Es war ein großes Vergnügen gemeinsam mit dem GOST Chief Historian Bernd Lehmann in einem 45-minütigen Interview geführt von Christopher Griebel im Deutschen Museum über viele Facetten der Seefahrt und der zu dem Zeitpunkt bevorstehenden Antarktisexpedition Antarctic Blanc zu diskutieren.
Es ist etwas besonderes auf diese Pre-Expedition Dokumentation genau heute am 1. April 2019 zurückzuschauen, an dem Tag, wo eine Delegation bestehend aus Jochen Werne (Expedition Leader), Dr. Olivier Blanchard (Chief Liaison Officer to France) und Dr. Wolfgang Händel (Chief Logistics Officer), französischen Regierungsvertretern in Paris die Expeditionsflagge übergeben werden.
It’s greatly inspiring and an honour being part of this unique platform which is concentrating knowledge and illustrating perspectives in the field of artificial intelligence and self learning systems
The Plattform Lernende Systeme brings together expertise from science, industry and society for fostering Germany‘s position as an international technology leader. It understands itself as a forum for exchange and cooperation.
Designing self-learning systems for the benefit of society is the goal pursued by the Plattform Lernende Systeme which was launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in 2017 at the suggestion of acatech. The members of the platform are organized into Working Groups and a Steering Committee which consolidate the current state of knowledge about self-learning systems and Artificial Intelligence. They point out developments in industry and society, analyse the skills which will be needed in the future and use real application scenarios to demonstrate the benefit of self-learning systems. A Managing Office at acatech coordinates the work of the platform.
Concept and aims of the platform
Self-learning systems are increasingly becoming a driving force behind digitalisation in business and society. They are based on Artificial Intelligence technologies and methods that are currently developing at a rapid pace in terms of performance. Self-learning systems are machines, robots and software systems that learn from data and use it to autonomously complete tasks that have been described in an abstract fashion – all without specific programming for each step.
Self-learning systems are becoming increasingly commonplace supporting people in their work and everyday lives. For example, they can be used to develop autonomous traffic systems, improve medical diagnostics and assist emergency services in disaster zones. They can help improve quality of life in many different respects, but are also fundamentally changing how humans and machines interact.
Self-learning systems have immense economic potential. As digitalisation takes hold, they are already helping companies in certain sectors to create entirely new business models based on data usage and are radically changing conventional value creation chains. This is opening up opportunities for new businesses, but can also represent a threat to established market leaders should they fail to react quickly enough.
Developing and introducing self-learning systems calls for special core skills, which need to be carefully nurtured to secure Germany’s pioneering role in this field. Using self-learning systems also raises numerous social, legal, ethical and security questions – with regard to data protection and liability, but also responsibility and transparency. To tackle these issues, we need to engage in broad-based dialogues as early as possible.
Plattform Lernende Systeme brings together leading experts in self-learning systems and Artificial Intelligence from science, industry, politics and civic organisations. In specialised focus groups, they discuss the opportunities, challenges and parameters for developing self-learning systems and using them responsibly. They derive scenarios, recommendations, design options and road maps from the results.
AI thought leaders met on the 21st and 22nd at the #HBAISummit not only to discuss the latest developments in machine and deep learning programming but especially real use-cases, trends in the start-up scene, the role of Germany and Europe in the AI race and the impact of AI on our society. Read more here
It has been a great pleasure discussing and being inspired by a highly engaged auditorium during two sessions:
C’est un grand honneur d’avoir reçu une invitation du ministère français de la Transition écologique et solidaire à remettre le drapeau de l’expédition internationale à Mme Sophie-Dorothée Duron, Conseillère Biodiversité Eau Mer au Cabinet du Ministre sur la recommandation du Président de la République française Emmanuel Macron.
Le 1er avril 2019 à 16h00, Mme Sophie-Dorothée Duron, Conseillère Biodiversité Eau Mer, accueillera une délégation de l’expédition internationale Antarctic Blanc, menée avec succès et avec le soutien de la France. La délégation présentera le drapeau de l’expédition, qui représentait, entre autre, la France en Antarctique, comme un symbole du souvenir.
Le Président français Emmanuel MACRON a personnellement souligné dans sa lettre de soutien à l’Expédition l’importance de la préservation de l’écosystème de notre planète et la valeur d’une sensibilisation de la société par cette initiative.
