Today, the first nationwide Digitaltag on digital transformation, participation and education takes place. In different actions you can learn everything about digitalisation, blockchain, artificial intelligence and similar topics.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also takes part in the campaign and enters into dialogue with various digital pioneers and lateral thinkers. In total, there are over 1,400 campaigns in which the population can participate.
Digital participation is a central issue in today’s world. Many people in Germany have no understanding of the digital opportunities and possibilities behind the current technologies and innovations. There is a lack of a simple, comprehensible presentation of the processes and opportunities. Both among the general public and the business community. We must step up our efforts and present digital topics in a more understandable, better and more comprehensible way. This is the only way we can master the digital transformation in our country, because we are currently being increasingly pushed aside.
Even if it was hardly imaginable for many Germans, our country was still among the top 10 countries last year when it came to digital readiness. Digital Readiness describes the possibility of playing a central role in global digitisation. But this is currently changing, according to the latest Cisco study.
Every year, the network equipment supplier Cisco, in cooperation with the Gartner research institute, publishes the international comparative study on the “Digital Readiness Index”. Although Germany has improved in 3 out of 7 categories, other countries are still faster and are thus displacing Germany from 6th place. In 2020 we will only reach 14th place in the “Digital Readiness Index”.
The study by Cisco and Gartner pursues the goal of measuring the digital maturity level of a country holistically and making it internationally comparable. In addition, direct indications of where individual countries can improve are identified.
Today’s Digital Day is therefore a good time to take a look at the potential of digital transformation and to set the standard for where we as entrepreneurs need to start in order to lead not only ourselves but our entire country into the digital future. According to the study, Germany, with an index value of 17.85, is at the highest level of digital maturity, the reinforcement phase, but other countries have made greater progress in the last year and have been able to pass by. For example, new entrants Luxembourg and Iceland entered the top 10 directly.
Looking at the various factors that determine the Digital Readiness Index, we don’t look bad when it comes to living standards, investment and economic conditions. But in the other disciplines, things look less good. For example, we are only in midfield when it comes to the issues of the start-up environment and technological infrastructure.
COVID-19 has shown many companies that digital tools can represent a great potential for their companies. Actions such as the nationwide Digital Day are important here to communicate and demonstrate digital participation and an understanding of the possibilities of digitization.
