#FNFunboxed: Expert discussion on digitalisation vs. the paper industry
19.02.2019 - How is digitalisation affecting SMEs? We were there live with our podcast microphone when the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (#FNFunboxed) tackled this hot topic at Steinbeis Papier in Glückstadt. The experts invited were: Steinbeis Papier Managing Director Ulrich Feuersinger and Kay Richert, economic policy spokesman for the FDP state parliamentary group.
What opportunities does digitalisation offer the economy? How much will it influence developments on the labour market, which sectors will benefit, which less? And how well equipped is Germany as a business location for digitalisation - keyword: broadband expansion. Presenter Peter Brodersen spoke to the two experts about this.
Good growth despite digitalisation - Steinbeis Papier
Will the paper industry be able to keep up with the pace of digitalisation in the long term? E-mails have replaced letters. Magazines are now only printed in small print runs. Daily newspapers are read on smartphones. Every year, a paper machine is removed from the industry because less paper is being used. A development that has been observed in the industry for years. How is a traditional paper company like Steinbeis preparing for the digital future? Ulrich Feuersinger believes that his company Steinbeis Papier is absolutely solid despite digitalisation.
The millions invested in sustainable systems, technologies and the circular economy at the Glückstadt site in recent decades are paying off. 2018 was the year of the turnaround, Feuersinger reported to Christine Reimers from the shz. For the first time, over 304,000 tonnes of paper were produced and sold. The concept of sustainability has arrived in offices in particular. They are even expanding overseas with Blue Angel office paper.
Schleswig-Holstein at the forefront of the movement
Kay Richert from the FDP sees digitalisation as an economic revolution. It is a cross-sectional development that affects everyone and can no longer be stopped. The state of Schleswig-Holstein sees itself at the forefront of the movement. Digitalisation is being massively advanced with the expansion of fibre optics in the state and offers immense opportunities. Digital services in government are now an integral part of citizen services. Digitalisation offers great potential in terms of opportunities and the future. It is up to us how we deal with it in order to make the most of it. The experts largely agree on this. But listen for yourself.
Author: Sandra Staub
