Toggle navigation eco Press Releases Press Releases Press Distribution List Press DownloadsPress TextPhotographsLogosStudiesAnnual ReportsPortfolio Press Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and AI Language Models: Great Potential for the Economy and the World of Work Artificial intelligence has taken another leap forward with the ChatGPT language model from the Californian company Open AI, which was launched in November 2022. A eco/Civey survey shows that 58.7 percent of German students use chatbots like ChatGPT. Among the German population, however, chatbots still play a rather small role. date 2023/03/21 press Policy & Law eco Association Warns against Cancellation of German Digital Budget In the current budget negotiations of the German federal government, the planned digital budget could also fall victim to cuts. eco Association expressly warns against cutting funds for the implementation of digitalisation plans and projects. date 2023/03/20 press Policy & Law Data Act: Association of the Internet Industry Critical of Administrative Burden on Companies The European Council and the European Parliament are expected to start their trilogue on the Data Act on 28 March. Already on Monday this week, in Strasbourg the Parliament voted on the draft prepared by rapporteur Pilar del Castillo Vera (EPP) from the Industry Committee (ITRE) and issued its negotiating mandate. eco still sees a need for improvement in the Data Act. date 2023/03/16 press Datacenter eco Alliance on the electricity price brake: German federal government must not neglect digital infrastructures In Germany, the amendment to the electricity price brake is expected to be passed in today’s cabinet meeting. eco and the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures are strongly critical of the amendment introduced by the Federal Ministry of Economics. date 2023/03/06 press Gaia-X Gaia-X: Survey Shows Great Acceptance in the Market Gaia-X is widely accepted and positively perceived by companies. This is one result of the survey “Acceptance of Gaia-X” commissioned by the eco Association and GXFS. There is already a great understanding regarding the added values of Gaia-X and the associated opportunities to strengthen data sovereignty and reduce dependence on non-European providers. date 2023/03/03 press © SeventyFour | iStockphoto LP New Work eco survey for International Women’s Day shows: Prejudices on women’s IT and technology are still prevalent Women have little interest in IT and technology: This is an opinion actually still held by almost 40 per cent (38.6 %) of Germans. A survey conducted by the research institute Civey on behalf of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, which asked for reasons why the proportion of women in IT professions is so low, came to this conclusion. date 2023/03/02 press Security Internet Security Days 2023 – Submit Papers Now Under the motto “Backup to the Future”, the eco Association invites you to the Internet Security Days (ISD) at Phantasialand near Cologne on 20 and 21 September 2023. date 2023/02/28 press IoT eco Survey: No sign yet of reduced energy consumption and costs: 85 per cent of Germans do not use smart home solutions At 8.2 per cent, smart solutions in the heating sector are those most frequently used in German households. This is the result of a survey of 2,500 people conducted by the opinion research institute Civey on behalf of eco – Association of the Internet Industry in mid-February 2023. date 2023/02/27 press Security eco IT Security Survey 2023: A New Era in IT Security The threat situation is growing, say 93 per cent of the IT experts surveyed. 84 per cent of IT security experts believe that the war of aggression against Ukraine has exacerbated the threat situation. These are the results of the eco IT Security Survey 2023. Since 2010, the eco Association has been surveying the mood of the Internet industry about IT security and recently interviewed more than 100 experts from the IT security industry. date 2023/02/23 press Artificial Intelligence Feasibility Study Determines Prerequisites for AI Applications Such as Chatbots in Germany Demand for AI services is high: 71 percent of AI companies are focusing on the development and use of language models. More than 80 percent of the experts surveyed recommend building a German AI ecosystem. A study by the LEAM Initiative develops a concept for building a German AI supercomputing infrastructure. date 2023/02/14 press New Work eco Survey: IT Professionals from All Over the World are Welcome in Germany The German federal government should facilitate the immigration of IT professionals from outside the EU. Over half (56 percent) of German citizens are in favour of this, according to a representative Civey survey commissioned by eco – Association of the Internet Industry. 30.5 per cent of German citizens are against it, 13.4 per cent are undecided. date 2023/02/09 press Datacenter eco Alliance Critical of New Blue Angel Directive for Data Centres as Impractical The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, initiated by the eco Association, denounces the Blue Angel guideline revisions planned by the German Environment Agency (UBA) as still unsuitable and impractical. Dr Béla Waldhauser, spokesperson of the Alliance for Strengthening Digital Infrastructures in Germany, comments. date 2023/02/09 press Policy & Law eco Survey on Safer Internet Day 2023: Together for a Good and Safe Network A representative survey conducted by Civey on behalf of the eco Association has now answered the question of what is most important to German citizens when it comes to reporting critical content to a hotline. date 2023/02/06 press Security eco Association Recommends Strong Passwords Instead of Frequent Password Changes When it comes to their online passwords, many people prefer continuity: In a representative Civey survey in Germany commissioned by the eco Association, 37.6 percent say they change their passwords less frequently than once a year. date 2023/01/30 press eco Sustainable consumption: A quarter of Germans aged between 18 and 29 already use