Robeco has unveiled the European launch of its first suite of active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), expanding the firm’s offering of research-based innovative and sustainable investment solutions.

The ETFs are listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange as of today (15 October), with additional listings, including the London Stock Exchange, anticipated in the coming months.

The launch comprises four active ETFs, including three based on Robeco’s quantitative and enhanced index capabilities and one leveraging Robeco’s advanced Next Gen Quant approach. These products complement Robeco’s existing mutual fund and mandate offerings.

Karin van Baardwijk, CEO at Robeco said: “Today’s launch marks a pivotal moment for Robeco as we expand our active management expertise into the ETF space. It reflects our strategic commitment to delivering innovative investment solutions that meet the diverse needs of our clients. Our new active ETFs are designed to provide optimized outcomes by combining the structural benefits of ETFs with the added value of active management and sustainability.”

Robeco further highlighted its 3D ETFs build on 20 years of experience with enhanced indexing strategies.

Focusing solely on sustainability could limit return potential, while ignoring sustainability could expose the portfolio to long-term risks ,it said, adding that "Robeco’s 3D approach uses an optimization process that aims to balance all three dimensions at once: a portfolio is created that dynamically identifies for the best possible trade-offs between them, based on pre-set targets and real-time market conditions".

Nick King, head of ETF at Robeco said: “Robeco has a long heritage of active management and is recognized as a leader in sustainable investing. The 3D ETFs leverage this expertise to balance performance potential, risk management and sustainability considerations to create compelling building blocks offering an alternative to passive products.

"The Dynamic Theme Machine ETF is all about being ahead of the curve – using data and AI to spot new themes early and rotating over time, adapting to market changes and capturing growth across a range of evolving sectors.”

Robeco’s Dynamic Theme Machine ETF showcases the company’s next-generation quantitative capabilities, utilizing advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to identify emerging investment themes early. This ETF dynamically adjusts its portfolio to capture growth opportunities ahead of the market, setting it apart from traditional thematic ETFs that often focus on well-established themes.

"It uniquely addresses the challenges of traditional thematic ETFs by identifying emerging themes before they become crowded, and dynamically adjusting the portfolio over time", Robeco said.

The strategy employs advanced algorithmic techniques to process large amounts of data to identify new themes and relevant stocks. Robeco said its established quant models are utilized to identify optimal entry and exit points. An additional review by our experienced fundamental thematic investing team ensures that the ETF is exposed to the most attractive themes. This dynamic approach is designed to capture growth opportunities ahead of the market and staying agile as conditions change.

Robeco’s active ETF line-up:
1. Robeco 3D Global Equity UCITS ETF (3DGL)
2. Robeco 3D US Equity UCITS ETF (3DUS)
3. Robeco 3D European Equity UCITS ETF (3D3D)
4. Robeco Dynamic Theme Machine UCITS ETF (RDYN)