Ministerpräsident Winfried Kretschmann zum Thema Digitalisierung - MOTOR-BW

“We aim to bring digitisation to life and focus on demonstrating the major benefits that it generates for the people of Baden-Württemberg.”

Winfried Kretschmann, Premier of Baden-Württemberg

Premier Winfried Kretschmann on digitisation

Question: Mr Kretschmann, the state government has declared digitisation as a key field of action and has developed a trans-department digitisation strategy. What is the core message, and what are the main pillars of the strategy?

Kretschmann: The state government’s digitisation strategy is directed at all citizens, our local communities and industry. It is aimed at demonstrating the many opportunities digitisation holds for our state. What are Baden-Württemberg’s USPs? Where do our strengths lie? Where do we want to be in ten years’ time? We aim to bring digitisation to life and focus on demonstrating the major benefits that it generates for the people of Baden-Württemberg. Policies must ensure that new digital opportunities are created for citizens to empower them and let them work productively. We will soon be able to enjoy a better life in smart cities and communities with new products and services. After all, Baden-Württemberg is a high tech state – and we aim to retain and develop our technology edge in the digitisation sector.

Question: The government has launched the Cyber Valley research project along with leading companies and universities to tackle these challenges among other things. What exactly is the idea behind this initiative?

Kretschmann: Our “Cyber Valley” may well become a hot spot in the field of artificial intelligence, attracting the best minds of the future from all over the world. The aim is not only to build the best machines, but also the smartest. Self-learning intelligent systems are poised to revolutionise the way we will live and work in the future. “Cyber Valley” is intended to answer the following question: How can Württemberg – and Germany as a whole for that matter – take a hand in shaping that revolution? And so one of Europe’s largest research cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence has been formed in which the state government will invest more than EUR 50 million in the upcoming years. Baden-Württemberg already hosts the lead- ing research institutes in the area of artificial intelligence. On the initiative of the Max Planck Society many strong partners have now teamed up, including the universities of Stuttgart and Tübingen, major foundations and industrial companies. “Cyber Valley” is intended to be both an international centre for fundamental research and a start-up platform for marketable applications. And of course, training outstanding young scientists is also part of the project.

Question: According to management consulting firm Roland Berger, SMEs lag behind on the conversion and digitisation of their processes. How high do you rate the level of digitisation in Baden-Württemberg’s industry overall?

Kretschmann: It is undoubtedly disproportionately high compared to the rest of Germany and Europe. This applies especially to innovative industrial companies and the IT service sector. However, there are still serious deficits in the SME sector, the trades and service industry. This is why our varied initiative is focused on these areas. Our state-funded digitisation guides who go into companies and give them tailored advice on their digitisation possibilities, for instance.

Question: A lot depends on the automotive industry as probably the state’s most important sector. What does the future hold in store for them in view of discussions on fine dust and driving restrictions?

Kretschmann: The car has just been reinvented for the second time. Buzzwords of the new mobility include automation, electrication and networking of transport modes. Not to mention the discussion on the future viability of the combustion engine. This process poses us with a real challenge in terms of the economy, traffic and environmental policy. It will take our concerted efforts to master these challenges: manufacturers need to push ahead now with the development of new drive technologies while at the same time increasing the efficiency of the combustion engine. It is also very important that we take on board our component suppliers – and here I’m thinking especially of our many SMEs – on our journey of technology transformation; and politicians must de ne reliable framework conditions. They should be ambitious – while still harmonising with production life cycles in industry. All these stakeholders sat down at one table to take part in the automotive industry strategy dialogue, which I initiated, to discuss the automotive industry of the future. I am absolutely certain that we will be relying on genuinely clean diesel and combustion engines for some years to come. They, after all, form the bridging technology to emission-free alternative drives. At the same time we will not lose sight of our vision of emission-free mobility. We are determined to meet the climate protection targets. Climate change is humankind’s top issue of the 21st century.

Question: From car maker to mobility provider – or so the strategy goes of many large companies. Is this the right path and have companies here got what it takes?

Kretschmann: German automotive products have been ahead of their competitors for more than 130 years. For a long time this leading edge was based on the excellent quality of the mechanical components, that is the engine, gearbox, chassis or body. Now electrification gives competitors a chance to close the gap. Our car makers must move forward: we need to develop appropriate business models for car sharing. Autonomous driving also offers long-term prospects – and this is an area where our companies are well placed.

Question: Education is the most important basis for a country’s sustainability. What opportunities does digitisation hold for educational planning in the future?

Kretschmann: We must be careful not to confuse the means and ends on this one. Using digital aids will not automatically make teaching better or learning more effective. We need well-devised didactic and educational concepts to open teaching for digital approaches. Digital media offer new possibili- ties of personalising teaching to a greater extent, for instance. School teaching can be more didactically effective if teaching content can be communicated very clearly in a completely new approach. And of course, efforts to constantly seek and embrace new developments and social changes determine the quality and efficacy of school education. So it is also a matter of how our children and young people can address the digital world and its many media products in a critical, age-appropriate manner. And about how they can share with others in shaping this world instead of just accepting the status quo.

Question: How do we invite not only people in the big cities, but also in rural areas to join our journey into the digital future?

Kretschmann: In the last term we included in our state constitution a pledge to promote equal living conditions, infrastructures and working conditions across Baden-Württemberg – and of course, that also applies to the digitisation process. If we aim to make the most of digitisation’s opportunities we also have to think about the special conditions and challenges in rural areas. Many SMEs and world market leaders are headquartered there. Rural areas make a key contribution to the state’s growth and prosperity. We therefore need widespread access to high speed internet. State government supports town councils in this area both financially and in an advisory capacity. Digitisation unlocks very many possibilities especially in rural areas, in the medical care sector, access to public services and mobility, for instance.

Question: What will life be like in 20 or 30 years?

Kretschmann: That I cannot say, I don’t have a crystal ball. One thing I do know, though: digitisation is going to revolutionise how we work and live, consume and communicate. And we won’t have to wait 20 or 30 years to experience the impact of digitisation either. The state government is therefore making huge investments to improve broadband access. In 2017 funding totalling EUR 125 million is earmarked for it. Last year already we invested a record sum of more than EUR 113 million in broadband development.

Question: Can you understand that older people especially are sceptical, if not a little worried about the transformation?

Kretschmann: A special emphasis will be media education for older people. Of course we want to include the older generation – virtual space isn’t just reserved for the younger generation. And the digital world has a lot to offer, especially for old- er people. The increasing digitisation in the healthcare sector, which especially in rural areas offers new possibilities of medical care for the people who live there. We also aim to develop telemedicine in the long term. And because we take the worries of old people that you mentioned very seriously, we maintain an ongoing dialogue on this subject with important stakeholders such as the Landesseniorenrat (state senior citizens’ committee).

Question: You live in the country yourself – how high is your personal level of digitisation?

Kretschmann: My digitisation level is actually very high. On account of my job I need to be online more or less always, whether I’m in the office, on the way to appointments and even when I’m at home. However, if I want to take some time off when I’m at home in Laiz, I enjoy doing “analogue” things like DIY, gardening or hiking on the Swabian Alb.