Mr. Richtsfeld, where did the idea of working with DLD come from?
The digital world needs networks to survive. We only need to look to Silicon Valley to see how things are done: players from a whole range of sectors, including technology, the capital market, education and politics are working together, constantly developing new products and redefining customer orientation in the process. But there is a strong digital and global network only a stone's throw from Allianz' headquarters in the heart of Munich, too: the DLD (Digital Life Design). This network is a meeting place for influencers from the digital world, as well as of experts that build bridges to other industries: automotive, healthcare, financial services. Mark Zuckerberg, Eric Schmidt, the Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and also Jimmy Wales have already been welcomed as conference guests. And from our perspective, access to these networks is important. Why? Because we are convinced that networks like these, which involve dialogue between academia, the technology sector, politics and business, are a key prerequisite for innovation and the targeted enhancement of our business models. That's why we started the dialogue with Steffi Czerny (editorial note: the chairperson of the DLD) last year to talk about how a partnership could look like.
The talks resulted in a completely new format being launched: the DLDsummer. Ms. Perlet, why did you want to host the event at Allianz?
The basic idea is that we wanted to become an integral part of the DLD calendar. We wanted to appear in the DLD landscape in global, content-related terms, i.e. not to simply act as a sponsor, but also to showcase our expertise in practice. During our talks, "digital health" soon emerged as a topic that we wanted to make a permanent contribution to within the framework of the partnership. There are three reasons that support this decision: first of all, our society wants to live ever healthier lifestyles - health is becoming a megatrend. Second, the healthcare market has always been of interest to Allianz: we rank among the top 5 insurers in the life and health insurance segment. Third, the topic is an interesting one in a variety of markets: in the established markets, because we are getting older and older, in emerging markets, because these countries often still have a lack in medical care structures, and in the world's megacities, because people living there are faced with very specific living conditions.