digital solutions eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe is certain that digitalisation is part of the solution for more sustainability, including in the field of agriculture and food. Consumers can contribute to more sustainability in the agriculture and the food industry with the help of digital solutions. date 2023/01/24 press Policy & Law eco Association on the Data Act The basic problem is that the Data Act offers too much bureaucracy and too few incentives for companies to process, use and share data.” date 2023/01/18 press Mobility Data Sharing as a Stumbling Block for Smart Mobility: eco Survey shows: Majority of Germans Still Have Major Reservations About Releasing Their Mobility Data The mobility of the future is digital, connected and available on demand. “For a sustainable mobility transition, a mobility ecosystem is needed that enables the sovereign and secure exchange of data among all actors involved. Only in this way can providers realise connected platforms that determine the most suitable means of transport and the most efficient route, taking into account real-time data,” says Oliver Süme, Chair of the eco Board. date 2023/01/13 press Policy & Law eco Association: Five Theses on the 2023 German Digital Policy Sustainability and the further increase in data-driven processes will continue to be the most important drivers of the digital transformation of the economy and society in 2023, according to the prognosis of eco – Association of the Internet Industry. date 2023/01/10 press New Work Finding Skilled Workers in 2023: eco Association Gives 7 Recommendations The Internet industry – whether cloud start-ups, IT SMEs or Internet corporations – urgently needs more IT professionals of every skill level in 2023. The shortage of STEM professionals is expected to reach an all-time high in 2023. Lucia Falkenberg lists seven resolutions that will make companies more attractive for IT specialists. date 2023/01/05 press eco eco Survey: Help rather than hate – 38.4 per cent of Germans donate via social media Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives. 50 per cent of Germans over the age of 14 are regularly active on social media. Yet, at the same time, negative aspects such as hate speech or disinformation are dominating the debate around social media. date 2022/12/20 press Policy & Law 1 year into the German traffic light coalition: No green light for digitalisation The Association of the Internet Industry has just undertaken a 10-point check and has found that, one year after its inauguration, the German traffic light coalition has only made real progress on realising its digital policy goals in the field of digital infrastructure. date 2022/12/19 press Policy & Law eco comments on adequacy decision on EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework: “Companies need legal certainty in transatlantic data exchange” The EU Commission today announced its preliminary adequacy decision on the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework, the successor to the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. This is another milestone on the EU side towards a transatlantic data protection agreement. date 2022/12/13 press eco Digital Summit: Strong data economy needs legal certainty and sovereign digital infrastructures At the German federal government's Digital Summit, eco Association showcases Internet locations that make up the data ecosystem. date 2022/12/07 press Policy & Law KRITIS Umbrella Act: eco calls for a sensible regulation with a sense of proportion German Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser intends to encourage the companies involved in critical infrastructures (KRITIS) in Germany to adopt uniform protection standards. date 2022/12/06 press New Work eco CPO Lucia Falkenberg welcomes the plans of the traffic light government on skilled worker immigration Lucia Falkenberg, CPO and spokesperson of the New Work Competence Group in the eco Association of the Internet industry welcomes the German federal government’s plans to lower the hurdles for the immigration of skilled workers. date 2022/12/01 press Policy & Law eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe appointed to the “Digital Strategy Germany” Advisory Board of the Federal Minister of Digital Affairs & Transport With the Digital Strategy adopted in the summer, Germany’s intention is now to make a digital breakthrough. All ministries and the Chancellery have joined forces to achieve this, and now the strategy is set to be implemented. date 2022/11/29 press Policy & Law eco Alliance for Digital Infrastructures: Electricity price brake must also apply to data centres The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, founded under the umbrella of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, criticises the recently announced draft of an electricity price brake and warns of a lasting weakening of Germany as a digital location. date 2022/11/24 press Policy & Law Network Rollout Must Be Driven Forward Vigorously The German federal government has set itself the correct and important objectives for gigabit coverage. It intends to bring Germany into the forefront group of industrial nations in the digitalisation of industry and society. date 2022/11/10 press Policy & Law eco Chair of the Board Süme Welcomes the German Minister of Justice’s Quick-Freeze Proposal Commenting on the proposal for a new quick-freeze procedure presented on Tuesday by the Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann, eco Chair of the Board Oliver Süme welcomes the approach and the related planned repeal of data retention in Germany. date 2022/10/26 press Datacenter Draft of the German Energy Efficiency Act is technically and economically unfeasible The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, founded under the umbrella of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, warns against unrealistic obligations for data centre operators under the planned German Energy Efficiency Act. As part of the recently released draft act of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, waste heat levies of up to 40 per cent are included. date 2022/10/25 press
