Vehicle safety initiatives, increasing urbanisation, low interest rates and longevity are the key global trends creating opportunities for insurers, the Aon Benfield Hazards Conference has heard.

Technological change, segmentation, catastrophic corporate liability, changing government roles and strained national finances are also affecting the industry.

“Insurers have so many new opportunities to grow,” Aon Benfield Chief Strategy Officer Bryon Ehrhart told the conference on the Gold Coast today.

Mr Ehrhart, who chairs Aon Benfield’s analytics and investment banking divisions, says insurers can offer products that address the new financial risks consumers face as employers and governments cut programs that have previously provided stability.