Digitalisation

Photo credit: Photo-Dave/iStock/thinkstock

Photo credit: Photo-Dave/iStock/thinkstock

The progressing digitalisation has an impact on vast areas of our lifes. The Federal Government adopted its principles on digital policy with its “Digital Agenda 2014–2017” and has defined digitalisation as a priority political and economic field of action in its “Digital Strategy 2025”. Moreover, the coalition agreement of the present government is focused on seizing the opportunities of the digital transformation though technical, scientific and social innovation in order to improve and maintain security and quality of life. Digitalisation therefore plays an increasingly important role in the research and innovation funding, also in disciplines beyond information and communication technology. As an interdisciplinary topic it affects all of our business areas and is an integral part of many funding programmes.

Relevant topics are for example health, mobility, industry 4.0, new materials, networked value chains, business models, education and the future of work in the context of data science, artificial intelligence, blockchain as well as data protection and security. In funding programmes of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), such as “EXIST – Business Start-Ups” or the “Maritime Research Programme” the integration of digital issues is already established. In the energy sector digitalisation is a core element especially in programmes concerning the Energy Transition, such as the BMWi’s “Showcase on Intelligent Energy – Digital Agenda for the Energy Transition” (SINTEG) or The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)’s “Kopernikus Projects for the Energiewende”. Moreover, a variety of digital topics is integrated in the consultation process for the Federal Government's seventh Energy Research Programme, which we accompany.

The digitalisation is also at the top on the agenda of the funding policy at state level. North Rhine-Westphalia funds six regional hubs for the initiation and management of cooperation between start-ups, SMEs and the industry concerning digital topics with the programme “DWNRW-Hubs – Regional Platforms for the Digital Economy in NRW”.

With our area of expertise “Digitalisation”, we pool our competency on the technological, economic and research policy developments in this field in order to provide our clients with tailor-made funding instruments and strategies for future funding measures.