Ten asset management companies from Germany have founded the Digital Operational Resilience and Cyber Risk Association e.V. (DORCA). The association aims to support its members in meeting the requirements of the EU legislation on digital security in the financial sector, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which comes into force in January 2025. Among other things, DORA requires financial firms to assess the resilience of their IT systems and those of their critical service providers against cyber-attacks. DORCA makes use of the option provided for by law to carry out such assessments jointly with third-party providers, so that member companies can draw on the collectively gained insights rather than conducting similar assessments separately. This pools resources, reduces duplication of effort and helps to promote consistently high security standards across the sector.
“For institutional investors, this means that asset management companies are demonstrably taking their IT security seriously, without incurring disproportionately high costs. DORCA turns a regulatory obligation into a genuine strength that benefits our investors,” explains Alina Hadley, IT regulatory specialist at founding member Aachener Grundvermögen Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. “Digital resilience is not a question of company size, but a shared responsibility across the entire industry. “With the DORCA association, we are creating a framework in which capital management companies can learn from one another, share audit results and set uniform standards for their digital resilience, thereby protecting all investors,” adds Jens Pietsch, Head of Strategic Procurement & Vendor Management at founding member Allianz Global Investors GmbH. Bernhard Brielmaier, Director of Fund Operations at founding member Catella Real Estate AG, adds: “The EU’s DORA Regulation poses considerable challenges, particularly for small and medium-sized companies. Joint audits are more efficient and deliver better results. After all, when you examine the same service provider alongside others, you gain a broader perspective.”
The board of the European trade association for asset management companies, founded in the summer of 2026, comprises Aachener Grundvermögen Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Allianz Global Investors GmbH and Catella Real Estate AG. The founding members also include Art-Invest Real Estate Funds GmbH, BNP Paribas REIM Germany GmbH, Helaba Invest Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH, mondial Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Monega Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Universal-Investment-Gesellschaft mbH and Warburg Invest Kapitalverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. The association’s aim is to implement the requirements of DORA collaboratively and efficiently through joint audits of critical IT service providers, a structured exchange of information on cyber risks, and uniform security standards. The association is open to all asset management companies in Europe.