TEMPÊTES ET ICEBERGS
Expédition Antarctique Blanc poursuivait des objectifs historiques, sociaux et environnementaux. Les 12 participants de l’initiative à l’expédition, soutenue également par les Nations Unies et 19 États, ont traversé sur un voilier de 20 mètres, deux fois en 12 jours, dans les conditions les plus difficiles, l’une des routes maritimes les plus dangereuses du monde – le détroit de Drake, couvrant 1129 milles marins (plus de 2 000 km). Le voyage a été marqué par le passage de plusieurs systèmes orageux en Antarctique et au large du Cap Horn, ce qui a retardé de plusieurs jours le retour de l’expédition. Des vents soufflant jusqu’à 50 km/h, des vagues jusqu’à 8m de haut et des températures autour du point de congélation ont exigé des performances physiques de haut niveau de la part des participants à l’expédition.
CÉRÉMONIE COMMÉMORATIVE INTERNATIONALE.
Naviguer sur des routes historiques. L’expédition a commémoré les chercheurs, explorateurs et marins dont les navires ont dû surmonter les difficultés survenues pour atteindre une région inconnue du monde. L’équipe internationale a organisé une cérémonie commémorative sur l’île volcanique proche de l’Antarctique, d’importance historique, l’île de la Déception. Au nom de tous les États ayant soutenu l’expédition et des Nations Unies, une couronne de glace locale a été symboliquement formée et déposée afin de rendre hommage aux réalisations internationales dans l’exploration de ce continent unique. Les pays ayant soutenu l’expédition comptent parmi les signataires du Traité sur l’Antarctique du 23 juin 1961, un traité politiquement unique en son genre. Les chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement des 19 nations ont exprimé leur soutien à cette expédition unique et privée par des lettres adressées au chef de l’expédition, Jochen Werne, notamment pour la réalisation de cette cérémonie de commémoration.
LA FRANCE ET LE TRAITÉ ANTARCTIQUE.
La France a adhéré au Traité sur l’Antarctique le 23 juin 1961 et, par sa signature, a également reconnu que “dans l’intérêt de l’humanité tout entière, l’Antarctique est utilisé exclusivement à des fins pacifiques et ne doit pas devenir le théâtre ou l’objet de discorde internationale” “qu’il est dans l’intérêt de l’humanité toute entière que l’Antarctique soit à jamais réservée aux seules activités pacifiques et ne devienne ni le théâtre ni l’enjeu de différends internationaux”. La France a également souligné son engagement en faveur de la préservation de cet écosystème en tant que “réserve naturelle dédiée à la paix et à la science”.
INITIATIVE DU PNUE POUR DES MERS PROPRES.
L’objectif principal de l’expédition était de sensibiliser le public international à la préservation de l’écosystème unique de l’Antarctique et de soutenir l’initiative des Nations Unies Clean Seas pour combattre les déchets plastiques dans les océans. Avec l’Expédition Antarctique Blanc, cet important projet du Programme des Nations Unies pour l’environnement est maintenant accepté sur tous les continents de notre planète.
LES CONSÉQUENCES DU CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE SUR L’ÉCOSYSTÈME.
De plus, l’expédition a soutenu le projet de recherche de l’Université du Connecticut et de l’Université Northeastern sur le métabolisme du plancton en en prélevant des échantillons, ce qui pourrait apporter une contribution fondamentale à l’obtention de réponses rapides sur les réactions de l’écosystème face au changement climatique.
DES BALEINES DANS L’ANTARCTIQUE.
Avec l’observation de 18 baleines différentes et la documentation détaillée sur leur position et leur comportement, l’expédition a également contribué à l’établissement de la plateforme mondiale d’observation des baleines “Happy Wales”. Cette plateforme vise à fournir à la science des connaissances approfondies sur le comportement et le développement des plus grands mammifères de notre planète.
LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DES ENFANTS ET DES JEUNES.
Afin de promouvoir des projets internationaux pour les enfants et les jeunes, plusieurs retransmissions en direct en mer et sur le continent Antarctique avec les enfants de l’école de voile du Yacht Club de Monaco ont eu lieu. A son retour, l’équipe a visité l’école de voile Cedena Yacht School Puerto Williams, au Chili, qui est ouverte aux enfants de tous les milieux de la région la plus méridionale de notre planète, et qui les encourage par le sport à développer leurs propres objectifs et traits de caractère, propices à leur développement personnel. En plus d’un don de l’équipe de l’expédition, elle a posé la première pierre d’un échange international et les enfants ont suivi une présentation sur l’Antarctique et son importance.
