This year's Bodensee Business Forum was held under the motto "Networking instead of despair: future visions for a new Europe". Among the speakers were Mathias Maierhofer (CEO FL1) and Markus Winter (CEO Oroox AG), two representatives of Liechtenstein. Both discussed the topic of cybersecurity with Andreas Schell, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, SPD Secretary General Lars Klingbeil and Thomas Strobl, Baden-Württemberg's Minister for Digitisation, on stage in front of around 450 visitors.
Maierhofer explained that there are two kinds of entrepreneurs: "Those who know that they have been victims of hackers and those who do not yet know". Digitisation expert Markus Winter is certain that industry and commerce will become increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks: "Today, 27% of the work is done by machines. In 2025 it will be 52%. This, combined with the networking of the machines, results in a wide area for attacks from the net".
Security in the cyber space is also increasingly becoming a sales argument. However, large companies are finding it easier to do this financially, while smaller companies and start-ups are finding it harder.
Software producer Markus Winter, who currently disrupts entire industries with Oroox, and the CDU politician in the European Parliament, Norbert Lins, discussed the question in the subsequent workshop: "What effects does digitization have on politics?
In addition to the Liechtenstein representatives, Günther Öttinger (EU Commissioner for Budget and Personnel), Jean Asselborn (Foreign Minister of Luxembourg), Christian Kern (former Federal Chancellor of Austria), Gerd Müller (Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation) and Cem Özdemir (Member of the Bundestag) were among the 35 speakers at the Lake Constance Business Forum.