Expertise from Bad Nauheim for Europe

BAD NAUHEIM. Digitization is a challenge for many small and medium-sized companies that they are reluctant to tackle. The EU Commission had therefore set up a working group to offer support here. On board was the Bad Nauheim IT specialist Gordon Kirstein. The panel's final report is now available.

That was an exciting experience, reports Gordon Kirstein from the consultations in Brussels: “In order to achieve a broad consensus, representatives of various interest groups and from all EU countries sit here. So very different expectations and knowledge meet, but everyone has their sights set on a big goal. ”The 47-year-old considers it a real honor that he was allowed to sit at the table for almost two years.

The working group "Skills for SME's" - meaning small and medium-sized companies - had a clear task to fulfill, reports the native Hildesheimer: "On the one hand, we should collect the biggest obstacles in the European context that stand in the way of digitization and, on the other hand, develop suitable solution strategies. ”The committee was therefore also staffed with scientists, entrepreneurs, consultants and members of parliament to cover the widest possible range. Kirstein was appointed to the working group due to his company's involvement in national and European initiatives - and for a thematic complex. "We brought IT security and practice into the consultations," explains the owner of the IT security service provider movetech.

To ensure this, it must first be understood that IT security and IT administration are basically two different areas. "It is not about special software or hardware, but about the understanding that IT security is the foundation and every company needs a suitable concept for it." This knowledge must be made accessible and accessible, especially for small SMEs, he demands 47-year-old: "And as simple as possible."

This approach is part of the final document "Skills for SMEs - Cybersecurity, Internet of Things and Big Data for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises", which was officially presented at the end of March. The Bad Nauheimer is quoted literally in the associated brochure with his call for an online portal with instructions for IT security for SMEs. "I would not have thought that my comment would be so well received."

One of the biggest challenges that SMEs in Europe face in terms of digitization is the lack of specialist staff: by the end of this year, the EU Commission is expecting around one million vacant IT positions across Europe. For Gordon Kirstein, a clear signal to future school leavers when it comes to choosing training and courses, but also to schools and their curricula: “The IT industry is growing. This is particularly evident in the face of the corona pandemic: many services are being moved online, home offices and online conferences are the order of the day. Expertise is required to make this work smoothly and, above all, safely. ”The EU Commission had long since recognized this.

You can find the document here.