Peter Altmaier, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, opened CEBIT 2018 in Hanover today. The focus this year is on artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, smart mobility, the Internet of Things, and IT security. In his opening speech at the CEBIT Welcome Night, Altmaier stressed that the transfer of digital innovations from academia to the market is a key issue for business and policymakers in Germany.

Federal Minister Altmaier said: “The new CEBIT is focusing on issues like artificial intelligence – forward looking technologies which will change the way we live, work and do business. We want to make Germany and Europe a world leader on artificial intelligence. We will be drafting a national strategy for this at the Digital Summit in December. We are already at the cutting edge of AI research, and we now need to lead the field in terms of applying it.”

Federal Minister Altmaier also appealed to the business community to actively develop strategies to position their business models in the age of the platform economy: “German companies must not be left standing on the sidelines. We need to grasp our opportunities to take the lead on, for example, industrial, mobility and health platforms. We need to be more digitally innovative so that Germany stays competitive and makes the most of its opportunities in the digital age.” Policymakers, he said, have the task of building a legal framework which offers legal certainty and creates scope for the emergence of innovative services and new business models.

CEBIT has been restructured and regards itself as a blend of a traditional trade fair, conference and networking event, and aims to provide a 360 degree view of the digitisation of companies, administration and society.