Digitalisierung & Innovation

As a closely networked and highly technologized global location, the digital transformation of the German economy offers great opportunities. By setting the right course, SMEs and corporations alike can not only secure their leading global positions in a variety of areas such as mechanical engineering, industry-related services and logistics, but expand them even further. Start-ups can open up new markets worldwide with innovative business models. There is also enormous digital growth potential in the skilled trades sector and in the entire service sector.

Higher productivity and growth create new jobs. Contrary to widespread myths and much-cited horror forecasts of widespread automation and mass job losses, we must not shy away from looking ahead. It is true that individual job profiles and activities will disappear. At the same time, however, numerous new job profiles will be created and existing ones will be further developed. This will not happen overnight. Rather, digitalization is a transformative process. Job requirements will continue to change. Education and training are therefore the central key to creating participation in the digitalised world of work.

This has many advantages for employees: Technological progress means that more and more people can work on the move and schedule their work more flexibly for a better work-life balance and compatibility of family and career. Intelligent assistance systems (such as software applications, data glasses, human-machine collaboration) make work easier for older employees and improve the integration of people with disabilities. Lower-skilled employees can also be assisted with more complex tasks through the support of intelligent systems.