Discovery of the week

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When time is short!

Making customers happy, whether that's online or in person. But how high actually are the demands and expectations of customers?

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Inside the Panama Canal: from anniversary to expansion

The Panama canal is one of the most important waterways in the world. Its waters are traversed more than 12,000 times a year by container ships and tankers. The remolding work being done on the canal will be completed in 2015. This will allow much larger ships to use it. This infographic reveals the key facts about the Panama canal.

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You can print it without charge, as long as you cite the source: allianz.com

Parking damages

"Our most recent studies showed that almost every second accident happens while parking or maneuvering. Of these accidents, three in four occur while reversing, mostly when backing out of a parking space. A frequent cause is the newer car's shape: While parking spaces have more or less stayed the same, cars have become much bigger over the years. Additionally, due to modern requirements for structure and design, the drivers' view through rear and side windows is often restricted."

Dr. Johann Gwehenberger is an accident researcher at Allianz Centre of Technology and expert on parking and maneuvering damages.

A perfect start to the football season

Cheering, goals, fans. Soon the new football season will be upon us and the Allianz Arena will once again host exciting matches. Football enthusiasts are looking forward to August 22, the start of the Bundesliga season. 74,000 fans will witness the team's triumphs or defeats. But what does it take to put on a perfect FC Bayern München match? The Allianz Arena info graphic depicts the team behind the team.

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Opportunities for all

"Disabled people deserve the same chances as those without disabilities. A company's diversity drives creativity, change, innovation and economic success. An environment integrating and supporting the disabled generates a productive work atmosphere. Social labelling - put simply - is entirely out of place."

Clement Booth, Member of the Board Allianz SE

Read the whole article on Allianz Open Knowledge

Keep your eyes on the road!

Red means stop, and green means go! If it was that simple. No matter, if you decide to get from A to B by walking or by driving on two or four wheels - road transport bears many risks. The interactive road safety map shows just as often as road transport can have serious consequences and what to pay most attention to. Interesting facts on road safety statistics and trends worldwide can be found here.

Road Safety Map

Discovery Extra: 67.62 Euro

 "Thrift is truly a virtue", right? The European Central Bank's (ECB) policy of low interest rates costs each German saver 67.62 Euro per annum. According to calculations of the Allianz, the ECB's cash infusions for financial markets caused loss of interest of around 5.4 billion Euro in 2013. In 2014, the amount is forecasted to 5.8 billion Euro. The full Allianz study including the other countries' numbers will be released in September, 2014.

Quote of the week

"In a cycling accident a helmet is the only protection for your head. If you are not wearing a helmet, then your risk of suffering brain damage is twice as high as if you had been wearing one. Therefore you should wear a helmet every time you go out on your bike, and not just on longer, pre-planned cross-country cycling tours", advises Dr. Christoph Lauterwasser, head of the Allianz Center for Technology.

Learning from your parents?

Young people may be smarter about saving than their parents. According to a 2014 study, 74 percent of young Malaysians know that they should start saving early for retirement. If you want to find out which other countries are similar to Malaysia, check out our animated infographic:

7 facts on financial literacy that might surprise you ...

7 Allianz investments that might surprise you ...

Quote of the Week

Allianz is invited to chair the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the Future of Insurance & Asset Management for the years 2014-2016.

Oliver Bäte, Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE will represent Allianz as the chairman of the Forum's Global Agenda Council: "I'm very honored by this assignment and will dedicatedly work with this group to help shaping the agenda of the insurance and asset management industry."

Established in 2008, the Network of Global Agenda Councils is a knowledge network that serves as an international brain trust to the World Economic Forum and the world at large.

Image source: Reuters

How Allianz became carbon neutral

We have a strong commitment to minimizing environmental impacts across our business. Our climate change strategy commits Allianz to playing a leading role in supporting the development of a low-carbon economy. We achieved our target to become a carbon neutral business in 2012. Our strategy to reduce Allianz's direct carbon footprint includes avoiding emissions, reducing our footprint, substituting conventional sources with lower-carbon alternative and offsetting our remaining emissions through direct investments and forward purchases of credits from selected projects, for example forest protection in Kenya and Indonesia and energy efficiency in India.

