Nothing surprising about Germany excelling at its strongest fields: creating ministries. Accretive policy is strong there and in their Anglo-Saxon descendants.
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Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
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Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#22[dead]
Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#23Nothing surprising about Germany excelling at its strongest fields: creating ministries. Accretive policy is strong there and in their Anglo-Saxon descendants.
On the flip side we Anglo-Saxons (and Germany's descendants in general) also invented a lot of cool stuff: airplanes, trains, cars, tractors, spacecraft, even hot air balloons!
Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#24Many German companies want „Digitalisierung“, workflow automation, process improvements, they want to use AI, LLMs, but when it comes to implementing all of that, they are drowning in bureaucracy. What Germans can do is create layers of bureaucracy.
LOL - I can second that. There are a lot of memes about nothing screams more "Digitalisierung!" than having to send papers via fax. Or having to carry cash coz a lot of places don't even give you the option to pay by card (even though this seems to come to an end, hello 2025!)
Random German company: You open your intranet, manually search through hundreds of (pdf!) application-forms (because search is not implemented), downlod the right form, print it(!), fill the form, sign it, scan the paper, send it to the ticket system. That’s what they call „Digitalisierung“, because previously they had to send the printed paper-form to the helpdesk team.
Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The agreement stipulates that the CSU will be in charge of the “super–high-tech ministry,” as party leader Markus Söder called it in a press conference this week. The CSU has not proposed a minister yet, but it’s widely expected that Dorothee Bär, who was in charge of “digital infrastructure” in previous governments under former Chancellor Angela Merkel, will get the nod. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothee_B%C3…
>who was in charge of “digital infrastructure” in previous governments germany's digital infrastructure is a global laughing stock, this doesn't bode well.
That's more a mistranslation of the role.
Digital infrastructure was part of traffic ministry.
Her role was coordinating the government's mostly internal digital strategy. Thus reviewing new bills, looking at processes inside the administration etc. most of the work outside the public eye.
Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#26The upside is that this will actually provide lots of research funding to small companies. Think of it like the seed round from a VC, but instead of investing into new companies, they try to strategically invest into existing companies to boost future tax revenue.
It'll probably be very German, meaning overly bureaucratic. But the basic idea of financing R&D in small companies to grow them more competitive seems legit to me.
As an example of what was funded by similar German government grants, you can look at voize, which is (by now) also a YC company: https://en.voize.de/uber-uns
EDIT: Here's some German info on the 1.98 mio € research grant from early 2022 (meaning it was awarded shortly before they joined the W22 YC batch): https://www.interaktive-technologien.de/projekte/pysa
Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#27They need to call Mrs. Merkel back.
Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#28Many German companies want „Digitalisierung“, workflow automation, process improvements, they want to use AI, LLMs, but when it comes to implementing all of that, they are drowning in bureaucracy. What Germans can do is create layers of bureaucracy.
Yeah, I'm sure a thousand lovely Horizon 2040 funded research projects that result in throwaway academic solutions to hyper-specific industry issues where the first MVP is shown after 5 years will come out of this.
Not even throwaway. They will result in reports and keynote presentations, but nothing truly functional. The EU doesn't understand how to structure incentives to make things work and avoid rent-seekers and grifters. Source, I've been part of some large EU consortia. Never again.
Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#29Cool, scientists persecuted in the USA can now free to Germany. Kind of like Einstein & Co, but exact opposite direction.
Re: Germany creates 'super–high-tech ministry' for research, technology, aerospace
#30Nothing surprising about Germany excelling at its strongest fields: creating ministries. Accretive policy is strong there and in their Anglo-Saxon descendants.
On the flip side we Anglo-Saxons (and Germany's descendants in general) also invented a lot of cool stuff: airplanes, trains, cars, tractors, spacecraft, even hot air balloons!
The Greeks and Romans probably invented even more useful stuff of modern civilization, the problem is past glory doesn't pay present day bills, unless you're running a museum.