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The Lab’s unique open collaboration model and innovation space for the insurance industry is coming to Utrecht, Netherlands this May - the first of its kind in Europe 

Toronto, Canada, May 13, 2021 – Cookhouse Labs, the leading collaborative and innovation space where the global insurance community comes together to co-create solutions to make insurance better, announced today the official opening of its first European hub in Utrecht, Netherlands. 

Cookhouse Labs has always brought the unique experience of open collaboration from its North American flagship lab in downtown Toronto to the insurance community around the globe through pop-up labs across Europe and virtual co-creation events. With the increase in virtual collaborations brought on by the pandemic, Cookhouse Labs recognized the need for global insurance innovation but with an element of local interaction by operating through a hybrid model, combining both virtual and physical hubs to bring the global insurance community closer together. 

“Having organized more virtual collaborations due to the pandemic situation, it allowed us to reach an even broader global audience and more than ever, we see the need for a more holistic global collaboration within the insurance community,” says Sven Roehl, Co-Founder of Cookhouse Labs and Head of Innovation at msg global. “The future will be hybrid and that is why we decided that in addition to providing a virtual innovation space, we will open physical Cookhouse Labs hubs around the world, starting with Europe in the Netherlands.” 

Cookhouse Labs Utrecht is uniquely located in a charming old Dutch house that has been converted into an office and innovation space, along with picturesque views of the waterway canals. The new hub in Utrecht, which takes less than 30 min to reach from Amsterdam, will be the first of many to follow. Cookhouse Labs plans to open regional hubs across Europe, Asia and Latin America to provide an innovation space for insurers across the globe to collaborate, network and come together to address solutions to current and future problems in the insurance industry. 

“Cookhouse Labs was born out of the idea of creating a global insurance community, by bringing great minds together to shape the future of insurance through open collaboration, co-creation and Design Thinking,” shares Peter Umscheid, CEO of msg global solutions. “We believe that these are the key ingredients in accelerating the insurance industry to make insurance better. Therefore, we are excited to bring our unique open collaboration model to Europe, to create an innovative space for the insurance community to come together and tackle the challenges using latest technologies, such as AI, IoT, blockchain or simply by improving existing processes as an industry.” 

Since its founding in 2017, Cookhouse Labs, owned by msg global solutions, has innovated with over 100 insurance organizations across 20 countries to tackle challenges the Life and P&C insurance is and will be facing, focusing on technologies such as IoT, blockchain and artificial intelligence among many others. Current and future members of Cookhouse Labs can expect a global membership model with full access to facilitated co-creation projects, innovation initiatives masterclasses at a regional hub location of their choosing – from Toronto, Utrecht and future lab locations. 

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Contact

For media, membership or collaboration enquires, contact Insiya Meherally, Community Manager at Hello@msg-global.com.

About Cookhouse Labs

Inspired by a test kitchen, Cookhouse Labs is a collaborative space for innovative chefs, Tastemakers and taste-testers to create recipes, infuse flavours, and experiment beyond boundaries. Our community of insurance innovators and insurtech experts is the key ingredient in the ideation process, empowering and integrating a global collection of ideas with Design Thinking to serve innovation in the insurance industry, based on a paid membership model. To learn more about Cookhouse Labs, visit: www.cookhouselabs.com. 

About msg global solutions

msg global solutions is a systems integrator, software development partner, and managed services provider focused on SAP solutions for accounting, finance, regulatory reporting, performance management, and customer experience. Operating from offices across the globe and growing, our expert teams help clients achieve operational efficiency and improve decision-making capabilities. While the heart of our expertise is in the financial services sector, our solutions are utilized in a wide range of industries. We’re part of msg, an independent, international group of companies with more than 8,500 employees around the world. These companies offer a broad spectrum of creative, strategic consulting and intelligent, sustainable services and value-added IT solutions. To learn more about msg global solutions, visit: www.msg-global.com.