LA RECONNAISSANCE INTERNATIONALE.
La visite à Paris marque la cinquième réception importante pour Expédition Antarctique Blanc après celle du Prince Albert II à Monaco, de l’ambassadrice des pôles des Pays-Bas, Carola van Reijnsoever, à La Haye, du Président de l’Autriche Alexander Van der Bellen à Vienne et du secrétaire particulier de Sa Majesté la Reine du Danemark Henning Fode.
INVITATION À LA PRESSE
Après la remise du drapeau le 1er avril 2019 à 16h00 à Paris, le chef d’expédition Jochen Werne et le chef de liaison en France Olivier Blanchard seront à la disposition de la presse pour répondre à des questions et interviews, ou se prêter à des photos et des tournages.
Sur demande, la délégation peut également participer à des conférences de presse à Paris ce jour-là.
Oliver Picht Navigateur et chef de la documentation
Linden Blue Chef des communications
Bernd Görgner Chief Medical Officer
Benon Janos Coordinateur des initiatives environnementales
Wolfgang Händel Directeur de la logistique
Hans Axtner Maître de cérémonie
Michael Melnick Coordinateur en chef des sciences
David Gamba Observateur en chef
Wolf Kloss Skipper et propriétaire d’un bateau d’expédition
Karl Papenfuss Maté
Commentaire sur l’initiateur de l’expédition – The Global Offshore Sailing Team (GOST)
L’expédition “Antarctic Blanc” est la suite de l’initiative polaire lancée en 2016 avec des objectifs comparables sous le nom de “Arctic Ocean Raptor”, mais dans la zone maritime du Spitzberg et jusqu’à la limite de la banquise arctique. Un autre aspect important a été la commémoration des marins de toutes les nations, qui ont rempli leurs fonctions de marins au cours des opérations maritimes dans l’Arctique dans des conditions météorologiques généralement impitoyables et qui ont en partie perdu la vie. Au nom du roi norvégien Harald V et du gouvernement canadien, une couronne a été remise au lac ; la Belgique, l’Allemagne, la Grande-Bretagne et l’Italie ont également apporté leur soutien international à cette expédition. Fondée en 1999 par Jochen Werne et Guido Zoeller, l’équipe Global Offshore Sailing Team s’est à nouveau engagée dans l’histoire maritime et les questions environnementales avec cette expédition particulièrement exigeante et sa campagne People’s Diplomacy.
It’s a great pleasure having the chance to meet international experts and supporting the Summit as Speaker on AI in Finance and with an evening fireside chat about leadership, transformation and the sea.
Fireside Chat in der Future Lounge about Leadership in times of transformation
KI-INsights Businessguide
Read interviews and articles from experts in the KI-Businessguide published by the Handelsblatt for the Summit and free to download on this website
It was a pleasure supporting the publication with reflection on AI developments in the Financial Industry called: “Google, how are my stocks doing and what to do?” AI in the financial sector – the next big thing?
AI in Finance Session in the Handelsblatt KI-SUMMIT
Initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, it’s a great honour having received an invitation from the French Ministère de la Transition écologique et solidaire to hand over the French expedition flag to Mme Sophie-Dorothée Duron, Conseillère Biodiversité Eau Mer in the Cabinet du Ministre
On 1 April 2019 at 4 p.m., Mme Sophie-Dorothée Duron, Conseillère Biodiversité Eau Mer will welcome a delegation from the international expedition Antarctic Blanc, which was successfully carried out with French assistance. The delegation will present the expedition flag, which represented France in Antarctica, as a symbol of remembrance.
French President Emmanuel MACRON personally underlined in his letter of support to the Expedition how important the preservation of our planet’s ecosystem is and how valuable therefore the creation of awareness in the society by the initiative.
Letter from the Elysée Palace supporting Expedition Antarctic Blanc
STORMS AND ICEBERGS
Expedition Antarctic Blanc pursued historical, social and environmental goals. The 12 expedition offshore participants of the initiative, supported by the United Nations and 19 states, crossed on a 20m sailing yacht twice in 12 days, under the toughest conditions, one of the most dangerous sea routes in the world – the Drake Passage, covering 1129 nautical miles (over 2,000km). The journey was marked by the passage of several storm systems in the Antarctic and off Cape Horn, which delayed the return by several days. Winds with up to 50kn, waves up to 8m high and temperatures around freezing point demanded top physical performances from the expedition participants.
