 
Author: Frank Van de Vel, Chief Investor Support Officer, KBC Asset Management
KBC is a well-established European financial group, combining banking and insurance activities and serving approximately 13 million clients across Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. Within the Group, KBC Asset Management (KBC AM) functions as the investment arm, developing and managing solutions for both retail and institutional investors. KBC Asset Management develops investment products primarily for intra-group distribution and supports investors through both direct and indirect channels. Its activities span the full investment lifecycle, from product design and portfolio management to sales support and after-sales services. Innovation has been a defining feature of the organisation from its earliest days. The ambition is to be a reference player in the investment domain in each of its core markets, while making investing accessible, understandable and relevant for a broad range of clients.
Digitalisation plays an important enabling role in this strategy. Over the past decade, KBC Group’s mobile banking application has evolved into an all-in-one platform that increasingly serves as the primary interface with clients. The introduction of ‘Kate,’ the Group’s virtual assistant, represents a further step in enhancing the digital client experience, supporting a more intuitive and integrated investment journey.
Supporting savers on their journey
A central pillar of KBC AM’s approach is helping savers transition into investing and supporting them as their financial needs evolve over time. This is reflected in the significant number of active investment plans, a predominantly mobile first distribution model, and a client journey designed to offer guidance at key decision points.
Dedicated solution development teams are responsible for creating investment solutions from initial concept through to market launch, while also continuously reviewing and adapting existing products to ensure ongoing alignment with client needs. In parallel, solution support teams provide training, information and after-sales services, with a strong emphasis on digital channels. As of the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, KBC Asset Management managed close to €300bn in assets under management.
This total comprises approximately €127bn in direct client assets, €23bn in group assets and pension funds, around €82bn in fund of funds structures, and roughly €67bn associated with investment advisory mandates. A significant share of direct client assets is invested in line with KBC’s responsible investing framework, supporting consistently high levels of client satisfaction.
A commitment to sustainability
Sustainability is a core element of KBC AM’s long-term strategy and a key factor underpinning its recognition in this programme. The firm’s sustainability approach is closely linked to the local communities and economies in which it operates, with a clear objective to respond to societal needs in a balanced, transparent and relevant manner.
Environmental responsibility is a key pillar within KBC Group’s sustainable finance approach. This programme addresses issues such as climate change, biodiversity, circularity, pollution and water management, translating these themes into concrete investment policies and operational practices.
An important aspect of KBC Asset Management’s sustainability framework is its approach to exclusion policies and their periodic reassessment. In 2025, KBC Group reviewed elements of its exclusion framework for certain actively managed, non-structured Article 6 funds. As a result, and under clearly defined conditions, these funds may gain limited exposure to companies involved in nuclear weapons, provided these companies are domiciled in NATO countries or in Austria, Switzerland or Ireland.
Investments in controversial weapons, including chemical or biological weapons, cluster munitions and anti‑personnel mines, remain fully excluded in line with KBC Group’s blacklist framework. Funds that follow KBC Asset Management’s Responsible Investing methodology continue to apply their own exclusion policy and are not in scope of this update.
The decision reflects the view that credible defence capabilities, including nuclear deterrence, are considered by governments to be an essential component of collective security in the current geopolitical context. KBC Group framed the review within the applicable legal and regulatory context and communicated transparently with investors about the scope and implications. Transparency and client choice were central to the implementation: investors in the affected funds were proactively informed and offered the opportunity to exit without exit fees (excluding any applicable taxes) during clearly defined periods.
People at the core of value creation
Underlying KBC AM’s investment activities, digital innovation and sustainability strategy is a strong emphasis on human capital. Employees are viewed as key drivers of long-term value creation, and the organisation promotes a professional culture based on responsiveness, mutual respect and a results-oriented mindset. This people-centred approach supports the firm’s ambition to operate responsibly while continuously enhancing the client experience. Recognised as the ‘Most Sustainable Asset Manager 2025 – Belgium’ and awarded for excellence in client service, KBC Asset Management demonstrates how scale, responsibility and innovation can be combined within a coherent investment strategy.
By integrating digital capabilities, structured sustainability policies and a measured response to evolving societal and geopolitical realities, the firm continues to position itself as a long-term investment partner in its core European markets.
Source link
#Responsible #investing #digital #innovation
