๐คThe coronavirus pandemic not only led to psychological stress, but also caused considerable economic damage. According to a recent study by the Vodafone Institute and Prognos, increasing digitalisation in Germany between 2020 and 2022 could help to prevent a complete economic collapse in a similar way to government aid๐.
๐The study is based on IW calculations, according to which value added in Germany could have been 420 billion euros higher between 2020 and 2022 without coronavirus. ๐บ๐ฆAuch The effects of the war in Ukraine are taken into account, but play a subordinate role compared to the pandemic.
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Increased with digitalisation
๐ฐIt was calculated that digitalisation increased gross domestic product by around 130 billion euros between 2020 and 2022, which contributed to mitigating the effects of coronavirus to a similar extent as state economic aid. These also totalled 130 billion euros, including grants, loans and guarantees. The calculations took into account industry-specific differences in digitalisation.
๐ฅFor example, digitalisation in information and communication technology prevented sales losses of 15 billion euros, while companies in transport or construction, which operate locally, benefited less from digitalisation.
๐ฉโ๐ปWhilst strict coronavirus measures in winter and spring 2021, the greatest economic benefit of digitalisation was seen in working from home and e-commerce. With the lifting of most measures from summer 2022, the positive effect decreased again.
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Bavaria particularly strong
๐ฅจThe Vodafone Institute and Prognos also measure the regional economic effects of network expansion in the “Innovation Index Germany”. ๐ฅBavaria has continuously expanded its network more than the German average since 2010, especially in rural regions. In addition to large cities such as Munich, urban districts such as Erlangen have benefited more than average. In contrast, less densely populated districts in various regions, including Pforzheim, Mรผnster and Kiel, are at the bottom of the rankings๐.