INTERNATIONAL COMMEMORATION CEREMONY. Sailing on Historic Routes. The expedition commemorated the researchers, explorers and sailors whose ships had to master the challenging peculiarities of reaching an unknown part of the world. The international team held a commemoration ceremony on the historically significant Antarctic volcanic Deception Island. In the name of all supporting states and the United Nations, a wreath of local ice was symbolically formed and laid down in order to pay international tribute to the achievements in the exploration of this unique continent. The supporting nations are among the signatories of the politically unique Antarctic Treaty of 23 June 1961. Heads of state and government organizations of the 19 nations have expressed their support for this unique, privately initiated expeditions in letters to the leader of the expedition, Jochen Werne, in particular for the execution of the ceremonial act of commemoration.
FRANCE AND THE ANTARCTIC TREATY. France joined the Antarctic Treaty on 23 June 1961 and, with its signature, also acknowledged that “in the interest of all mankind, Antarctica is used exclusively for peaceful purposes and should not become the scene or object of international discord”. France also underlined its commitment to the preservation of this ecosystem as a “nature reserve dedicated to peace and science”.
UNEP CLEAN SEAS INITIATIVE. The main focus of the expedition was to sensitize the international public for the preservation of the unique Antarctic ecosystem and to support the UN initiative Clean Seas to combat plastic waste in the oceans. With Expedition Antarctic Blanc, this important United Nations Environmental Program project is now finding acceptance on all continents of our planet.
CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE ECOSYSTEM. In addition, the expedition supported the University of Connecticut and Northeastern University’s research project on plankton metabarcoding by collecting plankton samples, which could provide a fundamental contribution to obtaining rapid responses to the ecosystem’s response to climate change.
WHALES IN THE ANTARCTIC. With the observation of 18 different whales and the detailed documentation of their position and behaviour, the expedition also contributed to the establishment of the global whale observation platform ‘Happy Wales’. The platform is intended to provide science with in-depth insights into the behaviour and development of the largest mammals on our planet.
CHILD AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. To promote international children and youth projects, several live broadcasts were held from sea and Antarctica with children of the sailing school of the Yacht Club de Monaco. On their return, the team visited the Cedena Yacht School Puerto Williams, Chile, which is open to children from all walks of life in the southernmost region of our planet, and through sport encourages them to develop their own goals and character traits that are conducive to their personal development. In addition to a donation from the expedition team, the foundation stone was laid for an international exchange and the children were introduced to Antarctica and its significance.
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION. The visit to Paris marks the fifth important reception for Expedition Antarctic Blanc after the reception by Prince Albert II in Monaco, the ambassador of the poles of the Netherlands, Carola van Reijnsoever, in The Hague, the President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna and the Private Secretary to Her Majesty The Queen of Denmark Henning Fode.
PRESS INVITATION
Following the flag handover on 1 April 2019 at 4 p.m. in Paris, the expedition leader Jochen Werne and Chief Liasion Officer to France Olivier Blanchard will be available to the press for questions and interviews, pictures and filming.
On request, the delegation can also attend press events in Paris on this day. Accreditation is requested. Please send an e-mail to ExpeditionLeader@AntarcticBlanc.com for this purpose.
Expedition participants – Offshore Team
Jochen Werne Expedition Leader
Marco Schröter Chief Safety Officer
Oliver Picht Navigator & Chief Documentation Officer
Linden Blue Chief Communication Officer
Bernd Görgner Chief Medical Officer
Benon Janos Environmental Initiatives Coordinator
Wolfgang Händel Chief Logistics Officer
Hans Axtner Master of Ceremony
Michael Melnick Chief Sciences Coordinator
David Gamba Chief Observer
Wolf Kloss Skipper and Expedition Yacht Owner
Karl Papenfuss Mate
Comment on the initiator of the expedition – The Global Offshore Sailing Team (GOST)
Expedition “Antarctic Blanc” is the continuation of the polar initiative launched in 2016 with comparable objectives under the name “Arctic Ocean Raptor”, but in the Spitsbergen sea area and up to the Arctic pack ice limit. An additional and important aspect was the commemoration of the seafarers of all nations, who fulfilled their seafaring duties during the maritime operations in the Arctic under the mostly merciless weather conditions and partly also lost their lives. In the name of the Norwegian King Harald V and the Canadian government, a wreath was handed over to the lake; further international support for this expedition came from Belgium, Germany, Great Britain and Italy. Founded in 1999 by Jochen Werne and Guido Zoeller, the Global Offshore Sailing Team is once again committed to maritime history and environmental issues with this particularly challenging expedition and its People’s Diplomacy campaign.
