Generating a Return from Digitalization? This Question Was at the Center of the 6th Digitalization Forum of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Digital Affairs (MID) in Magdeburg on December 11, 2025
The Just Transition Center (JTC) was invited to present two of its current research and development projects. Around 25 representatives from state administration, municipalities, and specialized ministries discussed ways in which digitalization can create real added value for the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Digitalizing Administrative Processes
State Secretary Bernd Schlömer opened the event and provided an overview of the current status of key digitalization topics in the state. For 2026, he announced the establishment of an Open Source Round Table – a platform that could also incorporate the scientific expertise of the JTC in the future.
Among the guests were, in addition to CDOs Tobias Krüger (MID) and Dr. Kathrin Meyer-Pinger (Ministry of Education Saxony-Anhalt), representatives from the State Chancellery, the Association of Cities and Municipalities of Saxony-Anhalt (SGSA), and the Association of Districts.
Frank Bonse (MID) presented the recently concluded agreements with the district council and the SGSA. The aim of these collaborations is to strengthen districts in digitalizing their administrative processes and to build targeted expertise in these areas.
JTC Presents Projects: Open Source and Policy Generator
Dr. Cornelia Deimer, Revierscout, introduced the overall idea and philosophy of the JTC: The project examines 17 key future-oriented questions in the fields of society, materials science, and law, all related to transformation and structural change. The goal is to implement these questions in practice and develop solutions for the region. Digitalization of administration and the use of open-source solutions are central components.
Building on this, Martin Häuer (Team C1) and his team presented their work on open source in software and hardware as well as on standardization. Over the past few years, the group has built expertise across Europe and has already achieved tangible results.
Georgia Könemann (Team C2) illustrated with a concrete practical example how a policy generator developed in the JTC’s LegalTech Lab can support administrations in drafting legal regulations in the future.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The event concluded with a lecture by Prof. Dr. Katja Nebe (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg), who examined the role of artificial intelligence from the perspective of gender equality and non-discrimination – an important cross-cutting topic for the digitalization of public processes.
JTC draws a positive conclusion: The event provided valuable insights, new networking opportunities, and numerous points of contact for collaborations in 2026. A lively exchange with politics, administration, and regional actors was initiated and is expected to continue in the coming months.
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