Trendspotting
Tracking the trends shaping risk today and tomorrow
Some risks don’t announce themselves. They emerge quietly as technologies scale, systems connect, and demands shift. At HSB, we pay close attention to those signals.
Trendspotting is where we explore the forces shaping emerging risks, translating expert insight into clear, relevant perspectives for agents, brokers, and clients navigating what’s next.
Featured content
Battery energy storage systems: the grid’s new backbone
Battery energy storage is moving from supplemental technology to core infrastructure. As deployments scale and systems take on roles like backup power, grid support, and energy arbitrage, the risks tied to fire, system failure, and performance become more consequential. Learn what’s driving this growth and where risk concentrates as systems scale.
Data centers: powering a digital economy
Demand for data centers is rapidly increasing — driven by AI, cloud computing, and always‑on digital services. As facilities grow larger and more power‑hungry, the equipment risks tied to processing, power, cooling, and uptime increase too. Explore how this trend is reshaping reliability expectations and where vulnerabilities are emerging.
Explore past and emerging trends to see how risk continues to evolve across industries, technologies, and environments
Flooding due to climate change
Climate change is rippling through almost every aspect of our lives. Some impacts are obvious. Others, less so - like the impact of flooding on commercial equipment.
The fourth industrial revolution
An industrial revolution is a fundamental transformation in the manner in which we live and work. We’re now in the fourth revolution with technology - including electronics, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and other forms of connectivity - pulling us forward.
Cyber risk to equipment
When cybercriminals attack a business, they can access more than the data needed to run the business or the personal information of employees and customers. In our increasingly connected world, they may also take control of equipment that is the heart of the business.
Inflation and supply chain issues
Supply chain issues, although improving since their peak during the pandemic, continue to impact equipment maintenance, repair, and replacement. These delays can lead to prolonged operational downtime and loss of business income. These disruptions not only delay repairs but also increase costs due to scarcity and the need for expedited shipping.
The expansion of EV charging
HSB continues to develop relevant new products and risk management services that keep pace with our technologically changing world in order to provide modern-day risk solutions. Within the EV industry, this includes equipment breakdown and property all-risk insurance, as well as our overall engineering expertise for EV equipment.
The rise of commercial solar
Year after year, we are seeing more and more investment in solar energy in the commercial space. The trend has been fueled by several factors, most notably the push toward decarbonization, but there are other factors at play.
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