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Source: Stefan Müller | BMI
The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community - a strong partner of the Smart Country Convention
For many years, the BMI and the SCCON have enjoyed a close and trusting cooperation in the field of digitalization. Together, we are committed to successfully driving forward the digital transformation in Germany.
In 2025, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community will once again be the patron of the Smart Country Convention - the leading event for the digital state and public services. The BMI is pursuing a clear goal:
The digitalization of public administration serves citizens and companies and at the same time strengthens the efficiency of the state. At the same time, we want to ensure that our values also apply and are lived in the digital space.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community will be represented at the Smart Country Convention 2025 with keynote speakers and its own booth.
Federal CIO
Dr. Markus Richter has been State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community and Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology (CIO) since 1 May 2020.
The most important task of the Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology is to expand interministerial IT coordination into interministerial IT management.
The Commissioner is pursuing this goal in conjunction with the IT management bodies: the CIO Council and the Federal IT Management Group. The Commissioner chairs both of these bodies and works in close cooperation with them.
The Commissioner is responsible for strategic issues regarding IT use in the federal administration and must be involved in all proposed legislation and other government projects significantly affecting IT in the public administration.
These were the BMI topics at #SCCON24
Current topics, initiatives and services offered by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community relating to the digitalization of administration.
Digital administration: Implementation of the law on online access
A digital administration is both an expression of proximity to citizens and a location factor in the competition for employees. The implementation of the Online Access Act (OZG) is an important contribution to the digitization of the administration. This can only succeed with the cooperation of the federal, state and local governments, as well as other stakeholders such as associations. The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) coordinates the major digital construction site "OZG implementation". The digitization of the administration has recently experienced a successful phase: the entry into force of the OZG amendment law, the new eIDAS regulation, which paves the way for the introduction of the EUDI wallet. Both laws provide the framework for the further expansion of administrative digitization. Further groundbreaking decisions were made with the NOOTS State Treaty, the Federal Digital Strategy of the IT Planning Council and the Digital Umbrella Brand. The most important 115 administrative services, such as child benefit, can be accessed digitally. More than 100 other services are available digitally in individual states and municipalities, such as digital registration of residence. Nearly 300 online application procedures have been completed directly for the federal portal. The creation of an interoperable federal IT architecture is a successful step towards efficient and trustworthy public administration.
AI in the Federal Administration
Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers immense potential for the digital society. As a key technology, it has an impact on various areas of life. Artificial intelligence systems are becoming increasingly powerful and can accelerate modern and efficient administration.
In government, the use of AI can help make administrative processes more efficient, reduce workload and improve communication with citizens. The automation of administrative services for binding decisions using rule-based AI can speed them up and save resources that are needed, for example, for advising citizens or more complex administrative procedures.
At the same time, developments in artificial intelligence pose new challenges for society. Artificial intelligence must be designed from a human perspective. Their well-being must be at the heart of AI development. This raises ethical and legal issues. Transparency, comprehensibility and traceability of AI applications must be taken into account when dealing with artificial intelligence.
With the Advisory Center for Artificial Intelligence (BeKI), which is currently being set up, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community is creating a central point of contact and coordination for AI projects in the federal administration. The goal is to ensure a coordinated approach to the use of AI technologies and the development of corresponding infrastructures at the federal level.
Digital Sovereignty
Public administration is heavily dependent on individual technology vendors. This poses certain risks: Control over their own IT could be lost, and compliance with national and EU data protection and information security standards could be compromised. To counteract this, federal, state and local governments have decided to protect and continuously expand the digital sovereignty of public administration.
Modernization of police IT in the P20 program
The federal-state program P20, anchored in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, is working at full speed to modernize and consolidate police IT in Germany. As part of the program, the so-called Data House Ecosystem is being created around the common data house of the 16 state police forces and the four participating federal authorities (Federal Criminal Police Office, Federal Police, Police at the German Bundestag and Customs Criminal Police Office). Innovative services and applications covering all functions of police work - from incident and case processing, digital communication and data exchange, documentation and evaluation to AI-supported analysis of mass data and innovative applications for OSINT research - will be provided around the data house, which will significantly improve police data storage and data exchange.
Cyber Security
Trust in the security of our citizens' data is fundamental to the success of digitalization. IT and cybersecurity are therefore an important part of digital policy.
Click here for more information on cybersecurity:
BMI Digital Program: Digital Germany - Sovereign. Secure. Citizen-centric.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) is pursuing digital goals aimed at promoting digital transformation and ensuring secure, efficient and citizen-friendly administration. Important measures include the expansion of the digital infrastructure, such as the nationwide expansion of fast internet. In addition, the digitalization of administration is to be driven forward through the introduction of e-government and the promotion of open data. Data protection and IT security are also at the center of attention to ensure trust in digital services. Finally, digital education and the promotion of innovation in the digital world are also considered essential.
Working at the BMI
Do you want to be in the middle of things, not just on the sidelines? - Then the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community may be the right employer for you. The BMI offers its approximately 2,000 employees varied and interesting tasks as well as optimal working conditions. At the Smart Country Convention, you can get to know the members of the recruitment team on Career Day and find out about current vacancies at the BMI. Colleagues from the University of Applied Sciences will also be present. They will be on hand to answer all your questions about the Digital Administration and Cyber Security (DACS) course!
Contact
SCCON TEAM
You have any questions? We will be happy to assist you!
T +49 30 3038 2300
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