Europe has shackled itself, its citizens and its companies – sometimes unnecessarily. In international competition, it is now important to release the brakes. Only then can the continent realise its full potential. And continue to play at eye-level worldwide.
Real Time Automation: Industrial 5G is currently finding its way into more and more factory buildings. Mobile communications technology can become an important element for the smart factory – thanks in part to the ZVEI working group 5G ACIA.
Dear Reader,
The 2024 European elections will take place from 6 to 9 June. For the tenth time, the citizens of Europe are being called upon to elect their parliament. The elections are taking place at a difficult time in geopolitical terms – it is therefore all the more important that we as voters send a signal in favour of a strong and sustainable European Union.
ZVEI fully supports the European idea. The single market and the single currency are the basis of our prosperity. The electro and digital industry in particular benefits from the common economic and currency area.
At the same time, however, the EU must continue to develop if it wants to remain a guarantor of prosperity in the future. The growing number of regulations in particular is overburdening European companies. A reversal is overdue here – bureaucracy must be pushed back resolutely. One example is the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which we have always sharply criticised in both its German and European forms. It may be well-intentioned, but in practice it is proving to be counterproductive.
For more resilience, we need new free trade agreements. The EU must therefore continue with its ambitious trade agenda, negotiate new free trade agreements and implement them quickly. The EU should focus more on pragmatism in such negotiations – because today all countries worldwide have significantly more potential trading partners than 15 years ago. By making maximum demands, for example, it will be difficult for us to obtain all the raw materials we need for the sustainable transformation of our industry.
The European Union is a unique peace project and a haven of stability. We must preserve this – including by remaining economically strong. We in the electro and digital industry are convinced: Europe is capable of more, we just have to let it. As an association and as an industry, we want to make our contribution to this – with this ampere and with many “electrifying ideas for Europe”!
Yours,
Dr Oliver Blank
ZVEI Head of Global Affairs
Europe has shackled itself, its citizens and its companies – sometimes unnecessarily. In international competition, it is now important to release the brakes. Only then can the continent realise its full potential. And continue to play at eye-level worldwide.
![[Translate to Englisch:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/e/d/csm_ampere_1_2024_Chefsache_Web_750x500_01_bfa9bd6792.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:]")
Dr Barbara Frei is convinced the EU has enormous strengths, but they need to be put to better use. In an interview the Executive Vice President Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric argues that technologies for implementing the energy transition need to be promoted just as much as an ecosystem for start-ups. For her, the EU is the basis for a successful future if it develops long-term strategies that lead to further automation, digitalisation and therefore also more energy efficiency in industry, but also in the building sector.
![[Translate to Englisch:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/5/7/csm_ampere_1_2024_Zwiegespraech_Web_750x500_Teaser_47fd1761f1.jpg "[Translate to Englisch:]")
The geopolitical environment and sprawling bureaucracy are challenging Europe. Reinhard Bütikofer, Member of the European Parliament, and ZVEI President Dr Gunther Kegel talk about the state of the EU and its future prospects in an ampere interview.
Silke Sichter, who is responsible for China affairs at ZVEI, took part in a training programme run by the Business Council for Democracy. In an interview with her trainer Gilda Sahebi, she talks about digital experiences with hate speech, disinformation and conspiracy narratives.
Dr. habil Tassilo Schuster und Lara Schmidt vom Fraunhofer-Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen IIS sind im Projekt „Reallabor Antrieb 4.0“ für die Leitung des ersten Arbeitspakets verantwortlich (Analyse von Anwendungsszenarien und Erhebung von Anforderungen an eine modulare Serviceplattform im Ökosystem Antrieb 4.0). Mit ampere sprachen sie über die Idee hinter dem Projekt und den aktuellen Stand.
