Digitization is penetrating all areas of life and networking people, machines and processes. This is creating immense opportunities for the German economy.
About the topic
In Germany, it has triggered a profound structural change in all areas of the economy and society. This digital transformation holds enormous opportunities, and they must be exploited - including, but not limited to, the automation and networking of value creation processes under the buzzword Industry 4.0. Autonomization in particular, i.e. enabling machines to organize, repair and optimize themselves, opens up extensive opportunities.
The prerequisites for digital transformation are nationwide high-speed networks and an unbureaucratic and capital-rich innovation environment. Employees also face challenges: Companies must identify the new requirements for employee qualifications and train employees accordingly. In addition, companies, especially from the SME sector, must drive digitization more strongly in their own operations, for example by refining their business models and developing new ones, for example in cooperation with startups. On this page you will find various topics and current studies from the field of digitization.
Jan Büchel / Hans-Peter Klös IW-Report No. 42 24. August 2022
Metaverse: Hype or "next big thing"?
Not only since the Facebook group renamed itself Meta in October 2021 has the topic of metaverse gained substantial importance. Experiences due to the corona pandemic have also spurred digital applications to a great extent.
Barbara Engels IW-Policy Paper No. 3 8. August 2022
Sustainable Digitalization: A digital economic concept
Data usage, networking, automation and autonomization: digitalization is omnipresent. But what is digitalization for? It is not an end in itself. It is intended to serve people, to help them achieve greater prosperity.
Michael Hüther / Matthias Diermeier in Ernest Gnan / Christoph Schneider / Claudia Stowasser (Hg.) Schwerpunkt Außenwirtschaft 2021/2022 External Publication 4. July 2022
Globalisation under pressure?: How current megatrends shape the patters of international trade, capital flows and technology diffusion
Deglobalisation, digitalisation, decarbonisation, and demographic change have already left their mark on the global economy. In the future the multiple transformations that the international patterns of specialisation undergo are likely to accelerate as the ...
Michael Hüther / Matthias Diermeier in Ernest Gnan / Christoph Schneider / Claudia Stowasser (Hg.) Schwerpunkt Außenwirtschaft 2021/2022 IW
Jan Büchel / Barbara Engels in European Liberal Forum External Publication 4. July 2022
The Importance of the Data Economy for Europe’s Digital Strategic Autonomy
European companies need to have the ability to store, process, use, and share data securely and autonomously, for example by using cloud services based on agreed quality standards, values, and legislation.
Jan Büchel / Barbara Engels in European Liberal Forum IW
Not only since the Facebook group renamed itself Meta in October 2021 has the topic of metaverse gained substantial importance. Experiences due to the corona pandemic have also spurred digital applications to a great extent.
Sustainable Digitalization: A digital economic concept
Barbara Engels
Data usage, networking, automation and autonomization: digitalization is omnipresent. But what is digitalization for? It is not an end in itself. It is intended to serve people, to help them achieve greater prosperity.
Globalisation under pressure?: How current megatrends shape the patters of international trade, capital flows and technology diffusion
Michael Hüther / Matthias Diermeier in Ernest Gnan / Christoph Schneider / Claudia Stowasser (Hg.) Schwerpunkt Außenwirtschaft 2021/2022
Deglobalisation, digitalisation, decarbonisation, and demographic change have already left their mark on the global economy. In the future the multiple transformations that the international patterns of specialisation undergo are likely to accelerate as the four megatrends mature and unfold their true disruptive potential.
Michael Hüther / Matthias Diermeier in Ernest Gnan / Christoph Schneider / Claudia Stowasser (Hg.) Schwerpunkt Außenwirtschaft 2021/2022 IW
The Importance of the Data Economy for Europe’s Digital Strategic Autonomy
Jan Büchel / Barbara Engels in European Liberal Forum
European companies need to have the ability to store, process, use, and share data securely and autonomously, for example by using cloud services based on agreed quality standards, values, and legislation.
Jan Büchel / Barbara Engels in European Liberal Forum IW
virtual symposium: Digital Innovation for Decarbonization
Cracking the „twin challenge” of digital and green transformation could have a huge impact on future energy supply and decarbonization. Our experts will show the potentials of digital innovation along the entire value chain, from energy production to a circular economy.
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German Economic Institute (IW) 