On Feb 12, 1942, the Channel Dash happened. 70 years later, on Feb 12, 2012, the Global Offshore Sailing Team has been invited for the first time by the Channel Dash Association to commemorate brave air and sea man and to create and strengthen friendships between people and nations who were enemies in former times. Today at the 76th anniversary of the Channel Dash we continue the tradition to remember and to make us all aware how precious and equally vulnerable peace is. And therefore how important the engagement of our civil society is to strengthen the roots of peace every day.
12 February 2012: Jochen Werne, Skipper and Representative of the GLOBAL OFFSHORE SAILING TEAM (www.gost.org) is commenting the “Channel Dash” during the CHANNEL DASH ASSOCIATION’s 70th Anniversary Remembrance Event at the Royal Airforce Base Manston. The Team thanks greatly the CDA (www.channeldash.org) for the kind invitation and hospitality. The Channel Dash, (codenamed Operation “Cerberus” by the Germans), was a major naval engagement during World War II in which a German Kriegsmarine squadron consisting of both Scharnhorst class battleships, and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen along with escorts, ran a British blockade and successfully sailed from Brest in Brittany to their home bases in Germany via the English Channel.* The Expedition Corps of the Global Offshore Sailing Team will leave – 70 years after Operation “Cerberus”– Brest on a 50ft sailing yacht on the historical footsteps of this spectacular operation. This historic research Expedition “CERBERUS” 2012 wants to be a platform for remembering and honoring all woman and men who fought on both sides with great bravery. The Daily Mail reported in 1942 “This is an episode of which Britons can be rightly proud. In planes which, against the German protecting aircraft, were as slow as a cart horse compared with a motorcar, 18 men of the Fleet Air Arm flew over the Channel. Crippled and ablaze before they got within range, they kept on, delivered their attacks – and died!” *www.wikipedia.de
GOST Expedition Cerberus
We also want to remember the man who inspired us so much bringing our goal of creating international understanding forward: Peter Nixon
Peter Nixon, Chairman of the Channel Dash Association once reflected about history and human mankind with the following words:
„ … working so hard to bring history back to everyone`s attention and recognizing the many great acts of courage performed on our behalf by men and women of all sides during a period of conflict. … It is not about Winner`s or Loser`s. … The world is a wonderful place to live because it is made up of many different, but beautiful countries.… We should be proud of this fact. Equally, we should not be ashamed of our past, nor should we glorify it, for it was our past which created what we are today.”
Peter Nixon
Peter Nixon
The world lost in July 2018 an outstanding personality and many of us a dear friend. His ideas and inspiration will remain with us. Jochen Werne Co-Founder – GOST
The two largest Austrian newspapers “Kronenzeitung” and “Heute” reported on the official visit of a delegation of Expedition Antarctic Blanc to the Hofburg. Together, the publications have a circulation of more than 1.5 million copies per day.
We are grateful to President Alexander Van der Bellen for the invitation, the President’s Press Corps and the press for the publications that support the goal of raising awareness of such important issues as the UNEP Clean Seas Initiative, the fight against microplastics in our oceans, the importance of Antarctica for our ecosystem and the importance of international cooperation and understanding.
Austria has a long standing tradition in Polar Research leading to the Austrian Polar Research Institute, who’s coordinating today the country’s activities in the Arctic and Antarctica
This quote by Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has been chosen by the Hofburg‘s prestigious press corps to introduce the article about the reception for Expedition Antarctic Blanc on the President‘s website.
The GOST delegation consisting of six members handed over with pride in Vienna’s Hofburg the Antarctic Blanc expedition flag to the President Van der Bellen on January 22, 2019.
The ceremony took 30 minutes and the President received an expedition report, watched the official video, signed the flag and had in-depth discussions with the delegates.
The president who himself is greatly engaged in environmental topics and climate discussions worldwide has listened carefully how a private initiative as the Global Offshore Sailing Team (GOST) has been able to connect nations, politicians, scientists and the civil society to enter deeper into discussions about important historical, environmental and societal topics. With its expeditions GOST hereby became an ambassador for international understanding.
President Van der Bellen also took note that Austria’s ratification of the Environmental Protocol is still missing and is now in contact with the Founding Director of the Austrian Polar Research Institute Prof. Dr. Andreas Richter to examine the topic.
