'Made in Germany' - a quality promise for German IT!
The next big thing in IT: probably not made in Germany – with this rather dark thesis we opened our third Data&Wine on Thursday. A keynote from CEO Markus Baumgärtner drew attention to important thematic aspects. He started with the Big Things, which anticipate new pioneering business models. New technologies lead to new products or business models, just like the improved voice recognition created a new generation of voice-controlled interfaces. In addition, disruptive innovators, like Amazon or Airbnb, revolutionized existing market structures to dominate the market.
International competition is huge. Even a technological inventory of German enterprises, especially medium-sized companies, didn’t illuminate the initial thesis. Many companies continue to rely on extra hours rather than technical reformation and cooperation (Capgemini study: IT-Trends 2019). A model without future! But what’s the problem? Does it lack innovative power, political drivers or simply qualified employees? We talked about this with our guests.
Due to good food, delicious wine and long talks, the evening’s result was way more positively than initially predicted. We came to an unanimous judgment:
German IT is not left behind in international comparison, the public focus is rather on other areas. The German quality promise ‚Made in Germany‘, still applies for German Cutting Edge Technologies. Quality and science are paramount. Increasingly forming tech start-ups, with their structure and competence, are shaping the innovative environment of Germany (IW Consult 2019). Germany was attested to have a pioneering and leading role in the field of autonomous driving, even though the public reception might be different. In the sense of the Prussian virtues, Germany’s IT is more than it seems.
Despite a young, dynamic branch, great know-how and technological creativity, it lacks two main points. Middle-class solidity meets inexperience. German companies have to develop more strongly according to the market and show more willingness to adapt new innovations. Only digitalisation and algorithms can sustainably optimize workflows. Similar applies to German politics: As long as security concerns and restrictions dominate the political tenor, it will be difficult for Germany’s IT to compete with global players.
We are thankful for a productive evening, delicious food from Haas Catering and exquisite wines presented by Thomas Sommer.