The opportunities and risks of digital change

But since flexibility and a willingness to adapt are constantly in demand, not least in the transformation process, the "Transformotive Network" nevertheless organized an informative and diverse event. "The world is changing at a rapid pace – in many areas, in society and in the economy," said Steffen Hertwig, welcoming the guests. The Mayor of Neckarsulm is also the coordinator of the Alliance for Transformation as the initiator of Transformotive. The alliance of regional players – including the TUM Campus Heilbronn –aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region in particular with the digital transformation. "Above all, I am confident about the transformation in our region – for a variety of reasons," said Hertwig, arousing curiosity about the following presentations.

On the threshold of a new era

Stefan Krebs then went into more detail about the special nature of the transformation and the effects on Baden-Württemberg’s economy and the automotive industry in particular. The world is undergoing a disruptive change, the speed of which is unparalleled in human history and which is particularly evident in digitalization, he said. The automotive industry, one of the sectors with the highest number of jobs, is also on the threshold of a new era: "Some even say that the automobile is being reinvented." However, there are also enormous opportunities for the federal state, which has become the most innovative region in Europe thanks to the automotive industry.

Fred Schulze, Plant Manager at the Audi site in Neckarsulm, described how these opportunities can be exploited: Audi is constantly expanding its model range in the field of electric vehicles and opened a development hub for high-voltage systems last year. However, the car manufacturer is also innovating in other areas: in the "Digital Shift" program, employees from many different areas are receiving further training in cooperation with several educational institutions in order to actively shape the digital transformation.

Tremendous dynamism, enormous challenges

Dr. Rudolf Luz, Deputy Coordinator of the Alliance for Transformation, then summarized the interim status of "Transformotive" around two years after it was founded: The alliance has awarded contracts with a total value of over 1.9 million euros to external service providers for analyses, strategies and knowledge-building modules, held 10 workshop series with 58 participants and visited 169 companies. Luz cited the shortage of skilled workers as a major challenge and courses of study at universities in the region such as the TUM Campus Heilbronn, which deal with modern technologies, as a major opportunity.

During the subsequent panel discussion, Luz summarized how the region is faring in the transformation process: "The region has achieved tremendous momentum in all areas," he said in response to a question from moderator Anja Krätschmer, Head of Transformation at e-mobil BW, about the current situation in Heilbronn-Franconia. Only to add:"Sometimes I’m not sure whether the players and citizens in the region are aware of all the things that will change in the next 10 to 15 years." Dr. Matthias Künzel from VDI/VDE Innovation und Technik GmbH also emphasized the high level of interest in the region in Europe, even to the point of envy, and appealed to people to look beyond their own backyard to other regions in Germany and beyond.

Cooperation at eye level

The importance of digital sovereignty in times when the digital transformation threatens to overwhelm many people was emphasized by Rolf Schumann, Head of Schwarz Digits KG,in his presentation: "Digital sovereignty enables independence and secures freedom – freedom of choice." Schwarz Digits was founded for this purpose and focuses on the areas of sovereign cloud, sovereign cyber security, sovereign artificial intelligence and sovereign communication. He described the Heilbronn Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) as a "globally relevant project".

Insights into Transformotive from the perspective of individual players were provided in the concluding interview: "In Transformotive, we can come together as equals without conflicting interests – such as collective bargaining policy," said Jörg Ernstberger, Managing Director of the Heilbronn/Region Franken district group of Südwestmetall. Elisabeth Giesen, Head of the Schwäbisch Hall-Tauberbischofsheim Employment Agency, emphasized the great potential of many players: "There are enough companies in the region that are taking advantage of the opportunities of digital transformation and not just seeing the risks." "We can’t prevent the future," said Michael Unser, trade union secretary at IG Metall Heilbronn-Neckarsulm, in view of the shift towards e-mobility. This is precisely why it is necessary to further expand the network and increase its acceptance.