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Forest protection projects compensate for Allianz CO2 emissions

All that is left is a memory

The extinction of species is no longer a prospect that belongs to the distant future - and it hasn't been for some time now. More than 3,000 species have been virtually eradicated. Wonders of nature like the Mongolian wild horse, the panda bear or the mantled guereza are things that we'd like our children to experience first-hand. Natural catastrophes or reckless human activity mean that they have virtually no chance of survival. Soon, it is likely that we'll only be able to see the Tasmanian Devil or the Amoy Tiger in animal documentaries or cartoons. Impressive pictures of the Red List and further astonishing facts can be found on Allianz Open Knowledge.

Top 14 endangered animal species

Allianz Open Knowledge

Alzheimer Infographic

Discovery SPECIAL

June 14th would be the 150th birthday of Alois Alzheimer. He was the first one to describe changes in a woman's brain in 1906 and the disease linked with it carries his name. Dementia is not a specific disease. It's an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and accounts for 60 to 80 percent of cases.

The Allianz infographic shows you which impact dementia will have on the people in your continent in the coming years.

Download full graphic (PDF, 3.1MB)

Republication royalty free if source is named: allianz.com.

A long way off - and yet almost around the corner

The end of our working life seems to be a long way off - so why should we begin to plan for our retirement now? Well, the sooner we start to put money aside for our old age, the better. As a result of aging societies, increasing expectancy and dwindling birth rates, the likelihood of a substantial statutory pension is decreasing. The pension information map illustrates the sustainability of pension systems in 50 countries around the globe. It is based on the Pensions Sustainability Index drawn up by Allianz International Pensions, as well as on external data. The need for reforms is increasing - as move in the graphic from green to red demonstrates.

You can find the map here

Sources: Allianz International Pensions & Allianz Global Benefits with external input.

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Petra Brandes
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The ball is round …

… just like our overview of matches for the World Cup 2014. The first ball will be kicked on June 12th and Germany is already gripped by football fever! The opening match sees host Brazil play Croatia, but how are you going to remember so many teams, the stadiums and cities? Quite easy in fact: with the uniquely and beautifully designed match plan, compliments of Allianz Open Knowledge and the Allianz's customer magazine - 1890. Simply download and print it now! 

Free of use if source is named allianz.com

Download here

Allianz Open Knowledge

Giants of the oceans

The world's biggest container ship measures almost  400 meters. This almost matches the height of Dubai's Princess Tower, which happens to be the tallest residential building on earth, measuring a dizzy 414 meters. 

But what happens if these gigantic sea vessels fail to reach their destination or if their cargo is damaged, or even when these ocean giants actually sink? This diagram shows the different container ship sizes (TEU = standard container) and the corresponding insured vessel values (in US dollars per million).

Shipping losses decline, new risks emerge

Classic risks, new risks

Ahh moments

The moment when something goes wrong and all you can do is shout "Ahh!" in surprise. See what our colleagues in Australia have made of this moment in their hilarious advert.

Go and see the 2014 spot

It's a women's world

69 percent of all Allianz employees in Eastern Europe are women. This percentage has not changed since 2011. Thus, Allianz entities in the East  have a much higher share of women in their staff as all other regions in the world. The workforce of Allianz in Asia Pacific is also pretty feminine: in 2013, 55 percent of all employees were women.

All in all slightly more women than men are employed by Allianz; the exact number: 53 percent.

More on Allianz employees

Three times as high as the Eiffel Tower

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) is the leading reinsurer for the construction of the world's tallest building - the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The kilometer-high giant will be insured at a value above USD one billion by AGCS. The building will be three times as high as the Eiffel Tower with 324 meters. With these impressive measurements the house of offices, apartments and a hotel surmounts the current tallest tower worldwide by 170 meters. Picturing the building's amenity is possible at its 502 meter-high viewing platform by 2019.

Renoir returns

Shipping losses decline, new risks emerge

Number of the week: 456,500,000

Investors held 456.5 million shares of Allianz stock by the end of 2013. This includes hundreds of thousands of individuals as well as numerous institutional investors that service mutual, pensions and other funds that millions more people invest in. Investors are especially drawn to the consistent and attractive dividend Allianz pays. Because of the successful results in 2013, the Allianz Board of Management has proposed to raise the dividend to 5.30 euros per share, 18 percent up from 4.50 euros the year before.

