What Research and Insights Does ACORD Publish for the Insurance Industry?

ACORD publishes industry research, digital maturity studies, standards guidance, and educational resources through its Research & Education section and its news and content channels. The most concrete example available is the 2026 Insurance Digital Maturity Study, which analyzes over 200 global insurers and examines how digital capabilities relate to performance. If you want to understand where the insurance industry stands on digitalization — and what separates leaders from the rest — ACORD's published research is aimed at exactly that question.

The 2026 Insurance Digital Maturity Study

This is ACORD's flagship research publication described on its site. Key points:

• Scope: Analyzes over 200 global insurers.
• Focus: How digital capabilities drive performance.
• Headline finding: Only about 7% of insurers emerged as true leaders in digitalization.
• Implication: The study argues that thoughtful technology and data execution matters — especially for AI implementation.

The takeaway for readers is that digital maturity is not evenly distributed. A small minority of insurers have translated digital capability into measurable performance advantages, and the study positions disciplined tech and data execution as the differentiator, particularly as firms move toward AI adoption.

Research & Education Resources

ACORD's Research & Education area sits alongside its standards work and covers two broad streams:

• Research & Development — ongoing research into industry practices and standards evolution.
• Training & Education — including the ACORD Certified Expert (ACE) program and webinars.

These resources are relevant if you want structured learning rather than just reading a single report. The ACE credential and webinar series are the named education offerings on the site.

Next-Generation Digital Standards Guidance

ACORD also publishes a Next-Generation Digital Standards fact sheet, described as a quick-start guide for both ACORD members and non-members. It covers ACORD's granular, technology-agnostic standards that enable faster digital data exchange.

This is useful if your question is less "how mature is the industry" and more "how do I actually implement modern data exchange." The fact sheet is positioned as an entry point rather than a deep technical specification.

AI and the Reference Architecture

ACORD has published content on leveraging AI for insurance processes through the ACORD Reference Architecture. The described capability: insurers can visualize AI-facilitated work alongside human-performed activity, supporting Agentic AI in automating processes such as:

• Claims triage
• Fraud detection
• Document processing

This connects the research theme (digital maturity, AI readiness) to a practical architecture tool. If you are evaluating where AI can fit into existing workflows, this is the ACORD resource that addresses it directly.

How to Decide What to Read First

Practical Notes

• The digital maturity study's value is comparative: it tells you how a broad set of insurers perform, not how any single company should act. Use it to benchmark and to frame internal discussions, not as a prescriptive playbook.
• The fact sheet is explicitly aimed at both members and non-members, so it is a reasonable first stop if you are not yet an ACORD member.
• Some ACORD resources sit behind membership, licensing, or sign-in structures — the site references subscriptions, licensing, and a forms portal with registration. Check access requirements for the specific item you need rather than assuming open availability.

For the most current versions and any access conditions, go directly to the Research & Education and Latest Content areas of acord.org.