New President of EFI emphasizes critical technologies and digital advancements
In a significant move for Germany's research and innovation landscape, Irene Bertschek has taken over as the new chairwoman of the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI). Bertschek, head of the "Digital Economy" research area at ZEW, brings a focus on Germany's digital transformation and industrial competitiveness.
Bertschek identifies Germany's current strengths and weaknesses in AI and digitalization, and proposes solutions to bridge the gap. Her assessment highlights the country's robust research base in digital economy and innovation studies, as well as strong cooperation between science and industry. However, she also points out weaknesses such as lagging behind in the adoption and regulation of AI technologies, challenges in integrating AI into business processes, and the need for better framework conditions to translate research into scalable industrial applications.
To address these challenges, Bertschek proposes emphasizing the social adoption of AI, strengthening collaboration between science and industry, and focusing the EFI's research and policy recommendations on key enabling technologies and digital innovations. She also advocates for fostering a digital ecosystem that balances innovation incentives with social and ethical considerations in AI deployment.
Bertschek's leadership role at ZEW and participation in the commission underscore her commitment to prioritizing digitalization and AI within a policy framework that supports innovation, competitiveness, and responsible technology use. This approach aligns with broader German innovation policy debates on digital transformation.
In other news, Germany's chances for the EU's AI Factories were reduced due to a lack of national coordination. Uwe Cantner, the previous chair of EFI, is leaving in rotation. Bertschek's warnings about the necessity of massive investment in data centers for AI and the potential political loss of spending on old technologies like internal combustion engines have added to the national conversation on digitalization and AI.
Moreover, Germany applies the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) much stricter than countries like Finland or Denmark, which hinders the utilization of data treasures. On a positive note, Bertschek welcomes the new government's plan to increase total economic spending on research and development to 3.5 percent of GDP.
As Bertschek takes the helm at EFI, her vision for a digitally competitive Germany is clear: a focus on key technologies and digitalization, a balanced approach to AI deployment, and a commitment to fostering innovation while considering social and ethical implications.
- Bertschek's vision for the EFI emphasizes investing in key technologies and digital innovations, particularly data-and-cloud-computing and artificial-intelligence, to support Germany's competitiveness.
- A critical aspect of Bertschek's plan is to strengthen the collaboration between business, technology, and research, ensuring a smooth transition from research to industrial applications.
- Recognizing the role of technology in shaping the future of finance and business, Bertschek advocates for a policy framework that encourages responsible technology use and ethical considerations, while fueling innovation and growth.
