London and International Insurance Brokers’ Association (LIIBA), the representative body for London market insurance brokers, says that its members are the ‘engine room of growth’ not just for their industry, but for the wider global economy.
LIIBA’s 2026 agenda programme will focus on two core priorities: redefining how digital trading supports commercial decision-making, and ensuring London remains the market where the world brings its most challenging risks.
The body aims to accelerate growth in a softening market and reinforce London’s position as the world’s leading specialty insurance centre.
According to LIIBA, the use of technology can help deliver the increase in speed and efficiency required to compete globally.
Even though the body said that the recent modernisation efforts that have understandably focused on the delivery of Blueprint Two’s core systems replacement are vital, it argues that the restrained ambition of recent initiatives has left a “vision vacuum” for what comes next, at a time when rapid advances in data, automation, and artificial intelligence mean approaches that were cutting-edge five years ago are already becoming obsolete.
Christopher Croft, Chief Executive of LIIBA, commented, “In a softening market, growth doesn’t come from standing still. It comes from improving the way clients access London’s expertise and ensuring we remain competitive, innovative and commercially focused. We have digitised transactions, but that is not the same as truly digital trading. In 2026, we want to ask what trading should actually look like in a digital world – and make sure that conversation is driven by traders, not technology theory.”
To enable this, LIIBA will revive the cross-generational focus groups that informed its 2023 Our Face to Face Future report, to explore how to best deliver the future of digital trading through collaborative market programmes, firm-level innovation, or a combination of both.
Additionally, LIIBA’s agenda has placed renewed emphasis on London’s role as the market of choice for emerging and evolving risks. It highlights the growing protection gaps driven by cyber dependency, climate volatility, geopolitical tension and the increasing dominance of intangible assets.
LIIBA urges that these are not “uninsurable risks”, but risks that require innovation, broker-led client engagement, and capital with the confidence to back new solutions. The Association warns that a tendency to exclude unfamiliar risks will not deliver the outcomes clients need, nor support growth at a time when London has a clear opportunity to lead.
The agenda has plans to intensify engagement with governments and regulators to ensure policy frameworks support cross-border risk expertise at a time of rising protectionism. Domestically, LIIBA will continue to lobby for a proportionate supervisory approach from the Financial Conduct Authority, reflecting the limited consumer risk posed by brokers focused on commercial business.
LIIBA emphasises that the delivery of Blueprint Two’s core systems replacement remains essential and will continue to support the programme through 2026, alongside practical reforms including the Market Reform Contract, Core Data Records and claims data standards.
The Association will also expand its focus on emerging AI use cases, with member-focused sessions planned in areas such as KYC review, data extraction, geospatial analysis and contract building.
Croft added, “If 2026 is the year we define a credible vision for digital trading, it must also be the year we recommit to growth, innovation and risk-taking. Our agenda is about moving from discussion to delivery – ensuring brokers are empowered to keep London competitive and at the forefront of global insurance.”