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and AI Language Models: Great Potential for the Economy and the World of Work Artificial intelligence has taken another leap forward with the ChatGPT language model from the Californian company Open AI, which was launched in November 2022. A eco/Civey survey shows that 58.7 percent of German students use chatbots like ChatGPT. Among the German population, however, chatbots still play a rather small role. date 2023/03/21 press
Policy & Law eco Association Warns against Cancellation of German Digital Budget In the current budget negotiations of the German federal government, the planned digital budget could also fall victim to cuts. eco Association expressly warns against cutting funds for the implementation of digitalisation plans and projects. date 2023/03/20 press
Policy & Law Data Act: Association of the Internet Industry Critical of Administrative Burden on Companies The European Council and the European Parliament are expected to start their trilogue on the Data Act on 28 March. Already on Monday this week, in Strasbourg the Parliament voted on the draft prepared by rapporteur Pilar del Castillo Vera (EPP) from the Industry Committee (ITRE) and issued its negotiating mandate. eco still sees a need for improvement in the Data Act. date 2023/03/16 press
Datacenter eco Alliance on the electricity price brake: German federal government must not neglect digital infrastructures In Germany, the amendment to the electricity price brake is expected to be passed in today’s cabinet meeting. eco and the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures are strongly critical of the amendment introduced by the Federal Ministry of Economics. date 2023/03/06 press
Gaia-X Gaia-X: Survey Shows Great Acceptance in the Market Gaia-X is widely accepted and positively perceived by companies. This is one result of the survey “Acceptance of Gaia-X” commissioned by the eco Association and GXFS. There is already a great understanding regarding the added values of Gaia-X and the associated opportunities to strengthen data sovereignty and reduce dependence on non-European providers. date 2023/03/03 press
© SeventyFour | iStockphoto LP New Work eco survey for International Women’s Day shows: Prejudices on women’s IT and technology are still prevalent Women have little interest in IT and technology: This is an opinion actually still held by almost 40 per cent (38.6 %) of Germans. A survey conducted by the research institute Civey on behalf of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, which asked for reasons why the proportion of women in IT professions is so low, came to this conclusion. date 2023/03/02 press
Security Internet Security Days 2023 – Submit Papers Now Under the motto “Backup to the Future”, the eco Association invites you to the Internet Security Days (ISD) at Phantasialand near Cologne on 20 and 21 September 2023. date 2023/02/28 press
IoT eco Survey: No sign yet of reduced energy consumption and costs: 85 per cent of Germans do not use smart home solutions At 8.2 per cent, smart solutions in the heating sector are those most frequently used in German households. This is the result of a survey of 2,500 people conducted by the opinion research institute Civey on behalf of eco – Association of the Internet Industry in mid-February 2023. date 2023/02/27 press
Security eco IT Security Survey 2023: A New Era in IT Security The threat situation is growing, say 93 per cent of the IT experts surveyed. 84 per cent of IT security experts believe that the war of aggression against Ukraine has exacerbated the threat situation. These are the results of the eco IT Security Survey 2023. Since 2010, the eco Association has been surveying the mood of the Internet industry about IT security and recently interviewed more than 100 experts from the IT security industry. date 2023/02/23 press
Artificial Intelligence Feasibility Study Determines Prerequisites for AI Applications Such as Chatbots in Germany Demand for AI services is high: 71 percent of AI companies are focusing on the development and use of language models. More than 80 percent of the experts surveyed recommend building a German AI ecosystem. A study by the LEAM Initiative develops a concept for building a German AI supercomputing infrastructure. date 2023/02/14 press
New Work eco Survey: IT Professionals from All Over the World are Welcome in Germany The German federal government should facilitate the immigration of IT professionals from outside the EU. Over half (56 percent) of German citizens are in favour of this, according to a representative Civey survey commissioned by eco – Association of the Internet Industry. 30.5 per cent of German citizens are against it, 13.4 per cent are undecided. date 2023/02/09 press
Datacenter eco Alliance Critical of New Blue Angel Directive for Data Centres as Impractical The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, initiated by the eco Association, denounces the Blue Angel guideline revisions planned by the German Environment Agency (UBA) as still unsuitable and impractical. Dr Béla Waldhauser, spokesperson of the Alliance for Strengthening Digital Infrastructures in Germany, comments. date 2023/02/09 press
Policy & Law eco Survey on Safer Internet Day 2023: Together for a Good and Safe Network A representative survey conducted by Civey on behalf of the eco Association has now answered the question of what is most important to German citizens when it comes to reporting critical content to a hotline. date 2023/02/06 press
Security eco Association Recommends Strong Passwords Instead of Frequent Password Changes When it comes to their online passwords, many people prefer continuity: In a representative Civey survey in Germany commissioned by the eco Association, 37.6 percent say they change their passwords less frequently than once a year. date 2023/01/30 press
