Senate Reception for M Forum of Mobility
My dear Harald Neidhardt,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are in the midst of a period of major technological and social upheaval. I am very pleased that you have come to Hamburg, all the way up north, so that we can talk about the right strategies to pursue in times of change: at todays Smart City summit as well as in the coming two days at the M Forum of Mobility.
These radical changes are connected with the practically limitless opportunities provided by modern digital techniques.
Following what we call Digitalisierung in German I´m not even trying to say that in English following that change in our information and communication means, on the one hand, and our production and manufacturing processes the keyword being Industry 4.0 on the other hand, we now find ourselves in the third wave of, well, digitalisation. To a great extent, this involves numerous aspects of day-to-day life and public services. It has to do with intelligent traffic lights and fridges, smart grids and much more.
In general terms, access to digital technology and digital options is becoming more and more mobile which comes in handy. Every smartphone contains more computer processing power today than the first Apollo rockets that flew to the moon in the 1960s.
As was the case in the previous waves, the new technological options also promise greater efficiency, as well as easier access and better quality. But at the same time, some people feel that they are threatening, as they enable us, or others, to collect and evaluate data to an extent that has hardly been imaginable up to now.
The decisive factor in the future will be that we cannot simply let ourselves be carried away by the technical momentum, but that we must shape this development in a socially acceptable way, one that is in line with our objectives.
If we consider the speed these changes are taking place with, we know that this presents a real challenge. Nonetheless, we must not shirk this responsibility.
In view of the enormous social debates being conducted regarding the data power of the Internet platforms, in view of the passionate disputes dealing with net neutrality, and in view of the circumstance that many citizens are by now very conscious of their right to informational self-determination, any alternative to this socially-oriented design would be destined to fail.
It is essential for us to know what we want. Once we have worked this out through joint discourse, we will be able to raise the potentials of technological progress for the benefit of the common good.
In Europe, this may present special challenges to us once more. The reason for this is that the new technical infrastructures are privately designed and operated for the most part. And this also applies to areas where we traditionally organise them publicly.
This will become an important topic in regard to Smart City, since no one will want to simply accept a creeping going private in public services.
At the same time, however, this private development also means that we must become more robust as lawmakers and thus as setters of social standards.
After all, even if hardly anyone in Europe can imagine this: The USA, supposedly so liberal in regard to economic market policy, are at times far less hesitant than we are when it comes to establishing clear-cut rules for the operators of critical infrastructures.
This is part of the social, cultural and political embedding of markets and ensures that they can function properly. Markets with no limitations are doomed to failure. For this reason, technological means with no limitations also require basic social and political regulations.
Take road traffic, for example: Even if we had decided 100 years ago to build the major highways on a private basis, we would still have to regulate who may drive on them in which way today, using which vehicle. Perhaps we might even be somewhat more restrictive than is necessary today with a public infrastructure.
It is against this background that we should also approach the debate on the positive and negative aspects of what we are talking about.
I am convinced that it holds immense potentials for individual and social freedom, as well as for the development of future prosperity.
But we shall only be able to enhance it if the politicians also do their best to keep pace with this technological dynamism, to understand it, and to develop smart governance options.
After all, eventually it will be essential to adjust to new circumstances in an intelligent way: Take the port here in Hamburg. Many other ports, especially those located rather far upstream, were faced with severe difficulties as the result of container shipping or have disappeared completely.
In Hamburg, however, the businessmen and the City reacted quickly and comprehensively, they modernised and digitised port logistics, and today have a Smart Port, one of the most modern in the world.
We need transformation processes like these in many fields and in many areas of our society.
And we in Hamburg will continue to do our best to ride the crest of the wave in the future as well.
All the best luck and success to you!
Es gilt das gesprochene Wort.