In conversation with Prof. Dr Gesche Joost, the German Federal Government’s Internet Ambassador
Teaching is her mission: as Professor of Design Research at the Berlin University of the Arts, Gesche Joost builds bridges between technological innovation and the real needs of people in their everyday lives. She regards the Design Research Lab that she heads as an intermediary between humans and machines. How can innovative technology be integrated into everyday human life? How can it be handled and utilised properly? Elected one of the “100 Brains of Tomorrow” as far back as 2006, the Kiel-born scientist is currently probing such questions together with her interdisciplinary team. A typical project, for example, is a knitted jacket with built-in electronics which automatically calls for help in an emergency. “We simply could not do any of our research without the Internet. It is the foundation of everything,” Gesche Joost asserts. She is very much at the heart of the online world, and knows how to bring technological innovation closer to people. “I cannot imagine a better Digital Ambassador for Germany,” says Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar Gabriel. It was he who appointed Prof. Dr Gesche Joost Digital Champion for Germany in 2014.
Is the digitisation of politics so alienated that it needs an Internet Ambassador?
Gesche Joost: Things have changed enormously. In the new Federal Government, everyone is looking to get involved in digitisation – which is a very good thing, and in keeping with the breadth of the subject. Previously, digitisation was approached in a rather half-hearted way. Today there are in fact three ministries working on it. We now also have the first Digital Agenda for Germany – though there is still plenty to be done in terms of vision, and making us fit for the future.
What are your duties as Digital Champion?
G.J.: The role was created by the former EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes. Her idea was that every EU member-state should send an Internet Ambassador to Brussels. The thinking is that the Ambassador should help drive forward the digital agenda, and promote the idea of the digital single market within the member-states. So my role really is that of an Ambassador, an intermediary between Europe and Germany.
You say that there are three ministries in Germany working on the subject – would it not be more efficient to bundle all the initiatives under one roof?
G.J.: It would have been advantageous to have forged a single digitisation strategy for Germany from the very beginning. But digitisation crosses over a lot of other fields, and has to be covered by all the ministries in their various spheres: digitisation-related aspects in education, the skills shortage, the digital strategy for business, and so on. We are still currently having some issues in terms of co-ordination between different departments – there is no single, coherent vision. But once everyone has understood how important this subject is, we will doubtless be able to make good progress with the current set-up too.
How important is Industry 4.0 in terms of your work as an Internet Ambassador?
G.J.: It is one of the core aspects for Germany. Many people believe we have almost missed out on the initial wave of digitisation internationally, and that our record in terms of Internet business has not been good to date. What we will be able to score highly with, however, is our strong base of SMEs, including lots of global market leaders. If those businesses can succeed in digitally interlinking their processes, and digitising machinery and plant manufacture, they will become even more efficient and competent. Defining the relevant international standards is a key task for the future. That is a vital factor, not just for Germany’s global competitiveness, but for the whole of Europe too.
Does that mean the response to the initiative has been enthusiastic in the other EU member-states too?
G.J.: Yes. Different terminology might be used in different countries, such as “smart production”, or “smart industry”, but what is meant is something similar. Germany is in pole position Europe-wide though. Now what we need to do is quickly merge together all the different threads, as well as keeping our noses in front on the international stage. That also means seeking out good partners in Europe so as to adopt a joint approach.
So Industry 4.0 is not a national topic, but a European one?
G.J.: Yes. It’s certainly important to think in Europe-wide terms, and to view developments from the perspective of the European digital single market. Germany alone will not be in a position to exert major leverage. We need to link up even more closely with international consortia, and we have to be faster in developing standards and best practice – as well as in exporting the relevant solutions. The Asian and American markets have not been dragging their heels. So we have to pick up the pace; and think internationally rather than just German.
Is there actually the necessary awareness for that in Europe?
G.J.: The subject has been very well received, but there is still a lack of momentum in terms of implementation. What is now important is to translate the outstanding results from the research and development sphere into concerted, politically backed industry initiatives on international markets.
Is there not also a need for a legal framework, such as with regard to cybersecurity?
G.J.: A policy framework is important in defending against industrial espionage through cyber-attacks. So IT security and the use of encryption technologies for data traffic are key factors. At the same time, it is also about regaining lost trust from a user’s perspective. Digital technologies are struggling to gain a foothold among SMEs precisely because such smaller businesses do not trust the Cloud, for example. It is important to create better offerings, such as secure Cloud services with servers based in Germany. Cybersecurity might also become an export driver, selling “Made in Germany” based on our high security levels. It would be good to see a joint initiative between industry and policy-makers in that respect – not with small-scale isolated solutions, but based on concerted strength Europe-wide.
The “conventional” Internet is dominated by US companies, who are now also investing a lot of money in the digitisation of industrial production. Can Germany – or indeed Europe – survive and prosper against their commercial power?
G.J.: We do have opportunities thanks to our existing SME base, including a number of global market leaders and “hidden Champions” who have made us competitive on international markets. We have little chance against the financial might of the USA and China though. The money being invested in start-ups in the USA is many times higher than in Germany. That is another reason for adopting a European approach. What is important is that funding is concentrated, and not sprinkled around here and there in dribs and drabs. ‘Think big’ is the motto.
What can policy-makers do to improve opportunities for businesses?
G.J.: Germany might very well take on a lead role, expanding Industry 4.0 to a European scale rather than just a German approach. Germany might engage more on the subject in Brussels, and look to forge Europe-wide network solutions. It is important that policy-makers and industry act hand-in-hand. We need a roadmap to route the relevant solutions in the right direction. The process is too slow for my liking. If we are not careful, our way ahead will be dictated by pre-packaged solutions from Asia or the USA.
What does Industry 4.0 mean for the people working in a Smart Factory? How will the world of work change?
G.J.: Quite a lot will change, and many people are afraid of that. The horror scenario of deserted, soulless, job-destroying factories is rather too extreme a vision, however. That will not happen. Simple activities will increasingly be eliminated though. So we need to invest massively in training skilled personnel. Handling interconnected systems will pose a challenge.
Many of the study programmes in Germany and Europe will have to be engineered so as to cover the new skills profiles of the digital working environment. We already offer good engineering courses. But there are lots of new skills profiles emerging, which will also demand new forms of co-operation between industry and academic institutions to ensure that people are trained in the right way.
You have even called for primary school children to be taught computer programming …
G.J.: Yes, that’s very important. Because in terms of the digital skills of its school children, Germany is in the bottom half of the European league table. We cannot afford that. Programming was included in the school curriculum in England last year, for example. The point is that children are taught digital skills as a whole, not specifically Java or C++. Things such as the use of media, Internet searching, privacy issues and the different types of data cannot be restricted to teaching in computer science classes; they have to be woven into the fabric of all the various school subjects. It appears to be the case in Germany at present that school is the last stronghold of the analogue world. That is unsustainable. If we persist with such a way of thinking, we will be left behind the international competition. That is not to say that we should just be producing little “nerds”. But we do have to be realistic, and ask what skills we need to be teaching in order to enable young people to live good, fulfilling lives in an interconnected digital society. That demands both education and reflection. School today must deliver both.
(picture credits: Matthias Steffen)