eco Sustainable consumption: A quarter of Germans aged between 18 and 29 already use digital solutions eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe is certain that digitalisation is part of the solution for more sustainability, including in the field of agriculture and food. Consumers can contribute to more sustainability in the agriculture and the food industry with the help of digital solutions. date 2023/01/24 press
Policy & Law eco Association on the Data Act The basic problem is that the Data Act offers too much bureaucracy and too few incentives for companies to process, use and share data.” date 2023/01/18 press
Mobility Data Sharing as a Stumbling Block for Smart Mobility: eco Survey shows: Majority of Germans Still Have Major Reservations About Releasing Their Mobility Data The mobility of the future is digital, connected and available on demand. “For a sustainable mobility transition, a mobility ecosystem is needed that enables the sovereign and secure exchange of data among all actors involved. Only in this way can providers realise connected platforms that determine the most suitable means of transport and the most efficient route, taking into account real-time data,” says Oliver Süme, Chair of the eco Board. date 2023/01/13 press
Policy & Law eco Association: Five Theses on the 2023 German Digital Policy Sustainability and the further increase in data-driven processes will continue to be the most important drivers of the digital transformation of the economy and society in 2023, according to the prognosis of eco – Association of the Internet Industry. date 2023/01/10 press
New Work Finding Skilled Workers in 2023: eco Association Gives 7 Recommendations The Internet industry – whether cloud start-ups, IT SMEs or Internet corporations – urgently needs more IT professionals of every skill level in 2023. The shortage of STEM professionals is expected to reach an all-time high in 2023. Lucia Falkenberg lists seven resolutions that will make companies more attractive for IT specialists. date 2023/01/05 press
eco eco Survey: Help rather than hate – 38.4 per cent of Germans donate via social media Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives. 50 per cent of Germans over the age of 14 are regularly active on social media. Yet, at the same time, negative aspects such as hate speech or disinformation are dominating the debate around social media. date 2022/12/20 press
Policy & Law 1 year into the German traffic light coalition: No green light for digitalisation The Association of the Internet Industry has just undertaken a 10-point check and has found that, one year after its inauguration, the German traffic light coalition has only made real progress on realising its digital policy goals in the field of digital infrastructure. date 2022/12/19 press
Policy & Law eco comments on adequacy decision on EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework: “Companies need legal certainty in transatlantic data exchange” The EU Commission today announced its preliminary adequacy decision on the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework, the successor to the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield. This is another milestone on the EU side towards a transatlantic data protection agreement. date 2022/12/13 press
eco Digital Summit: Strong data economy needs legal certainty and sovereign digital infrastructures At the German federal government's Digital Summit, eco Association showcases Internet locations that make up the data ecosystem. date 2022/12/07 press
Policy & Law KRITIS Umbrella Act: eco calls for a sensible regulation with a sense of proportion German Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser intends to encourage the companies involved in critical infrastructures (KRITIS) in Germany to adopt uniform protection standards. date 2022/12/06 press
New Work eco CPO Lucia Falkenberg welcomes the plans of the traffic light government on skilled worker immigration Lucia Falkenberg, CPO and spokesperson of the New Work Competence Group in the eco Association of the Internet industry welcomes the German federal government’s plans to lower the hurdles for the immigration of skilled workers. date 2022/12/01 press
Policy & Law eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe appointed to the “Digital Strategy Germany” Advisory Board of the Federal Minister of Digital Affairs & Transport With the Digital Strategy adopted in the summer, Germany’s intention is now to make a digital breakthrough. All ministries and the Chancellery have joined forces to achieve this, and now the strategy is set to be implemented. date 2022/11/29 press
Policy & Law eco Alliance for Digital Infrastructures: Electricity price brake must also apply to data centres The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, founded under the umbrella of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, criticises the recently announced draft of an electricity price brake and warns of a lasting weakening of Germany as a digital location. date 2022/11/24 press
Policy & Law Network Rollout Must Be Driven Forward Vigorously The German federal government has set itself the correct and important objectives for gigabit coverage. It intends to bring Germany into the forefront group of industrial nations in the digitalisation of industry and society. date 2022/11/10 press
Policy & Law eco Chair of the Board Süme Welcomes the German Minister of Justice’s Quick-Freeze Proposal Commenting on the proposal for a new quick-freeze procedure presented on Tuesday by the Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann, eco Chair of the Board Oliver Süme welcomes the approach and the related planned repeal of data retention in Germany. date 2022/10/26 press
Datacenter Draft of the German Energy Efficiency Act is technically and economically unfeasible The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, founded under the umbrella of eco – Association of the Internet Industry, warns against unrealistic obligations for data centre operators under the planned German Energy Efficiency Act. As part of the recently released draft act of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, waste heat levies of up to 40 per cent are included. date 2022/10/25 press
