Michael Schmidmeir

95% of corporate #AI projects fail. As I recently discussed with Handelsblatt, the reason isn’t the technology itself, it’s leadership. Too often, companies focus on the latest technology but overlook the requirements that truly drive impact. Success with AI depends on avoiding three pitfalls: 1️⃣ Chaotic data: Without a clean and accessible foundation, even the best AI models fail. That’s why we’ve built secure cloud-based knowledge systems to power our teams’ work. 2️⃣ Too few AI drivers: AI transformation must start at the top and be enabled by experts. At #BCG in Central Europe, 200+ “AI Black Belts” help teams put AI to work in real contexts. 3️⃣ Ignoring fears: 40% of employees remain skeptical about AI at work. Leaders who acknowledge and address concerns build lasting trust. AI will reshape work. But it is not a question of technology. It's an essential part of the CEO agenda. Following this, success will come to those who embed it into the strategy and culture of the company. 🔗️ Read the full Handelsblatt article here (in German): https://lnkd.in/eW6KXdgj  #ArtificialIntelligence #GenAI #Leadership 

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Encouraging 🌟 That’s the word that best captures yesterday’s exchange with Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger and former Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel at Table.Briefings 🙌 ​ What became clear: there is collective excitement and broad support for Germany’s modernization and digitalization. Now we need to seize the momentum – across the public and private sector. We are in this together. I’m truly optimistic about what we can jointly achieve ✨ ​ The new opportunities with AI make this moment to leapfrog into our digital future: 💡 Applied AI is key to competitiveness – Europe must harness its strengths in software, processes and industry-expertise to secure its global position.​ 💡 AI strengthens our ability to act – when applied pragmatically, AI can make administration and industry future-ready: boosting efficiency, closing skills gaps, and unleashing European innovation.​ 💡 Digital sovereignty starts with software – true independence comes not just from servers, but from powerful AI software, integrated platforms, and trusted partners. SAP is committed, as underscored by this week’s announcements. ​ ​ The time for debate is over. The time for applied AI is now.​ ​ #DigitalFuture #Sovereignty #Germany

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For Dr. Ulrich Störk, Member of PwC Deutschland’s EMEA Executive Team leading Technology Alliances, the challenges behind AI adoption are real. Companies often expect immediate cost savings from generative AI, but without clean data, workforce readiness and leadership alignment, those gains remain elusive. AI success depends more on solid foundations than on flashy models. With technology evolving rapidly, planning must extend beyond today’s use cases to capture tomorrow’s opportunities. READ NOW: https://lnkd.in/gANepyPb

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How is AI transforming audit? 🔎   A great guest article from our Swiss colleagues just dropped in the Handelszeitung – and it’s well worth a read!   As artificial intelligence moves from buzzword to business tool, it is transforming audit, enabling deeper insights, increasing expectations from clients, and redefining the auditor’s role. Today’s audit professionals must combine technical expertise with strategic thinking to assess not only financial data but also how companies use AI themselves.   From my own experience, I can confirm this shift is happening every day. AI isn’t replacing auditors – it’s empowering them to deliver greater trust, quality, and impact.   👉 Check out the full article (in German): https://lnkd.in/eAXV8u7K

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🚗💥 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. On July 25, 2025, a new regulation quietly dropped into the Bundesgesetzblatt: The “𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐤-𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐧𝐮𝐧𝐠”. Sounds boring? It’s not. This is 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 that companies like Ottopia and Vay have been waiting for. Remote-controlled cars - steered by human operators from control centers - are now officially allowed on German roads. No more special permits. No more legal gray zones. It’s go-time. But there’s a catch (a smart one): 🔒 Max speed capped at 80 km/h. 👨‍✈️ Remote drivers must be 21+, with 3+ years of driving experience and certified training. 📡 Vehicles need real-time data links and special approvals. It’s a 𝟓-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞, but make no mistake: This is a massive leap forward. Germany is the first EU country to give remote driving a proper legal framework. ⚡ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐚𝐲? Both have been running trials in Hamburg and Berlin, but now they can scale up. Picture this: 👉 You order a car-sharing EV. 👉 A remote driver steers it through city traffic to your location. 👉 You hop in and drive off yourself. 👉 When you’re done, another remote driver parks it or sends it to the next customer. No in-car driver required. No parking chaos. No more 30% of city traffic spent hunting for parking. Vay already launched such services in Belgium; now Germany is next in line. 🚀 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞? • For cities: Fewer cars parked on streets, cleaner air, less congestion. • For users: Convenience without waiting for autonomous vehicles to catch up. • For the economy: New jobs in tele-driving, tech infrastructure, and fleet services. 🛑 This is 𝙣𝙤𝙩 autonomous driving. It’s human-driven, just remotely. And that changes the entire debate about safety, liability, and readiness. This regulation doesn’t just open doors for Ottopia and Vay. It signals a new era for mobility in Europe. Expect to see more tele-driven ride-shares, deliveries, and rentals in your city soon. The future isn’t self-driving yet. It’s remote-driving: it’s already here. #RemoteDriving #Teleoperation #MobilityRevolution #Germany #Vay #Ottopia #SmartMobility #UrbanTransport #FutureOfDriving #EUtech #Transportation 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 (𝘤) 𝘖𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢

