Rapid technological change is impacting democracy on two levels. On the one hand, discourse is changing, the authenticity of news is being questioned, and communication is accelerating. On the other hand, the question of the state's performance is being raised anew.
When services are offered online around the clock, but the next appointment at the public office is not available until the distant future, the state loses legitimacy. Simply digitising analogue processes is not enough to make the state more efficient. Rather, new structures must be created for new processes. For democracy, its own technological capabilities represent both a profound challenge and an opportunity. The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung was particularly fortunate to be able to recruit one of the most innovative minds at the interface of technology, politics and social change as the KAS-Fellow 2024.
Lars Zimmermann is co-founder and board member of GovTech Campus Deutschland e.V., the world's first innovation, development and learning space for the modernisation of government and administration. For a year, he accompanied, supported and challenged the work of the foundation. In many background discussions, conferences, podcasts and interviews, he was not satisfied with analysing the status quo and pointed out new, innovative ways forward. In doing so, he called for comprehensive state modernisation to make democracy fit for the 21st century – a "Staatenwende".
This report aims to present and recount the inspiring and exciting year with Lars Zimmermann. It shows how the abstract concept of state modernisation can be experienced and understood in everyday situations through technological and social innovations. Not least, the spectacular developments surrounding artificial intelligence offer undreamt-of opportunities for the further development and modernisation of democracy, the state and administration.
Read the entire report here as PDF. Please note, to date the report is only available in German.
