Bavaria's digital chief aims to foster digitalization.
Fabian Mehring, Bavaria's Digital Minister, has been in office for almost a year. He's been working on various digital projects, from creating a Bavarian Emoji to promoting digital administration, and even trying to phase out the use of fax machines. Mehring believes that Germany needs more self-confidence to compete on an international level, as he stated in the ntv podcast "So techt Deutschland."
Fax machines are still widely used in German public offices. Mehring made it his mission to eliminate their use in administration as soon as he took office. "I want to make a big promise to the people using AI," Mehring explained. He believes in thoughtfully digitalizing administration for real improvement, and that can't be done with fax machines. "There's no AI for fax machines. It's like announcing a big Mars mission but still riding in a horse carriage." And the progress is significant: The number of fax machines in use has dropped from over 3700 to less than half.
Digitalizing administration in Germany is a massive undertaking that's moving slowly. Over the summer, the second version of the Online Access Act was passed. However, the states were not required to agree on uniform standards, which are necessary for seamless end-to-end digitalization. Mehring would have preferred a nationwide agreement, but he also admitted that "what's offered at the federal level is homogenization at the lowest common denominator."
That would mean setting back to the level of administration in Thuringia, a state in Germany. Mehring is not willing to do that. He understands the frustration of many citizens, who often believe that their postman can do more than their government. "My postman from a large parcel service can do more than the Federal Republic of Germany, the Free State of Bavaria, my mayor, my district administrator," Mehring said, explaining why many people are drawn to politicians who preach state failure.
Mehring's solution: optimism and a spirit of renewal, especially for young companies looking for investment. The competition isn't among German states, but with China and the USA. "We always have this typically German caution to say: Yes, it works quite well, but only 98 percent," Mehring said. But while caution might be holding Germany back, investors are looking for more aggressive solutions.
Mehring spoke with Frauke Holzmeier and Andreas Laukat about these topics in the ntv podcast "So techt Deutschland." You can listen to the full conversation by following the link provided in this text.
The current use of fax machines in German public offices impedes digitalization, as Mehring aims to eliminate their use in administration. The economy could significantly benefit from a more digitized administration system, as Germany competes internationally with countries like China and the USA.
