Ladies and Gentlemen,
with the Rhine-Main Airport and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, with its chemical and pharmaceutical concerns, its logistics industry and its unusually strong ICT sector, Hessen is a major European economic centre. Trends and developments which will be shaping our future can be seen here in concentrated form – demographic change, with its impact on conurbations and rural areas, the implementation of the energy turnaround in a densely populated region, increased traffic on an infrastructure at the limits of its capacity, and the digitisation of both economy and society.
As a traditional driver of innovation in Germany, we set “Digital Hessen” at the interfaces of these developments, bring experts from all disciplines together, work out concepts and push progress forward with competitions and joint ventures. At the same time, we are aware that economic processes give rise to social challenges, as has become abundantly clear with regard to IT security. Digitisation processes are extremely complex and affect all areas of public, professional and private life.
Digitisation opens up immense potential for companies in Hessen. Information and communication technologies have long been drivers of innovation, creating completely new pathways. Together with small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups, global leaders, international concerns, universities and research facilities, we are working to shape our digital future. The House of IT and the Aktionslinie IT of the Hessian Ministry for Economic Affairs are important partners in this project.
At the Future Internet Congress on 3 December 2014 we will be taking up not only issues such as Big Data and the innovative potential of intelligent smart services but also questions of IT security and network policy, while at the same time highlighting the impacts on the economy and on society. As patron of this Congress I look forward to your participation and hope you will have a fresh input of ideas and many stimulating discussions.
Tarek Al-Wazir
Hessian Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport and Regional Development