The delegation consisted of Jochen Werne (Expedition Leader);Andris Adam (Chief Liason Officer to Austria and Hungary);Götz Credé (Chief Liaison Officer to Belgium, Denmark and The Netherlands);Dr. Wolfgang Händel (Chief Logistics Officer);Prof. Dr. Andreas Richter (Founding Director of the Austrian Polar Research Institutes)Christin Latk (Expedition Support Team – Akademie der Führungskräfte)
Almost every day, experts in the media try to create a historical analogy for us in order to explain the dynamics and speed with which changes are taking place today at all levels of our lives – from private consumption and our working world to international politics. Often analogies are drawn to different decades of the 20th century. The prominent British historian and Harvard professor Niall Ferguson contradicts these comparisons and sees an analogy rather in the effects that the invention of the printing press in the 15th century had on our lives and on our society. Only that today the changes due to exponential technologies and the Internet take place much faster.
For us as the HUMAN Factor, these comparisons are incredibly important. In times of uncertainty, they help us to better assess the changes and thus at least maintain a certain reassuring feeling of security and explainability. However, if we do not succeed in setting the right filters in times of social media and “information overload”, we run the risk that this feeling of understanding does not materialize and that we all too easily become victims of supposedly simple explanations and “fake news”. Ferguson uses a striking example to illustrate that this is not a new phenomenon and that serious technological changes have also brought major and often turbulent changes to society. In times of the invention of book printing, knowledge was spread more cheaply and a broad part of the population gained access to higher education. One of the first books to be printed in large numbers was the Bible. But also other writings, like “Malleus Maleficarum” or in English the “Hammer of Witches” became famous. The “Fake News” book served to justify the persecution of witches, appeared in 29 editions and has been second place on the book bestseller list for 200 years.
At the latest since the end of the 1990s, since the mass “democratization” of the Internet, our lives have been shaped by the exponential progress of modern technologies. The associated digitalization – the DIGITAL Factor – is not only a technical and economic challenge, but also a societal one. However, the enlightened man began, not to accept everything that a “Beautiful New World”, sometimes reminiscent of Aldous Huxley’s novel, promises. This is shown by citizen projects such as the so-called “Charter of Digital Fundamental Rights” of the European Union.
The word “exponential” automatically hides the logical conclusion that change will take place even faster in the future. These changes affect almost every industry and what is seen today as a billion-dollar future market can quickly become a basic business with significantly lower costs and thus significantly lower profit margins tomorrow. The camera chip of our smartphones costs today only about two to three Euros, a Spotify subscription, and thus the access to an incredible amount of music, only a few Euros a month.
The conclusion for companies in the 21st century is simple: Those who do not understand these exponential dynamics of technical development or do not take them sufficiently into account in their business model can quickly lose touch – not only with customers but also with potential business partners. But why is it so difficult for us to correctly assess the development potential of the technologies? The answer: People think linearly. This is why technologies are usually overestimated at the beginning of their development, but tend to be underestimated in the long run. This was first described in 1965 by the Intel engineer Gordon Moore – later known as Moore´s Law, one of the essential theoretical foundations of the “digital revolution”. In times of exponential technologies, our society risks a split between the group of people with an affinity for digital and digital natives and a group of people who have growing difficulties with the speed of change of our time. The latter have not learnt to keep pace with fast-moving digital innovations due to their low affinity, age or lack of points of contact in everyday life.
Throughout history, new technological possibilities have always come with threatening concepts that have been published and discussed on all media channels available during this period. Today it is: “total transparency”, “transparent consumer”, “constant availability” or even job loss due to ongoing automation and artificial intelligence. At the social and state level, attempts are being made to counteract such fears, to increase competitiveness and to involve the population in the process of change. Two of the many good examples referring to Germany are the strategy on artificial intelligence put in place by the Federal Government and the Platform for Learning Systems initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
It is important never to forget, that every change – even if the trigger is a rapidly developing technology – requires a certain time horizon to be implemented and to create broad acceptance. Here the “CULTURE Factor” often comes into play. One example is cash. While the Scandinavian countries, above all Sweden, are about to digitalize their payment systems to a large extent, in Germany currently about 80 percent of all transactions are carried out with cash.
In every business model, global trends need to be identified, changes need to be driven, and local conditions need to be taken into account in order to be successful in this market. The same formula applies to societal change. Especially when it comes to creating an agenda for the use of new technologies for the benefit of our society.
