance. 

“..The economy has been moving beyond narrowly defined industries built around large, vertically integrated, and mainly “self-contained” corporations. New means of creating value have been developing everywhere in the form of ever-denser and richer networks of connection, collaboration, and interdependence…” (Business ecosystems come of age. Kelly, E., 1 April 2015, p. 4.)

Belgium is set to witness the following major economic shifts-

  1. Mobility – Belgians demonstrate an inclination toward multimodal mobility solutions. For example, Antwerp-based Olympus Mobility- an app for cars & bike pooling and parking services is set to expand its services in more Belgian cities.
  1. IoT – Lifestyle and product preferences are changing with connected devices. With new customer expectations, insurance needs and opportunities are also growing. For example, Phil at Home by AG Insurance is a compound product with services in the field of prevention, protection, and assistance for elderlies.

Adoption of Technologies across Industries

Digital has put customers in the center. While other industries stay ahead with technological adoption, Insurers need to invest in innovative products that cover emerging risks. For example, Spotify’s personalized recommendations and Apple’s assistant – Siri are setting a benchmark for customizing the products at an individual level. “Yet what has become the new normal for those companies, remains a challenge for insurers,” says Dirk Vanderschrick, CEO, Belfius.

The Insurance industry in Belgium is yet to adopt biometrics, recommender systems, sentiment detection, and natural language generation. Currently, 60% of Belgian Insurers use text analysis; 40% use chatbots and object detection; 20% exercise automated decision making and pattern detection; according to Monitor Deloitte’s One Minute Survey, Artificial Intelligence (May 2018).

Apart from AI-enabled tools, the Belgium Insurance sector will soon adopt blockchain, Automation, Analytics, XaaS, and IoT. 

Related articles – 5 AI trends reshaping the Insurance sector , How does XaaS help your business, Blockchain in Insurance

Competition

Today, business models have a shorter life cycle because of digital disruption. The competition for incumbents is fierce-  with 4 bEUR potential investment in InsurTech in Belgium. 

Many have thought of phygital experience as progressive- where paper and paperless processes coexist. However, in the long term, their existence is questionable. For example, Lemonade is racing the core insurance with paperless and personalized insurance packages delivered to the customer in just 90 seconds!

In line with the fact that customers want a solution to their problems – the one who provides the most appropriate solution in the easiest way possible, wins.

Regulatory Changes

Compulsory health and car insurance policies had a great impact on sales volume. Apart from being an entry barrier for small players, the existing regulations no more align with climate changes, longevity, and technological disruptions.

The Belgian Government is set to launch Payment Service Directive 2 (PSD2) by 2024 and IFRS 17 (International Financial Reporting Standard) by 2021. Nearly 70% of Insurers believe PSD2 will have a positive impact in the insurance value chain.

‘Beyond’ Insurance is the Future

According to Insurance Experts from Deloitte, non-core insurance products and services drive 10-30% of the revenue. Therefore, complementary services or value-added services can bring a greater competitive advantage to the insurers. 

For example, the US-based Oscar Health Insurance encourages a healthy lifestyle by financially rewarding its customers. It tracks footsteps, eating habits, workouts, etc. on its app through wearables. It further supports customers with doctoral advice and scheduling appointments. These value-added services, along with traditional health insurance is a win for customer loyalty. 

We’re an InsurTech100 company championing back and front-office automation solutions along with interactive applications for the new-age digital insurer. Drop us a line at hello@mantralabsglobal.com to know more.

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Smart Machines & Smarter Humans: AI in the Manufacturing Industry

We have all witnessed Industrial Revolutions reshape manufacturing, not just once, but multiple times throughout history. Yet perhaps “revolution” isn’t quite the right word. These were transitions, careful orchestrations of human adaptation, and technological advancement. From hand production to machine tools, from steam power to assembly lines, each transition proved something remarkable: as machines evolved, human capabilities expanded rather than diminished.

Take the First Industrial Revolution, where the shift from manual production to machinery didn’t replace craftsmen, it transformed them into skilled machine operators. The steam engine didn’t eliminate jobs; it created entirely new categories of work. When chemical manufacturing processes emerged, they didn’t displace workers; they birthed manufacturing job roles. With each advancement, the workforce didn’t shrink—it evolved, adapted, and ultimately thrived.

Today, we’re witnessing another manufacturing transformation on factory floors worldwide. But unlike the mechanical transformations of the past, this one is digital, driven by artificial intelligence(AI) working alongside human expertise. Just as our predecessors didn’t simply survive the mechanical revolution but mastered it, today’s workforce isn’t being replaced by AI in manufacturing,  they’re becoming AI conductors, orchestrating a symphony of smart machines, industrial IoT (IIoT), and intelligent automation that amplify human productivity in ways the steam engine’s inventors could never have imagined.

