Boost for digitalization in the coalition agreement: adesso survey reveals scepticism at executive level

Respondents’ approval ratings for the individual measures planned by the next federal government peak at around 90 percent. For many other plans, the ‘positive’ or ‘very positive’ rating is between 70 and 80 percent. It is clear that respondents consider the further development of infrastructure to be particularly important. At 93 percent, expansion of fibre optics and mobile communications clearly has the highest approval rate, followed by a cloud and data centre strategy, at 87 percent which includes the establishment and expansion of German data centres and at least one AI gigafactory. Executives see both measures as vital for companies that want to implement data-driven business models and digital processes in sovereign cloud environments in Germany. Other areas that received high approval ratings from respondents were the promotion of research and innovation, strengthening cyber security for SMEs (79 percent each), the promotion of open source technologies, and strengthening digital sovereignty (78 percent each). Finally, more than three-quarters of those surveyed welcome the planned digital ministry and expect it to provide a significant boost to Germany as a business destination.

Desire and reality: The practical implementation

However, there are considerable reservations with regard to confidence in the implementation of the planned projects. Only 45 percent of those surveyed overall predict that digitalization will make noticeable progress during this legislative period. There is even less confidence at executive level in the ability of political decision-makers to get things done: only 36 percent of board members and managing directors expect real progress in digitalization.

There are also significant differences of opinion between top decision-makers on the one hand and middle management on the other when it comes to evaluating certain digitalization measures. For example, the importance or necessity of a cloud and data centre strategy for Germany or the digital ministry is highlighted by only 71 percent of top decision-makers in both cases, while the proportion among middle-level managers is slightly higher at 89 percent and 80 percent respectively.

Study method

On behalf of adesso, the market research company HEUTE UND MORGEN surveyed a total of 400 managers in Germany in April 2025 on the planned digitalisation projects in the coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD for the 21st legislative session of the German Bundestag, which was publicly presented on 9 April 2025.