Assessing the influence of digitalisation on systemic risk in the insurance sectors of European Union countries
Assessing the influence of digitalisation on systemic risk in the insurance sectors of European Union countries

Summary/Abstract: Objective: The article aims to study how much digitalisation influences the systemic risk (SR) in the insurance sector of European Union (EU) countries. Research Design & Methods: In this research, we introduce an innovative, quantitative method for exploring the impact of digitalisation and assessing the similarities and interconnections among all European Union countries' insurance sectors from 2004 to 2018 within the framework of Industry 4.0. The study integrates statistical and econometric tools with network modelling techniques, focusing on the topological indicators of minimum spanning trees (MST) derived from multidimensional dynamic time warping (DTW) distances. We analysed two datasets. The first one comprises exclusively data describing insurance sectors, while the second incorporates data detailing both insurance sectors and the digitalisation processes of individual EU countries. We assessed the similarity of the sectors' dynamics over the analysed period, examining network behaviour during subprime crises, periods of excessive public debt, and immigration-related crises in Europe. Findings: The proposed tools made it possible to determine how digitalisation contributes to the increase in systemic risk in the EU insurance sector over the periods examined and effectively measure similarity levels, and outline indirect connections between insurance sectors. Implications & Recommendations: Because similarity can be a potential indirect channel for systemic risk contagion, countries with comparable insurance sectors and shared digitalisation-related behaviours may undergo similar repercussions during global financial downturns. Research endeavours in the insurance sector must consider digitalisation indicators that encompass technological advancements and consumer behaviour. Contribution & Value Added: We developed a new method to examine the similarity of the insurance sectors of the European Union countries and to assess the dynamics of changes in this similarity in the era of Insurance 4.0. Such an analysis allows for a long-term assessment of the possibility of spreading threats in the insurance sector throughout the European Union.

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