Prediction: Germany Anticipated to Rank among EU's Top 3, According to Bitkom
Germany's move to create a Federal Ministry for Digitalization and State Modernization is a timely step, according to Ralf Wintergerst, President of the Association of Digital Economy Bitkom. In an interview with ARD, Wintergerst expressed optimism about the new Digital Minister, Dr. Karsten Wildberger.
Wintergerst believes it is quite possible that Germany could climb into the top 3 of EU digitalization by the end of this legislative period. He credits the government for making a forward-thinking start, with the establishment of a well-equipped Digital Ministry and the initiation of preliminary measures.
The Bitkom President is hopeful that the expansion of Germany's digital infrastructure, increased confidence among businesses, and a general increase in digital savvy among Germans will help the country return to a competitive edge. However, Wintergerst acknowledges that substantial work remains.
One major challenge, according to Wintergerst, is the lack of a digital mindset in Germany. He laments that, as a country, Germany has lost some of its technology enthusiasm due to digital inexperience and inadequate education. To address this, Wintergerst advocates for digital education to start early in schools, even including IT as a compulsory subject.
Wintergerst also criticizes companies for not investing sufficiently in digitalization, attributing the crisis in the German economy to such hesitancy. He proposes several measures to kickstart change, including expansion of digital infrastructure, streamlining bureaucracy, and issuing digital identities for citizens to facilitate online government transactions.
While stressing the importance of deregulation, Wintergerst believes Europe does not need tech entrepreneurs like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg. Instead, he calls for the growth of many stable mid-sized companies. Wintergerst suggests that Germany could benefit from having 1,000 companies generating digital revenues of 100 million euros each.
The direction Germany takes in the coming months and years will be indicative of its digital transformation, according to Wintergerst. The groundwork has been laid, and the progress made so far reflects the government's commitment to this vital modernization effort.
The establishment of a Federal Ministry for Digitalization and State Modernization, as proposed by Germany, could potentially propel Germany into the top 3 of EU digitalization by the end of the legislative period, as suggested by Ralf Wintergerst, Bitkom's President. However, Wintergerst highlights the pressing need for a shift in the nation's digital mindset, advocating for early digital education in schools and increased investments in digitalization by companies to achieve this goal.
