IGF 2019: eco Calls for a Dialogue on the Opportunities of the Internet for SMEs

At the eco panel discussion, SMEs will discuss the future of the Internet with the IGF Community

• eco Chair Oliver Süme to take part in the High-Level Internet Governance Exchange which will kick off the IGF
• The Association of the Internet Industry on location with their own booth in the IGF Village

Germany is hosting the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) for the very first time this year, which will take place from 25 to 29 November 2019 in the Estrel Congress Center in Berlin. The event, initiated by the United Nations, offers a discussion platform for governments, international organizations, industry, academia, civil society, and the technical community. At the annual meeting, participants discuss political, legal, social, and technical aspects, in order to actively and jointly shape the Internet of the future.

This multi-stakeholder approach to Internet Governance is supported by eco – Association of the Internet Industry. “Digital transformation is gaining an ever greater importance in politics, industry, and civil society,” says Chair of the Board Oliver Süme. “On the question of how the Internet of tomorrow should be managed, we therefore need dialogue that occurs across country borders and involves – on an equal footing – all responsible parties.”

Panel discussion: eco to create open dialogue between SMEs, the Internet industry, and the IGF community

One focus of the conference this year is the question of how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can better exploit the opportunities that the Internet offers. With their own panel discussion on the Needs of SMEs for the Internet of the future, eco wishes to direct the attention of the IGF community more strongly towards this topic. To this end, representatives of SMEs will be discussing current issues regarding digital transformation in relation to their specific business models together with spokespeople from the Internet industry.

The panel discussion is planned for Day Zero on 25 November, from 12:45 to 14:15 in Room V of the Estrel Congress Center (Sonnenallee 225, 12057, Berlin). 

Speakers will include:

• Alexander Rabe, Managing Director of eco – Association of the Internet Industry
• Andreas Keck, Vice-Chair of the Bundesvereinigung Liberaler Mittelstand
• Sabine Zimmermann, Managing Director and Partner X.0 Group Team at X.0 Group GmbH, Project Leader, Initiative Digital & Board Member, German Mittelstand e.V.
• Dr. Béla Waldhauser, CEO, Telehouse/KDDI Germany, Spokesperson for the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany
• Till Faida, CEO eyeo GmbH

Further participants will be announced shortly. Up-to-date information on the event agenda can be found here.

To participate in the panel, it is necessary to register for the IGF. 

Until 1 November, registrations can be made online: https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2019-registration

From 22 November, registration is also possible on location at the Estrel Congress Center.

Day Zero: High-Level Internet Governance Exchange with eco Chair Oliver Süme 

On Day Zero, the day before the beginning of the actual conference, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) has invited – among others – eco Chair of the Board Oliver Süme to a High-Level Internet Governance Exchange.

Along with top-ranking international representatives from politics, industry, and civil society, Süme will be engaging in a discussion on the topic of digital inclusion: Together, the participants will devote themselves to the question of how disadvantaged population groups in particular can benefit from the economic developments that digital transformation brings. Süme will be moderating a panel on one aspect of this topic, “Access & Infrastructure”.

eco Competence Group leader involved in panel on DNS infrastructures

In addition, Thomas Rickert, Director of Names & Numbers at eco, is participating as a speaker in the panel “IGF 2019 WS #331 Should we tackle illicit content through the DNS?”. In this panel, the participants will be discussing, among other things, whether blocking access to illegal online content on the DNS infrastructure layer is as effective as the removal of content through measures targeting the owner, publisher, or hosting provider. The session will take place on 27 November from 16:40 to 18:10 in Room V of the Estrel Congress Center.

IGF Village: eco Association on location with own booth, representing the Internet industry

From 25 to 27 November, eco is on location with its own booth in the IGF Village (Foyer 2, Stand 29). This year, the organizers are working towards as paperless a format as possible, which the Association of the Internet Industry wishes to support. All information materials about eco are therefore available online in our digital trade fair booth.