An article by Klaus Werner, Director Business Customers Telekom Deutschland GmbH.
Digitization is one of the success factors for a modern and efficient society. I am firmly convinced of that. It offers great opportunities, especially for the public sector as well as small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), if it is courageously tackled and actively promoted. Because just talking about the problems doesn't get us anywhere. Instead, let's act together and face the challenges. With the European Football Championship and the Olympic Games, the summer showed us what is possible when teams work towards a common goal. We also need this spirit in digitalization.
The people of Germany want a digital state that is consistently geared to the perspective of the citizens. Applying for a passport or relocating after moving? These and many other administrative services must be made digitally accessible. An example of how it can work: the Bauportal.NRW serves as a central platform about construction. There, all processes relating to building application and building permit procedures are made simple and transparent.
Digitalization and AI as drivers of innovation and efficiency
The digitalization of the public sector must be consistently advanced to optimize administrative processes and improve services for citizens and companies. This is not only a requirement of the Online Access Act, but an important step towards greater efficiency, transparency, and trust in public institutions. Innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) can be a key growth driver here. By using AI, public administration can become more efficient and citizen-friendly – and thus contribute to the "gold medal" for modern, digital administration.
Interdisciplinary cooperation is essential to achieve this goal – for example, in co-creation projects between industry, research and start-ups. In this way, digital innovations can be brought to market more quickly. This is a crucial factor not only for companies, but also for the public sector to remain competitive in the long term.
Digital competence as the key to success
Successful digital transformation requires in-depth digital knowledge. To fully exploit the possibilities of digitalization, educational initiatives must be promoted at all levels. This is the only way to overcome the digital divide and ensure participation in the digital society.
In addition to those who have grown up with digitalization, there are over 60 percent of people in Germany who need digital assistance. This is a breeding ground for attacks from the Internet. We need to establish successful structures for the expansion of digital competence and make them accessible to everyone.
Digital competence as the key to success
Successful digital transformation requires in-depth digital knowledge. In order to fully exploit the possibilities of digitalization, educational initiatives must be promoted at all levels. This is the only way to overcome the digital divide and ensure participation in the digital society.
In addition to those who have grown up with digitalization, there are over 60 percent of people in Germany who need digital assistance. This is a breeding ground for attacks from the Internet. We need to establish successful structures for the expansion of digital competence and make them accessible to everyone.
The promotion of digital skills is essential for all areas. Those who understand and apply digital technologies are better able to assert themselves in the constantly changing (working) world.
Cybersecurity and resilience as the basis of a digital future
Successful digitalization can only be built on a solid foundation of cybersecurity and resilience. The networked economy and administration must not only act efficiently, but also safely and crisis-proof. To this end, the German government has developed a comprehensive resilience strategy to make Germany more resilient to crises and disasters. The public sector in particular plays a crucial role not only in protecting personal data, but also in strengthening trust in digital services.
Public administration must arm itself against cyber-attacks and be able to remain capable of acting in the event of a crisis. AI can play a key role in this by detecting threats in real time, reporting unusual activity, and enabling rapid countermeasures.
Meeting the requirements of the Network and Information Security (NIS-2) Directive is another important part of increasing the level of security. Deutsche Telekom supports this with innovative security solutions that protect both companies and public administration from hacker attacks, data loss and other risks.
Strong digital resilience is crucial to create trust in digital offerings and drive digitalization. It ensures the smooth operation of services and processes, protects citizens' data and makes it possible to react effectively even in uncertain times. Only with a clear focus on cybersecurity and resilience can the public sector master the challenges of the digital future and thus ensure security and stability in the long term.
Together on the way to "digital gold"
The digital transformation in Germany is a team sport in which all players – industry, the public sector and research – must work together. Deutsche Telekom plays a central role in this by providing the necessary infrastructure such as fiber optics and offering digital solutions and security concepts.
Together we can boldly break new ground and win "digital gold". Let's live this spirit and actively shape the future of digitization in Germany.
