In today’s Tagesspiegel Background, eco Managing Director Alexander Rabe published his perspective on Germany’s digital transformation. The focus is on the question of how the existing AI gap between eastern and western Germany can be overcome.
Rabe emphasises that digital transformation is not just a technological change, but also an economic, societal and political test of Germany’s cohesion. He outlines concrete actions needed to reduce digital inequalities and strengthen innovation in all regions:
- Differentiate regional support – especially for small and SMEs in structurally weak regions.
- Establish local competence centres – for example, through AI hubs, real-world laboratories and digital hubs to promote knowledge transfer and innovation.
- Provide legal clarity – through practical implementation of the AI Act and understandable guidelines for companies.
- Strengthen education and training – to prepare specialists and managers for the use of AI.
- Promote cooperation – through closer networking between politics, business, academia and society.
In German, you can read Alexander Rabe’s full opinion piece here. All survey results from the eco Industry Pulse are available in English here.
