According to an analysis by the industry association Bitkom, the federal government is only making slow progress with its digitization projects. There is still a considerable need for action in many areas, said Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst. “The implementation lags behind.” So far, the traffic light government made up of SPD, Greens and FDP has only completed 38 of its 334 digital policy projects. “That corresponds to a share of eleven percent.” 219 projects or 66 percent are at least being implemented, with very different statuses. 77 projects or 23 percent have not yet been started. With the digital strategy, the federal government actually wants this decade to a “digital decade” make.
Major construction sites are above all the digitization of administrations and schools. “In the meantime, our schools are lagging behind countries like Denmark by 20 years,” said Wintergerst. The Online Access Act (OZG) 2.0, one of the most important digital policy projects of the federal government, is still unfinished. Unfortunately, the work has only just begun. The financing of the measures is uncertain, and this time there were no deadlines at all. The Online Access Act obliges the federal and state governments to offer administrative services digitally and to connect them via a portal. “The backward German administration is growing into a real locational disadvantage that is burdening households and companies alike.” To put it bluntly, Germany is a “failed state” when it comes to the digitization of administration. “When it comes to administrative digitization, it’s not just about citizens being able to apply for their birth certificates and passports digitally, it’s also about digitizing and simplifying approval and reporting procedures for the economy.”
Patient files, mobile communications: things are also progressing
But there is also great progress, for example in the expansion of broadband and mobile networks. The digitization of the healthcare system is also making good progress. Reference was made here to the comprehensive introduction of the electronic patient file, which should be used by at least 80 percent of the insured from 2025. In addition, the government is very active in making Germany an important location for the chip industry again. The Skilled Immigration Act has already been implemented. It should help to fill vacancies. At the end of 2022, there was a shortage of 137,000 IT specialists across all sectors in Germany.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior accounted for most of the projects, with 80 projects and the Ministry of Education and Research with 57 projects. This is followed by the Ministry of Economics (46 projects) and only then the actual Digital Ministry (45). Far behind is the Ministry of Defense with only six projects. The Ministry of Development does not have a single digitization project. Bundling the projects would be important, said Wintergerst. So far, however, there is no central control.