Event – ifo Branchen-Dialog (ifo Industry Colloquium)

ifo Industry Colloquium 2019

6 November 2019 09:15 - 16:30

IHK Academy Munich, Orleansstraße 10–12, 81669 Munich

ifo Branchen-Dialog 2019 - Prof. Andreas Peichl

The ifo Industry Colloquium is a platform for current topics from an industry-specific perspective. In its four sector forums – Industry, Trade, Construction, and the Service Sector – experts from companies, associations, politics, and research discuss current industry developments, trends, and challenges. The conference, which the ifo Institute holds regularly in cooperation with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria, is sponsored by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy.

In addition to industry forecasts, this year’s Industry forum discussed the need for a more active industrial policy in Germany. The Trade forum focussed on the topic of digital marketplaces and platforms. The Construction forum dealt with energy-efficient and non-energy-efficient renovation. Meanwhile, the Service Sector forum considered how companies need to organize themselves in order to make optimum use of IT services.

Program

06.11.2019
9:15 a.m.	Welcome Remarks Dr. Eberhard Sasse President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria
9:30 a.m.	The German Economy: Economic Situation and Need for Economic Policy Action Prof. Clemens Fuest President of the ifo Institute
10:30 a.m.	Coffee break
11:00 a.m.	Forum 1 – Industry Forum 2 – Trade
12:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:30 p.m.	Labour market effects of automation Prof. Andreas Peichl Director of the ifo Center for Macroeconomics and Surveys
2:30 p.m.	Coffee break
3:00 p.m.	Forum 3 – Construction Forum 4 – Service Sector
4:30 p.m.	Wrap-up

Forums

Industry Forum

Does Germany Need a More Active Industrial Policy?

Global competition is changing fast: important digital industries are increasingly dominated by a handful of US giants, while China is striving for global technology leadership in ten key technologies through massive state intervention. Germany’s Federal Minister of Economics and Technology has now responded to these challenges with his “National Industrial Strategy 2030,” thereby triggering a lively debate: do we really need a more active industrial policy to promote the competitiveness of Germany and Europe?

Moderator	Harald Schultz, ifo Institute
Industry development	Simon Litsche, ifo Institute
Expert contributions	Prof. Dr. Oliver Falck, ifo Institute Dr. Andreas Fier, Deutsche Telekom AG Dr. Robert Obermeier, Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria

Service Sector Forum

How Should Companies Organize Themselves to Make Optimum Use of IT Services?

IT services have grown rapidly in recent years, and their use and importance have risen sharply. They have become a central building block in the fabric of the economy, interweaving with almost all other sectors. Their impact on work processes and cooperation models both within and between companies is considerable. While this presents considerable potential for increasing production and developing new products and services, it also raises organizational and legal challenges.

Moderator	Dr. Cornelia Geißler, ifo Institute
Industry development	Dr. Klaus Wohlrabe, ifo Institute
Expert contributions	Dr. Nina Czernich, ifo Institute Carlos Frischmuth, BV. für selbständige Wissensarbeit Bernd Wiserner, ConSol Consulting & Solutions Software GmbH

Trade Forum

Marketplaces and Platforms on the Rise

Marketplaces and platforms are being presented as the distribution channels of the future. As the number of bespoke online shops grows, it is becoming more and more challenging for retailers to raise the necessary funds on their own to survive in competition. Marketplaces and platforms, on the other hand, attract significantly more visitors due to the diversity of their products, the number of providers, or the additional services they offer. What are the advantages and disadvantages of platforms? Which offers are suitable for which kinds of retailers? Is it better for retailers to develop a marketplace of their own, or does it make more sense to network with existing providers?

Moderator	Wolfgang Fischer, CityPartnerMünchen e.V.
Industry development	Sabine Rumscheidt, ifo Institute
Expert contributions	Georg Wittmann, ibi research Lars Schade, Mercateo Phillip Höly, ANWR Group/ Schuhe.de

Construction Forum

Challenges and New Approaches to Modernization

The building sector has an important role to play in implementing the energy transition. However, the rate of energy-efficient modernization has hovered around just 1 percent for years. The Energiesprong principle, devised in the Netherlands, aims to achieve serial renovation; as such, it might provide new impetus. In addition, the non-energy-efficient renovation sector also requires more efficient implementation of modernization measures. Given the increasing importance of age-appropriate renovation, it will be essential to further optimize work processes and make systematic use of existing prefabrication potential.

Moderator	Dr. Josef Wallner, Bavarian Construction Industry Association e.V.
Industry development	Ludwig Dorffmeister, ifo Institute
Expert contributions	Julius Pahl, German Energy Agency (dena) Ingo Hübner, Vonovia Technischer Service Nord