Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation
and Automation IFF

It is certainly no longer a secret that digital transformation is changing our world forever. This is already perceptible in many domains of life right now. It is successively pervading business and everyday life. Digital transformation is not an end unto itself. It is an outcome of technological progress, which we intend to exploit. Thanks to digital transformation, we are witnessing hitherto undreamed of opportunities in the private sphere, at work, and in the interconnectivity of people and machines. It is not only interconnecting data but also combining ideas and creating new visions.

As it seems, however, we are just setting out on a long path, not knowing where it is going to take us exactly one day. The capabilities of digital transformation are enormous. The related challenges and open questions are still confronting many actors with big problems, though.

Returning to the pre-digital age is not an option, though. Even though some obstacles remain to be overcome, the benefits of digital technologies clearly prevail.