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Digitization

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.

German Economic Institute (IW) German Economic Institute (IW)

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Christian Rusche / Jeanne Mouton in European Journal of Law and Economics External Publication 15. November 2023

The anti‑steering provision of Article 5 (4) of the DMA: a law and economics assessment on the business model of gatekeepers and business users

Data is a success factor for digital platforms and the core of their business model. The rationale behind this is that data allows for improving the matching process between users which creates value for the platform.

IW

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Jeanne Mouton / Christian Rusche in Competition Policy International External Publication 27. October 2023

To share or not to share: Regulating Data Brokers

Data has become an increasingly important input in the economy. Hence, data and access to data play an increasingly key role in the global economy and for innovation and are crucial for the competitiveness of companies and the EU economy.

IW

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Data utilisation potentials for companies
Barbara Engels IW-Policy Paper No. 8 21. September 2023

Nothing to do with data?: Data utilisation potentials for companies

If companies want to survive on the market in the long term, they cannot avoid the topic of data.

IW

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How young people in Germany perceive the Creator Economy
Barbara Engels IW-Report No. 46 20. September 2023

Influencer dream job: Likes, views and the great fortune?

The Creator Economy is booming: more and more companies use content creators to promote their products, and more and more people want to become content creators themselves, i.e. create their own digital content, make it available to a growing audience on ...

IW

Our Experts

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Vera Demary

Dr. Vera Demary

Head of Digitalisation and Climate Action Research Unit

Tel: +49 221 4981-749
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Barbara Engels

Barbara Engels

Senior Economist for Sustainable Digitalisation

Tel: +49 221 4981-703 @BarEngels
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Christian Rusche

Dr. Christian Rusche

Senior Economist for Competition and Structural Change

Tel: +49 221 4981-412
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All news

125 results
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External Publication
a law and economics assessment on the business model of gatekeepers and business users
External Publication 15. November 2023

The anti‑steering provision of Article 5 (4) of the DMA: a law and economics assessment on the business model of gatekeepers and business users

Christian Rusche / Jeanne Mouton in European Journal of Law and Economics

Data is a success factor for digital platforms and the core of their business model. The rationale behind this is that data allows for improving the matching process between users which creates value for the platform.

IW

Read study
External Publication
Regulating Data Brokers
External Publication 27. October 2023

To share or not to share: Regulating Data Brokers

Jeanne Mouton / Christian Rusche in Competition Policy International

Data has become an increasingly important input in the economy. Hence, data and access to data play an increasingly key role in the global economy and for innovation and are crucial for the competitiveness of companies and the EU economy.

IW

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An Analysis of Employment Effects
IW-Report No. 55 20. October 2023

KI and the Labor Market: An Analysis of Employment Effects

Andrea Hammermann /Roschan Monsef / Oliver Stettes

It has been about ten years since Frey and Osborne's study on the automation risks of occupations in the USA fuelled the debate on the end of work due to digitalisation worldwide. Since then, numerous scientific studies have been published to examine the employment effects of technology such as robotics.

IW

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Do the Employees Affected by Digitisation Change Establishments More Frequently or Do They Become Unemployed More Often?
IW-Trends No. 4 20. October 2023

Do the Employees Affected by Digitisation Change Establishments More Frequently or Do They Become Unemployed More Often?

Stefanie Seele / Oliver Stettes

Concerns that the increasing use of technology in routine occupations could lead to job losses seem to have so far proved unfounded.

IW

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Data utilisation potentials for companies
IW-Policy Paper No. 8 21. September 2023

Nothing to do with data?: Data utilisation potentials for companies

Barbara Engels

If companies want to survive on the market in the long term, they cannot avoid the topic of data.

IW

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