The DigitalizAR.de Forum was held this morning at the Palacio San Martín. Its purpose was to present public policies for the promotion of industry 4.0 and digital transformation for SMEs, with an emphasis on cooperation experiences between Argentine and German companies.
The forum, organized jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, the Ministry of Production and Labour and the Argentine-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Argentina), showcased the tools and resources available to SMEs for their digitalization.
The event was attended by Claudia Dörr, the State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy; Horacio Reyser, the Argentine Secretary for International Economic Relations; Mariano Mayer, the Argentine Secretary for Entrepreneurs and SMEs; Federico Shroer, an executive of the Argentine-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce; as well as other authorities from the Ministry of Production and Labour, INTI, business chambers and Argentine SMEs going through the digital transformation process.
In his opening speech, Secretary Reyser stated: "This forum is a chance to continue fostering the ideas exchanged by President Macri and Chancellor Merkel within the framework of the G20 Summit, during which they agreed to promote the development and modernization of SMEs as a way to increase bilateral trade." He also added that: "Bilateral trade between both countries is very significant, but it is still below the trade level to which we aspire in view of the development level and the complementarity of both economies."
Practical examples of the implementation of digitalization systems in Argentine SMEs were presented in the various panels of the event. These enterprises are key actors of Argentine national economy: they represent almost half of the total sales and create more than 60% of jobs. Germany, with a leading industry at a global level in the field of digitalization, is a strategic partner for the digital development of SMEs in the country.
