Building the next generation of AI-enabled business models.
Developing insights for insurance, business and society.
From the founding announcement
AI will radically transform the business model of the insurance industry. Building on our deep expertise and cutting-edge research in business model innovation and incumbent disruption at the University of St. Gallen, we are excited to collaborate with Zurich, driving transformation, advancing new research, and contributing to society through impactful knowledge, innovation, and partnerships.
Prof. Dr. Karolin Frankenberger · University of St. Gallen
How the lab works
The Zurich AI Lab is a joint research lab of Zurich Insurance, ETH Zürich and the University of St. Gallen (HSG), founded in October 2025 and based at HSG's Institute of Management & Strategy in St. Gallen. It works in three ways.
Incubate Supporting AI Ventures
We develop and test AI venture and use-case ideas across Zurich Insurance. Through rigorous problem framing, validation and challenge, we help promising concepts build the evidence they need to scale.
Investigate Generating Insights
We pursue an ambitious research agenda at the intersection of AI, business and society. Our work explores business model innovation, organizational design, strategic management and the broader implications of AI.
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Integrating Agentic AI Systems
Lead Konstantinos Katharakis
We examine how organizations can integrate AI agents, non-agentic AI, and conventional software into coherent enterprise-level systems. We explore how independently designed modules can coordinate across functions and collectively support firm-level goals.
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Building Trust in Agentic AI
Lead Mathieu Van de Catsije
As firms deploy AI agents in production, trust becomes an essential element of success. This project follows the deployment of an agentic solution to examine how trust in AI agents develops, deteriorates, and recovers over time as they become embedded in everyday work.
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Optimizing AI Model Selection for Cost and Performance
Lead Konstantinos Katharakis
This project evaluates whether smaller language models can perform common knowledge-work and coding tasks at lower inference cost. We compare models and reasoning levels across real-world tasks to understand when smaller models are fit for purpose.
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AI and Business Model Innovation
Leads Tomoko Yokoi & Lydia Larasati
Drawing on emerging research and case studies, we examine how AI is reshaping business models across industries. We identify how AI is used to transform firm capabilities and value creation, translating these insights into practical implications for business leaders.
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Building Internal Corporate Ventures for AI
Lead Caroline Mann
This project follows the establishment and trajectory of an AI innovation lab, documenting the evolution of the participants, stakeholders and ventures. How can incumbent firms successfully leverage internal corporate venturing (ICV) mechanisms for business transformation?
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Human-AI Collaboration in Innovation
Lead Mathieu Van de Catsije
In collaboration with Zurich's 2026 Agentic AI Hyperchallenge, we explore how human teams leverage AI in the context of innovation challenges. How is AI leveraged, and what does it mean for organizations as AI increasingly becomes a teammate?
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Addressing AI Risks and Opportunities: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach
Lead Caroline Mann
This project maps diverse perspectives on AI risks and their implications for the insurance industry and society at large. How can organizations inspire a multi-stakeholder approach to discuss and respond to multi-faceted debates and trade-offs related to AI?
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Managing AI Frontier Model Dependence
Lead Tomoko Yokoi
Organizations are rapidly embedding frontier AI models into their business operations. The managerial challenge therefore becomes how to build and govern an organization whose AI infrastructure evolves as the third-party models underneath it change.
Equip Building AI Competencies
We help leaders read the signals and act with confidence. Our fortnightly AI Strategy Brief tracks the developments and shifts shaping the world of AI; our briefings, seminars and workshops turn that view into practical insight for the people who have to decide.
We send the Brief through beehiiv and use your address for nothing else. See the privacy policy.
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Executive Briefings
Focused one-hour sessions that give leadership teams a clear, research-based view of a specific AI topic. Each briefing highlights the key developments, strategic implications and questions executives should be considering.
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Seminars
In-depth sessions of one to three hours that combine expert input, grounded research and structured discussion. Seminars help participants build a shared understanding of AI developments and their relevance for strategy, organisation and business models.
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Workshops
Interactive, facilitated sessions that help teams explore future scenarios, evaluate opportunities and translate insights into action. Workshops are tailored to the organisation's context and designed to produce concrete ideas, priorities or next steps.
People
Team
The people behind the lab at the University of St.Gallen.
Newsroom
Latest news from the lab
Announcements, appearances and milestones as the lab's work develops.
People Konstantinos Katharakis joins the Zurich AI Lab
Konstantinos Katharakis joins the Zurich AI Lab as a research associate and PhD student. Welcome, Konstantinos!
People Lydia Larasati joins the Zurich AI Lab
Lydia Larasati joins the Zurich AI Lab as a research associate and PhD student. Welcome, Lydia!
Conference Tomoko Yokoi presents at the Open and User Innovation Conference at Harvard
Tomoko Yokoi presented her work on human–AI collaboration at the 23rd Annual International Conference on Open and User Innovation at Harvard Business School.
Contact
Get in touch
Whether you're interested in research collaboration, a partnership, or joining the lab, we'd be glad to hear from you. Send us an email and we'll get back to you.
Get in touch
Dr. Tomoko Yokoi
Scientific Director, Zurich AI Lab
Institute of Management and Strategy
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
Office
Office St. Gallen
Institute of Management & Strategy (IFB-HSG)
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
Dufourstrasse 40a
9000 St. Gallen