Innovation in Motion
August 2025
Hello from Oasis!
This August edition has plenty to explore: a research and product spotlights, thought-provoking articles, and upcoming events to sign up to.
But before we dive in, we’d love to hear from you please. We’ve put together a super-quick survey (less than 30 seconds!) to find out what you enjoy about our newsletter and what more we could bring you. Your feedback will help us shape future editions so they’re as useful and interesting as possible.
Research Spotlight
Research Spotlight: SeaWARRDD Technologies – Advancing Tropical Cyclone Forecasting
SeaWARRDD Technologies, co-founded by Rick Cole and Scott Duncan, is pioneering a comprehensive, coordinated, multi-platform approach to ocean data collection, transforming how hurricanes and impact weather events are forecasted. Drawing on over 30 years of MetOcean data collection experience, their research addresses a critical challenge: current storms often outsmart modellers, with significant deviations in track and intensity repeatedly catching coastal and inland communities by surprise.
Aftermath of Hurrican Ian (2022). Kevin Fogarty/ Reuters/Alamy
Challenges in Current Forecasting:
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Traditional and AI-based models often lack high-resolution, in-situ MetOcean data, especially over continental shelf coastal areas.
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This gap undermines the accuracy and reliability of hurricane and tropical cyclone modelling.
SeaWARRDD’s Approach:
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Implementing targeted observing systems in high-value regions, beginning with the West Florida Shelf.
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Producing customized datasets, derived analyses, and improved hurricane forecasts for end-users across industry, science, and local communities.
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Providing tools that enhance understanding of the rapidly changing ocean environment—critical in the age of climate change.
SeaWARRD Technologies employs a coordinate multi-platform approach to gather the MetOcean data essential for advancing hurricane modelling. SeaWARRDD Technologies combines stationary and mobile ocean and weather data to improve hurricane modelling.
Relevance to Catastrophe Modelling and Insurance:
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Better Risk Assessment: Improved forecast accuracy helps insurers price policies more accurately and set appropriate reserves.
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Enhanced Preparedness: More reliable predictions allow for optimized response planning and resource allocation.
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Informed Decision-Making: Access to high-resolution ocean and weather data supports strategic underwriting, claims management, and long-term risk modelling.
SeaWARRDD’s innovative datasets and methodologies offer the insurance and risk analytics community a significant opportunity to improve predictive modeling and resilience planning.
Product Spotlight
Introducing Cestida platform
Cestida is a catastrophe loss modelling platform built on the open standards of the Oasis LMF framework, designed to make cat modelling accessible, flexible, and user-friendly. It installs quickly, runs on-prem or in private cloud, and requires no special IT skills.
From a single platform, (re)insurers and brokers can:
✔ Access and run third-party catastrophe models
✔ Deploy and manage internal models
✔ Use familiar tools like Excel and SQL for querying and reporting
Built with performance and usability in mind, Cestida combines a powerful C++ calculation engine with a lightweight, intuitive front-end. The result? Faster insights, lower overheads, and greater control over your loss modelling processes. Behind Cestida is a deep legacy in software R&D for reinsurance, and a mission to broaden access to catastrophe models while reducing complexity. Our goal: remove the barriers to running cat models in-house and make them accessible to a wider range of users, without compromising on power or precision.
See how quick and easy it is to install on Cestida's YouTube video below.
Articles of interest
Critical Gaps in Cat Modelling Among Reinsurers
Findings from a recent survey released by Aon (reported by Artemis), shows that nearly 50% of surveyed insurers do not license catastrophe models, and only 27% have dedicated teams to evaluate them.
The report highlights a gap in how catastrophic risk is both assessed and managed across the industry.
Adopting robust, scientifically backed cat models, like those supported by Oasis LMF, helps quantify risk accurately and supports better-informed decisions on pricing, capital, and risk transfer.
Read the full article
Felix Mittermeier/ Unsplash
Events for your diary
On 16 September in London, Cotality (rebranded from CoreLogic) will host the third edition of INTRConnect Europe. The programme will include updates on catastrophe modelling developments and discussions led by industry experts on climate volatility, risk quantification, and future modelling challenges.. Find out more HERE
We appreciate your continued support and engagement in the Oasis Community.
Have you got news to share or want to contribute to the next event? Drop us an email—we’d love to hear from you!
Until next time,
The Oasis Team