A critical look at the last 10 years

Ms Frei, in Acatech's final declaration 10 years ago, it said: "Like no other country, Germany is capable of tapping into the potential of a new form of industrialization: Industry 4.0." To what extent has Germany been able to tap into this potential?
Certainly not to the extent that we would all like - the coronavirus pandemic and the current energy crisis in particular have made us painfully aware of this. After all, the very characteristics of Industry 4.0 - greater networking, flexibility and resource efficiency - could have significantly mitigated many of the negative consequences of these unforeseeable crises. And they have done so for those companies that were sufficiently advanced with their digital transformation. However, according to a study by IDC, only 29% of industrial companies had actually implemented IIoT projects in 2022. In addition, only just over one in 10 companies had already defined a holistic data and analytics strategy, a critical prerequisite for industrial digitalization as a whole. And this is also in line with my personal experience. It is often overlooked that something as profound as a digital transformation is not just a technological issue. The transformation must take place in the corporate culture, the management style and in the minds of all employees.

Germany is lagging behind when it comes to the demand for a "nationwide broadband infrastructure". To what extent is the inadequate infrastructure becoming a problem?
Inadequate infrastructure prevents climate-friendly business. Without broadband Internet access, I simply cannot benefit from the enormous added value that the Internet of Things offers in terms of energy-efficient, flexible and sustainable business. The whole idea of ecosystems in which people work together and trade virtually is dependent on high data transfer rates. The same applies to all cloud-based solutions. If you want to monitor and compare multiple sites, if you want to optimize your maintenance work with augmented or virtual reality, or if you are looking at new business models such as machine or software-as-a-service, you need fast internet. Not to mention the industrial metaverse. Incidentally, broadband infrastructure is not the only decisive prerequisite for climate-friendly business. As the ZVEI vehemently demands in a recent study, power grids are also needed that can cope with the growing requirements.

With regard to Industry 4.0 and IoT - how competitive is Germany in an international comparison?
Even if the framework conditions such as broadband internet, power grids or data protection guidelines can still be improved in some areas: Germany is and remains competitive - even when it comes to topics such as Industry 4.0 and IoT. No question about it! The culture of innovation, especially in SMEs, is absolutely impressive. It is very clear to me that more cross-company collaboration and technology transfer is needed in Germany, but also in the EU - in terms of a long-term competitive position on the global markets, but above all in order to make progress in terms of sustainable and climate-friendly production. No one can do this alone.

Looking back over the last 10 years, what points would you have liked to have seen in the implementation recommendations with the knowledge we have today?
The fact that we are not yet as far as we could be with Industry 4.0 has nothing to do with the content of the Acatech implementation recommendations. Even today, the famous final report still reads as if it was formulated only yesterday. For example, it contains an urgent appeal for open standards and the need for cross-company networking. There is no explicit mention of the problem of proprietary control systems, but a generally open attitude and agreement on common terminology are called for in clear terms. Topics such as sustainability, resource efficiency and social aspects of digital transformation are also addressed. That is admirably visionary. Looking back, what I would have liked to have seen - especially in light of the crises we are currently experiencing - would simply have been more consistency in the implementation of these far-sighted recommendations.