In October, a workshop took place at the Cyber Innovation Hub (CIH) in Berlin to tackle how digital innovation can be managed from an integrated point of view. Organized by the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) and the German Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media (BITKOM), the workshop presented current digitization projects and initiatives to foster innovation at the Bundeswehr.
The event shed light on the challenges of designing and implementing user-centric development and procurement processes within the Bundeswehr. These challenges revolve around factors that hinder the early adoption of key digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data; fragmented supply and demand sides; insufficient conditions in terms of budget planning; and innovation-hampering regulatory frameworks under current public procurement laws.
Against this backdrop, the Bundeswehr increasingly is pursuing diverse initiatives to enable holistic innovation management practices. The workshop especially highlighted the added value of integrating start-ups in the military innovation context and raising platforms and international cooperation for allowing user-centric development processes.
Overall, the event revealed that effective adoption of technological innovation requires the Bundeswehr to open to external stakeholders. However, this increases the complexity of establishing innovation management practices. Introducing internal methodical expertise in steering innovation and actively shaping framework conditions that foster innovation becomes key to accompany this transformation. Initiatives such as the "System Center Digitization Ground" (Systemzentrum Digitalisierung Land) can be used as an ideal platform to manage this growing complexity.
For establishing a systemic innovation approach, an increasing distinction must be made between a short-term diffusion strategy, a medium-term development strategy and long-term research strategies. These norm strategies then require different implementation planning. The more user-oriented these norm strategies become, the more important standardized measures for a structured exchange with industry actors, agile software development, simultaneous standardization and certification processes and more flexible tendering processes. System-oriented approach procurement cycles of the Bundeswehr can be aligned with fast-moving development cycles in the IT-sector; thus, delivery times and outputs can be optimized.
The open points derived from this session will be discussed at the next YAFCEA event in October 2021.
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