Let’s explore how this new breed of human-AI collaboration is reshaping manufacturing, making work not just smarter, but fundamentally more human. 

Tools and Techniques Enhancing Workforce Productivity

1. Augmented Reality: Bringing Instructions to Life

AI-powered augmented reality (AR) is revolutionizing assembly lines, equipment, and maintenance on factory floors. Imagine a technician troubleshooting complex machinery while wearing AR glasses that overlay real-time instructions. Microsoft HoloLens merges physical environments with AI-driven digital overlays, providing immersive step-by-step guidance. Meanwhile, PTC Vuforia’s AR solutions offer comprehensive real-time guidance and expert support by visualizing machine components and manufacturing processes. Ford’s AI-driven AR applications of HoloLens have cut design errors and improved assembly efficiency, making smart manufacturing more precise and faster.

2. Vision-Based Quality Control: Flawless Production Lines

Identifying minute defects on fast-moving production lines is nearly impossible for the human eye, but AI-driven computer vision systems are revolutionizing quality control in manufacturing. Landing AI customizes AI defect detection models to identify irregularities unique to a factory’s production environment, while Cognex’s high-speed image recognition solutions achieve up to 99.9% defect detection accuracy. With these AI-powered quality control tools, manufacturers have reduced inspection time by 70%, improving the overall product quality without halting production lines.

3. Digital Twins: Simulating the Factory in Real Time

Digital twins—virtual replicas of physical assets are transforming real-time monitoring and operational efficiency. Siemens MindSphere provides a cloud-based AI platform that connects factory equipment for real-time data analytics and actionable insights. GE Digital’s Predix enables predictive maintenance by simulating different scenarios to identify potential failures before they happen. By leveraging AI-driven digital twins, industries have reported a 20% reduction in downtime, with the global digital twin market projected to grow at a CAGR of 61.3% by 2028

4. Human-Machine Interfaces: Intuitive Control Panels

Traditional control panels are being replaced by intuitive AI-powered human-machine interfaces (HMIs) which simplify machine operations and predictive maintenance. Rockwell Automation’s FactoryTalk uses AI analytics to provide real-time performance analytics, allowing operators to anticipate machine malfunctions and optimize operations. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure incorporates predictive analytics to simplify maintenance schedules and improve decision-making.

5. Generative AI: Crafting Smarter Factory Layouts

Generative AI is transforming factory layout planning by turning it into a data-driven process. Autodesk Fusion 360 Generative Design evaluates thousands of layout configurations to determine the best possible arrangement based on production constraints. This allows manufacturers to visualize and select the most efficient setup, which has led to a 40% improvement in space utilization and a 25% reduction in material waste. By simulating layouts, manufacturers can boost productivity, efficiency and worker safety.

6. Wearable AI Devices: Hands-Free Assistance

Wearable AI devices are becoming essential tools for enhancing worker safety and efficiency on the factory floor. DAQRI smart helmets provide workers with real-time information and alerts, while RealWear HMT-1 offers voice-controlled access to data and maintenance instructions. These AI-integrated wearable devices are transforming the way workers interact with machinery, boosting productivity by 20% and reducing machine downtime by 25%.

7. Conversational AI: Simplifying Operations with Voice Commands

Conversational AI is simplifying factory operations with natural language processing (NLP), allowing workers to request updates, check machine status, and adjust schedules using voice commands. IBM Watson Assistant and AWS AI services make these interactions seamless by providing real-time insights. Factories have seen a reduction in response time for operational queries thanks to these tools, with IBM Watson helping streamline machine monitoring and decision-making processes.

Conclusion: The Future of Manufacturing Is Here

Every industrial revolution has sparked the same fear, machines will take over. But history tells a different story. With every technological leap, humans haven’t been replaced; they’ve adapted, evolved, and found new ways to work smarter. AI is no different. It’s not here to take over; it’s here to assist, making factories faster, safer, and more productive than ever.

From AR-powered guidance to AI-driven quality control, the factory floor is no longer just about machinery, it’s about collaboration between human expertise and intelligent systems. And at Mantra Labs, we’re diving deep into this transformation, helping businesses unlock the true potential of AI in manufacturing.

Want to see how AI-powered Augmented Reality is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry? Stay tuned for our next blog, where we’ll explore how AI in AR is reshaping assembly, troubleshooting, and worker training—one digital overlay at a time.

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