Milan, March 8, 2024 - Generali Asset Management (GenAM), part of the Generali Investments management company ecosystem, is accelerating its digital innovation by launching its own Academy on Artificial Intelligence in the financial sector, in partnership with Qi4M, a company established in 2017 that specializes in financial data analysis through machine learning.Among the first of its kind in Europe, Qi4M's Academy marks a significant step forward in the integration of technology and investments.

The specialized training program, combined with the use of the Qi4M technological platform, is designed to rapidly enhance Generali Asset Management's capabilities in developing, testing, and adopting Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support investment decisions and risk management.

The entire financial industry is experiencing a phase of profound change. The application of artificial intelligence to analysis and investment processes opens up new scenarios, representing growth opportunities as well as risks to be understood and mitigated. AI can also have significant impacts on business models, enabling the provision of more efficient and sophisticated services to clients.Generali Asset Management (GenAM) places the pervasive use of new technologies among its strategic priorities, along with the goal of acquiring all the necessary resources for their conscious and safe adoption.

The purpose of the Academy is to structurally create advanced competencies in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning within Generali Asset Management.

GenAM places continuous innovation at the center of its strategy, involving all the different operational units that make up the value chain. Significant advances have already been made in automating low-added-value activities, adopting cloud-based data analysis tools, and implementing software and algorithms to support active portfolio management—among the pillars of GenAM's business.

With the Financial AI Academy, GenAM has initiated a training path specifically designed to meet new needs through an "open innovation" approach: the Academy includes theoretical lessons and interactive laboratory sessions, during which participants have the opportunity to develop and experiment with algorithm prototypes for practical application, with a particular focus on acquiring rigorous testing methodologies. The Financial AI Academy aims to ensure a deep understanding of financial dynamics and AI, greater confidence in the ability to innovate and experiment, and the critical awareness necessary to understand the limits and most appropriate fields of application of various models.
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At the end of the program, participants will have acquired practical skills to transform prototypes into real and productive solutions.

"The decision to launch the Financial AI Academy stems from the desire to provide financial industry professionals with the necessary tools to thoroughly understand the algorithms and emerging technologies in the field of Artificial Intelligence," says Vittorio Carlei, Founder and Head of Research and Development at Qi4M.

"This approach will allow them to apply these technologies more safely and consciously in their innovation processes. We consider training to be the most effective means to facilitate the adoption of these new technologies in every area." Antonio Cavarero, Head of Investment at Generali Asset Management, echoes this sentiment: "Financial markets have quite unique characteristics compared to other statistical problems, which is why a dedicated course was needed, focusing on the more complex and often untreated details. AI has moved from a 'nice to have' to a 'must have,' and its application in investment processes continues to expand.

Giuseppe Patisso, Head of Information Technology & Innovation at Generali Asset Management, adds: "From advanced portfolio management support to risk assessment and hyper-automation, AI is demonstrating its multiplier effect in Asset Management as well, with the ability to offer increasingly sophisticated services more quickly and efficiently. However, it is essential to create solid and widespread internal competencies to govern the opportunities and risks of these new technologies."

GENERALI ASSET MANAGEMENT

As a European investment specialist, Generali Asset Management (GenAM), part of the Generali Investments ecosystem, offers a broad range of customized investment funds and solutions focusing on both public and private markets. Its vast experience is rooted in a solid heritage of knowledge. Fixed income is a fundamental part of its DNA and core to the approach it follows, managed with robust expertise developed and perfected over time. To enhance portfolio diversification, GenAM has developed a targeted range of equity, multi-asset, and quantitative management funds and strategies. The company also provides the opportunity to access private markets alongside the Generali Group, one of the world's leading institutional investors. With its track record in managing portfolios invested in Private Markets, GenAM helps investors achieve their goals while supporting the real economy. Its team of experts has extensive proprietary resources for macroeconomic, market, credit, and ESG analysis and research. Finally, in line with its mission as responsible managers, GenAM integrates ESG criteria at all stages of its investment process and has adhered to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI).

Qi4M

Since its launch in 2017, Qi4M has established itself as a vanguard in the use of AI-driven technologies in Asset Management and Asset Allocation, thanks to the joint expertise of specialists in finance and artificial intelligence. The company stands out as a catalyst for change, with the ambitious goal of innovating the sector, guiding clients towards the adoption of skills, technologies, and products in the AI era. The Qi4M team, comprised of professionals and PhDs, promotes substantial cultural transformation through the AI Academy, emphasizing the enhancement of artificial intelligence skills and technological integration in the investment sector. The Qi-Platform serves as a solid foundation for advanced AI applications, facilitating the creation of customized financial products and assisting the client at every stage of the investment cycle, from data management to final reporting, maximizing the potential of generative AI.