… Let's Talk RealAssetX

Mar 17, 2026

Naqash Tahir, Managing Director of Research, Development and Investments at RealAssetX, leads PGIM's innovation lab for real assets. He discusses bridging academia, startups and institutional capital. He explores AI-driven HVAC optimization, market mispricing around AI, ESG and tokenization. He outlines lab-style R&D, failing fast with evidence, and plans for global expansion and scalable tech.

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INSIGHT

Real Assets Are Becoming Operational Systems

Real assets are shifting from passive buy‑and‑hold investments to operational, data‑driven systems.
Naqash links this shift to climate urgency, AI enabling portfolio‑scale optimisation, and convergence of physical, digital and energy infrastructure.

INSIGHT

Three‑Way Ecosystem Powers Real Asset Innovation

Innovation requires linking academia, venture capital and institutions because each provides complementary strengths.
Naqash explains academia creates IP, VC finds investable business models, and institutions supply deep data and validation capacity.

ADVICE

Use LabMode To Fail Fast Without Risking Portfolios

Create a safe, structured lab environment to experiment with clear hypotheses, governance, and success metrics.
Naqash calls this LabMode, which tests NOI uplift, risk reduction, and decision improvements before touching live portfolios.

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Real assets are undergoing a profound transformation. Once viewed as a traditional "buy‑and‑hold" asset class, they're now shaped by operational complexity, AI, energy systems, climate pressures and rapid technological convergence. As these forces accelerate, investors are increasingly asking: what does it take to stay ahead?

In this episode, Keshav Rajagopalan sits down with Naqash Tahir, Managing Director, Research, Development and Investments at RealAssetX, PGIM's innovation lab for real assets. They explore how RealAssetX was built to bridge the worlds of academia, venture capital and institutional investors, and why PGIM chose to create an upstream platform focused on research, validation and innovation before product design.

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Key Takeaways:

● How Academia, Startups and Investors Form the Innovation Ecosystem – [06:00]

● From Concept to Application: AI-driven HVAC Optimisation – [15:00]

● What the Market Isn't Pricing In: AI, ESG Value Transfer & Tokenisation – [13:00]

● What's Next for RealAssetX: Global Expansion & Ready-to-Scale Technologies – [17:30]

*The views expressed are those of the speakers at the time of recording and may not reflect their current opinions. This content is not investment advice.*

Learn More:

• @PGIM on X: https://twitter.com/pgim

• @PGIM on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pgim/

• PGIM on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pgim

Shareables:

"Real assets are no longer passive, they're operational, data driven systems shaped by AI, climate and infrastructure convergence." — Naqash Tahir

"To innovate in real assets, you need academia, startups and institutional capital working together. That's the ecosystem RealAssetX was built for." — Naqash Tahir

"The biggest risk in innovation is doing nothing. Failing fast is how you learn, adapt and stay ahead of the market." — Naqash Tahir

"The market still prices buildings like it's 2010. AI is creating NOI uplift that almost no one has modelled in yet." — Naqash Tahir