Skandia Investment Group, the investment management arm of the UK-based pensions provider, has launched its alternative investments multi-manager fund in Sweden.

Rolled out in the UK in June, the fund is unique, claims the firm, as it is currently the only retail fund which gives access to a range of "alternative" primarily institutional funds, through a single fund.

The fund aims to provide investors with long term capital growth by investing in a range of eleven alternative asset classes. These include water, currency, timber, precious metals and volatility.

According to Skandia, these assets tend to have low correlation to traditional asset classes and, when combined, are typically expected to deliver positive absolute returns over 12 month periods.

Skandia’s international analytical and portfolio management team choose fund groups for eleven asset classes. Going forward, the firm says that the team will monitor the fund to ensure that the portfolio remains in the best hands in the market.

Skandia said in a statement that it will replace managers and add additional asset classes as opportunities arise in order to maximise the effectiveness of the fund.

Skandia Investment was established in 2007 to leverage Skandia’s investment management offering. The launch of the alternative investment fund in London and Sweden is part of this strategy.

Skandia Investment told WealthBriefing it has no immediate plans to launch the fund elsewhere. The group said that the introduction of the fund into the many markets in which it operates internationally will be demand-based.

Skandia Investment Group is part of Skandia Group, which, in turn, is owned by Old Mutual, the financial group that is listed in London and South Africa.