Number of the week: 50 million cars

Allianz is the world's leading auto insurer. Around 50 million cars are insured at Allianz. We cooperate with more than 40 car brands in over 20 countries. This makes Allianz a leading auto insurer across the world. Investments in environmentally friendly cars, replacement vehicles for clients in need and partnerships with organizations like Formula One round off our commitment to mobility. 

The future of buying a car

E-driving is good and fun

Why is a glove box called a glove box?

Since the existence of cars many items have been kept in glove boxes. From mirrors to small revolvers for dangerous drives on deserted highways. Why specifically the glove has proven itself successful as eponym, is revealed in our Discovery of the Week. This and even more astonishing facts are found on Allianz Open Knowledge.

Glove box

The future of buying a car

Sustainability in a nutshell

Sustainability is a very important subject for Allianz. Today we make promises to our customers that we have to keep in the future. Our video explains how we manage to do this.

More on Sustainability on allianz.com

Sunshine guarantee

It's that time again! When spring comes, the convertibles awaken from their winter hibernation. Nothing is better than a sunny day in a convertible. The downside: When the weather is bad, there is little joy, and the rooftop stays shut. But what if there were a sunshine guarantee? Say the driver gets some compensation when the skies go gray? Disappointed motorists can even get that bad weather risk covered in some markets though their manufacturers. At a certain point in the year, for example, they can get 100 euros per rainy day as a little consolation for Mother Nature's more sullen moods when folks want to drive with the top down.

Read more in the Study "The Weather Business"

Water - source of life

Fresh water has no substitute-and only a fraction of today's supply is safe for consumption. Given a fast-growing world population, the massive urbanization of developing nations and poor infrastructure in developed countries, the need for water is set to grow exponentially.

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Republication royalty free if source is named: allianz.com / Allianz Global Investors.

Piracy 2013

Piracy attacks are still a concern. In 2013, piracy attacks declined by eleven percent to 264 reported incidents worldwide according to International Maritime Bureau statistics. The AGCS Shipping Review 2014 suggests the piracy model could be broken in Somalia in a couple of years if naval patrols continue.

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Republication royalty free if source is named: allianz.com / AGCS

The Allianz A-Z sustainability journey

As a long-term insurer and investor, sustainability has been a part of Allianz's business for more than 120 years. Many sustainability issues influence our daily work, presenting both challenges to overcome and opportunities to capture.

Have you ever wondered why and how a company like Allianz addresses them? Find out how we respond to the different issues, from A for alternative energy to D for diversity, and from M for Microinsurance to Z for zero emissions.

Join us on our journey

and make sure you come back to allianz.com/sustainability on March 14 to read the full 2013 Sustainability Report.

The ambitious Paralympian Anna Schaffelhuber is competing as a German medal hopeful in the category monoski at the Paralympics in Sochi. The video shows Anna explaining that she has found her calling and passion in skiing.

"London 2012 was a turning point in the history of the Paralympics: The joy at all the athletes' successes took center stage for everyone. This spirit is what makes Paralympic sports truly unique and I hope that this sprit is carried on in Sochi. Allianz wishes all Paralympians lots of fun and success," says Joe Gross, head of market management for Allianz SE.

The Hollywood production "Pompeii" is opening in theaters on February 27th. On the occasion we have dug up an infographic showing the volcanic eruptions that have been most dangerous for people. The eruption of Vesuvius in the year 79 as shown in the movie is on 10th place.

"Motor business is an important source of premiums. The market volume is 50 billion US dollars - the largest in the world! About 45,000 cars are sold every day. Last year the mandatory third-party motor liability insurance sector was opened to foreign insurers. Since then, foreign insurers have been able to provide the whole spectrum of motor products to customer". (Allianz China General Insurance CEO Peter Nestmann)

The fear of hacker attacks is rising. This is shown by the infographic "hidden risks" from the Risk Barometer by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). Attacks from hackers were long underestimated by the business world. They have now made a big jump and appear in the Top 10 of the AGCS Risk Barometer for the first time. Which risks are more important and which ones are less relevant in 2014 are shown in this graphic.

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Download Risk Barometer

This is the sum Allianz has invested in renewable energies in the past year according to David Jones, Head of Renewables. Allianz's total investments in this area accumulate to 1.7 billion euros. The portfolio of Allianz Capital Partners (ACP) now comprises 42 wind farms in Germany, France, Italy and Sweden and seven solar parks in Italy and France.

As with all content published on this site, these statements are subject to our Forward Looking Statement disclaimer:

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