Digitization: The traffic light government lets it slide – economy

FDP – really now? Many did not expect that many young voters would cross the Liberals in the 2021 federal election. But was that really that surprising? The CDU/CSU in particular did not necessarily convey the impression that they had arrived in a world in which the younger generation had been living for some time. And this world is digital. Advancing digitization was an important campaign issue for all three parties, who later got together at the traffic light. In the coalition agreement, the heading “Modern State, Digital Awakening and Innovation” comes first. But what has become of it, almost a year later? Where has it gone, the digital awakening?

Of course, the unusual coalition has to deal with large-scale situations that no German government has had to contend with for a long time. A war in the middle of Europe, the resulting energy crisis, inflation. And – apparently further away, but actually the biggest problem – the task of mankind climate crisis. On the one hand, it is understandable that things such as the digitization of administration, network expansion or digital concepts for schools are taking a back seat. On the other hand, however, the recent delay in digitization will take revenge. Because this technology is indispensable for tackling all the tasks that are waiting there.

Example of climate neutrality: Just to be able to determine with any degree of certainty how much CO2 this or that activity of a company releases, you need data, and data that is as precise as possible. Because if the underlying data is inaccurate, the overall calculation will not provide a reliable result. Data must therefore be precisely recorded, stored and evaluated in a form that also guarantees comparability.

Technology that makes solutions possible in the first place

Example of the energy transition: Sometimes the wind blows, sometimes not, sometimes the sun shines, then it’s night or cloudy. With the growing share of renewable energy in the power supply and the desire to get more e-cars on the road, there is an imperative to manage the energy mix so that power comes out of the can when it is needed . This requires a lot of hardware – wind turbines, solar systems and also electricity storage – but it also needs software-driven technology with artificial intelligence that is able to master this new complexity.

Take education as an example: Germany’s digital failure is probably most evident in schools. Of course, iPads and notebooks don’t make everything better all of a sudden if there is even a reasonable internet connection in the school. But it’s really disappointing that it’s been talked about for so long and so little has happened. It is up to the commitment of individuals – sponsors, headmasters, teachers – to decide whether progress is made or not. The fact that something like digital caretakers are needed to keep the device zoo running is really nothing new. Nor does it mean that new teaching materials require new concepts.

It’s not enough to muddle on

Example administration: According to the Online Access Act, 575 administrative services should actually be digitized by the end of 2022. That means: Instead of going to the office, taking a number and so on, you could have done many things comfortably and resource-saving from home on your computer or even on your smartphone. Should have, because the target will be missed with a bang.

There are many more examples, for example from the health sector. But it is also clear that at some point it will no longer be enough to muddle on as before. Perhaps it would have been a better idea to bundle this major task in a separate ministry, if this were then given the means and the power to assert itself. However, one gets the impression that the digitization project is fraying between the ministries. Of course, it is not the sole task of politics to digitize the country, this also includes the economy and of course the citizens, who have to do their part. But politics sets the framework, and it sets it insufficiently.

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