In response to the final report published today by the advisory board on the implementation of Germany’s digital strategy, Alexander Rabe, Managing Director of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, has the following to say:
“As a member of the Digital Strategy Advisory Board, over the past two years I have been able to look under the hood of the digital policy work of this German federal government.
“My conclusion is somewhat ambivalent. On the one hand, the numerous highly motivated and competent employees of the ministries have convinced me that digital transformation in Germany is possible and is being driven forward in many fields with dedication and expertise. On the other hand, the framework conditions and structures for the successful and efficient implementation of digital projects in the German federal government are still inadequate and lead to inefficiency and frustration among all of those involved.
“One thing is clear: the next German federal government must act much more decisively and above all, more consistently in order to strengthen Germany’s digital competitiveness and also sustainably secure its own ability to act.
“For the digital strategy of a future German government, it is essential that it has a clear vision of the future that all of the federal government’s digital projects and activities can contribute to. Based on this vision, concrete measures must be formulated, which are underpinned by transparent indicators and robust evaluation mechanisms. A digital ministry – or another central coordinating body – will also need cross-departmental expertise and its own budget in the future to make up for previous shortcomings.
“The experience of the last two years has shown that the support of a cross-departmental digital strategy by a non-partisan body such as the Advisory Board is indispensable in order not to lose sight of the essentials, while simultaneously breaking through entrenched structures and thought patterns with external perspectives.
“In addition, in our Internet Policy Agenda of the eco Association, we formulate the following digital policy priorities with the highest priority for the future German federal government:
“A rapid expansion of fibre-optic, 5G and other digital infrastructures such as data centres and cloud capacities, accompanied by a consistent reduction of bureaucratic hurdles – particularly the newly created documentation obligations in the current legislative period – is essential for a successful and swift digital transformation of the economy and society, as well as for a competitive digital hub in Germany”.
