Digitalization is transforming the economy and society more profoundly than any other advance in the history of technology. Increasing interplay across a wide array of digital technologies is sparking disruption and innovation at an unprecedented pace. The sweeping transformation is revolutionizing the way people interact with devices and machines, and another embodiment of the change is the interplay between brick-and-mortar and virtual realities. At CeBIT in Hannover, Germany, the digital transformation takes front and center stage.
The impact of digital transformation is tangible everywhere. Particularly in the economy, it is busting open and reinventing inherited processes and structures as well as the existing barriers between different sectors of industry. The limits of collaboration across company and industry borders are being redefined – including the human-technology interface. New forms of work and business models are arising.
As the world's foremost event devoted to the digitalization of business, administration and society, CeBIT 2017 will focus on the wealth of opportunities inherent in the digital transformation. "The keynote theme of 'd!conomy – no limits' stands for the opportunities which have opened up for companies via digitalization and new technologies," explained Oliver Frese, Managing Board Member at Deutsche Messe, in a recent interview, continuing: "The keynote theme in 2017 also stands for the fact that the human/machine interface is undergoing a profound shift, as is the traditional distinction between reality and virtual reality. As designers of the digital age, people should not limit themselves in terms of new ideas and options, but should open-mindedly assess the possible options and take on an active role in shaping the transition."
Digital transformation is being driven by new technologies and opportunities: Developments like artificial intelligence, virtual & augmented reality, autonomous systems, 3D printing, humanoid service robots and drones are the current drivers of the trend. An increasing number of application scenarios in the Internet of Things are enabling positive interaction and new types of cooperation between people and technology. As Frese put it: "IoT applications and new technologies open up new horizons in the truest sense of the word. Our task now is to turn these technologies into business opportunities."
That is why next year's CeBIT will have an even stronger focus on appli¬cations, said Frese: "Our exhibition halls will serve as showcases for highly relevant, real-world examples of digitalization in a number of different sectors, including automotive, banking and insurance, retailing, healthcare and administration, in an impressive demonstration of the way digitalization is impacting every conceivable area of business and society," he remarked.
As the "Global Event for Digital Business" – featuring the keynote theme of "d!conomy – no limits!" – CeBIT is positioning itself as the flagship event for digitalization and the digital transformation of the economy, public administration and society. This focus provides orientation for all decision-makers involved in shaping the digital enterprises and digital public administrations of the future.
Frese pointed out that the prerequisite for success in the "d!conomy" lies in creativity, an openness to change and a new entrepreneurial spirit: "But it is also a question of new skills and qualifications which will be driving the world of 'Work 4.0'. We need to witness the interplay of these new technologies in order to recognize and exploit the business and social opportunities arising from it."
Next March at the Hannover Exhibition Center, CeBIT 2017 will be showcasing these new technologies in an application-centric way, with new, data data-driven business models and value chains featured in a big way. Special highlights will be presented by exhibitors within the scope of the "discover d!conomy" tour introduced this year as a virtual guide to showcases dedicated to individual sectors. The tour provides a framework for connecting players from business, politics and society as well as for an often controversial discussion among internationally leading visionaries, top executives and creative thinkers with respect to standardization and the legal and regulatory framework.
"Digitalization is not a condition or a process which suddenly comes to fruition," explained BITKOM Executive Director Bernhard Rohleder, adding: "CeBIT is the ideal place for essential networking among global players, SMEs and startups, for building a bridge between suppliers and users of digital solutions, and for the necessary dialogue between innovators from Germany and abroad."
"Our featured CeBIT Partner Country, Japan, will surely put a great deal of spin on the show's keynote theme. When it comes to digitalization, Japanese society demonstrates a very open and innovative mindset. Europe can take its cues from Japan with regard to pursuing creative new approaches and welcoming new technologies with an eye toward the potential they offer," remarked Frese.
CeBIT – Global Event for Digital Business
CeBIT is the world's foremost event on the wave of digitalization revolutionizing every aspect business, government and society. The show features an annual lineup of over 3,000 exhibitors and attracts some 200,000 visitors to its home base in Hannover, Germany. The spotlight is on all the latest advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, virtual and augmented reality, humanoid robots and drones. Trending topics like Big Data, Cloud Applications, the Internet of Things, Mobile Solutions, Security and Social Business are covered in a rich array of application scenarios. Thanks to CeBIT's special mix of exhibits, conferences and networking opportunities, it is a perennial must on the calendars of IT solution providers and users from around the globe. The startup scene also receives major emphasis at CeBIT, with the SCALE 11 showcase sporting more than 400 aspiring young enterprises. The next CeBIT will be staged from 20 to 24 March 2017, with Japan as its official Partner Country.
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