Little New at CeBit

The word "innovation" was everywhere at the 2007 CeBit computer trade fair in Hanover -- as it has been at all the previous editions of the annual event. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she wanted to launch an "innovation offensive," and the exhibitors competed with one another to see who could use terms like "progressive," "groundbreaking" and "innovative" most often.

But, touring through the exhibits, you didn't see all that much that was new or groundbreaking. Instead, there were lots of old wares in new packages. The main changes were minor technical alterations to increase user comfort.

What's true of the exhibitors at the CeBit also applies, perhaps even more so, to Germans as a whole. We Germans like to see ourselves as pioneers and visionaries in the field of modern technology. But what we overlook is that our age of great invention seems to have past. There are no new cars or computers being invented today. And when Germany does manage to come up with new technologies, it's others who profit most from them.

MP3s are perhaps the best example of this. The new music medium was developed by Germany's Fraunhofer Society, and today it's used in nearly all portable music-playing devices. But most MP3 players are produced in the US or Asia, not in Germany.

In a speech at the beginning of the fair, the CEO of the telecommunications manufacturer Alcatel-Lucent, Patricia Russo, warned that ideas were not enough -- the necessary resources and partners were needed to turn them into reality. Russo's words seem particularly applicable to many technology sectors in Germany.

In the immediate post-war era, we Germans mocked the Japanese as mere imitators. But they've long overtaken us on the world market, as did later the tiger economies of southeast Asia. And China is now fast approaching in our rear-view mirror.

Even in the area of pure creativity, Germany has relatively little to offer at the moment. A study commissioned by Microsoft lists Sweden as the world's most creative nation. The US is fourth on the list, Germany is 10th -- three spots below Iceland.

There are lots of reasons for this situation. One is German industry's reluctance to take on risks. It isn't easy to convince German companies to invest in new products, and inventors have difficulty finding financial backers.

Some people call on the state to play a greater role. But what they fail to understand is that elsewhere -- for instance in the US -- the state doesn't get involved. It is foundations, companies or private investors who help new ideas become reality. The state can and must improve educational opportunities. True innovation, however, remains a matter for individuals.

Peter Philipp is Deutsche Welle's chief correspondent. (jc)