Koblenz IT Conference Peers Into the Digital Future

The chapter and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) examined the topic of the digital future in August at the 12th Koblenz IT Conference. Chapter President Armin Fleischmann and Brig. Gen. Michael Hauschild, representing BAAINBw, provided opening remarks. Speaking at the conference, Benedikt Zimmer, secretary of state at the Federal Ministry of Defense, said the armed forces are part of the digital future, but not all leaders are aware of the effects of digitalization. This could include new requirements, personnel adjustments or reorganization of processes. Leaders will have to say goodbye to using solutions as long as possible because technological development is progressing so fast, Zimmer said. Klaus Vitt, secretary of state in the Federal Ministry of the Interior and commissioner for information technology for the federal government, presented a planned portal network for the federal government, federal states and municipalities to show what a digitized platform might look like. Kevin J. Scheid, general manager of the NATO Communications and Information Agency, said he sees his agency in exciting times due to changes from digitization. The agency wants to master these changes with its own developments as well as corporate and research partnerships, said Schied, who has served the U.S. federal government for more than 30 years. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, managing director, Federation of German Security & Defense Industries (BDSV), stated that his association cannot ignore digitization. The association increasingly looks for members from the information technology industry and strengthens this area of knowledge within its ranks. Albert Lichtenthal of Proventika, an institute for applied brain research and neurosciences, asked in his lecture: How much digitization does the human brain tolerate? The scientist called for an intelligent digitization that combines technical development positively with the human system. Representatives of the German armed forces, ministries and enterprises held three panels to discuss needs-based information technology control through architectures; the future of maritime platforms; and the benefits of digitization for the German armed forces' command and control capability.

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