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🔅 China & India: An Enduring Yet Evolving Relationship Earlier this month, I had the honor and pleasure to moderate the OAV - German Asia-Pacific Business Association Ambassador’s Dialogue with the German Ambassadors to China and India, Dr. Patricia Flor and Dr. Philipp Ackermann.  Both ambassadors spoke during this virtual session on China-India relations from Beijing’s and New Delhi’s perspective. The discussion with the representatives from German companies and organizations confirmed some of my own observations of the recent months: 1️⃣ Pragmatic business ties persist despite geopolitical tensions: BRICS and booming trade keep China and India linked, with China India's second-largest partner (https://lnkd.in/eQXN-eCp). This balance of competition and collaboration will increasingly shape Asia's future as both nations rise. Any dynamics will attract the attention of the globe, and today I want to share three recent developments revealing the relationship's complexity. 2️⃣Diplomatic Re-engagement After Challenges The July visit of India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to Beijing marked the first ministerial-level exchange since 2020 (https://lnkd.in/ejWAbRF7). The discussion focused on practical economic cooperation, demonstrating both nations' ability to compartmentalize disputes while advancing shared interests. 3️⃣ Visa Resumption: Restoring People-to-People Ties July 25th, India has resumed issuing visas to Chinese nationals after a five-year freeze (https://lnkd.in/eMkmw4Yh). This move could boost tourism, academic and business exchanges, key to bilateral ties. With border talks planned this year, it shows both sides' pragmatic approach to managing differences while pursuing shared interests. Also, both countries confirmed talks to resume direct flights between China and India soon (https://lnkd.in/edswZ9Nh). 🌈 Why This Matters​​ for the World The China-India relationship is a complex balance of tension and pragmatism. For global stakeholders, grasping this duality is essential. As both nations rise, their ability to manage rivalry while cultivating synergy will define 21st-century statecraft. Recent progress shows mutual recognition of what's at stake: stability for 2.8 billion people and the wider world. #China #India #BRICS #Geopolitics#Asia #GlobalSouthCooperation #EmergingMarkets #GeopoliticalRisk (Disclaimer: The ideas, views, and opinions expressed in my LinkedIn posts, articles, videos, and profiles represent my own views and not those of my current or previous employers or any organizations with which I am associated.)

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The #MadeforGermany initiative is a powerful collaboration between 61 companies and investors to drive innovation, create jobs, and boost competitiveness. NVIDIA is committed to this effort to help shape a future-proof German economy.

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𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨; 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. I’ve followed Felix Gaehtgens — since his early Gartner days — and always valued his sharp industry insights (even when I didn’t fully agree). So when he sat down with Martin Kuppinger, another respected expert, I knew I had to tune in. A few key #ITDR (Identity Threat Detection and Response) takeaways: • 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐯𝐬. 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: Felix highlights an important gap. Solutions often offer either visibility or observability, but organizations need both. You need to reduce attack surface 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 an incident and also detect and contain threats 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 an attack. • 𝐈𝐓𝐃𝐑 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐎: There’s a positive trend I took away from #Gartner research: about 30% of companies now have IAM reporting to the CISO (up from <10% when Semperis started). I’ve long believed ITDR needs to sit with, or be championed by, security leadership. • 24𝐱7 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 & 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: While ITDR enables real-time detection, IAM teams can’t always respond instantly, especially when facing a new generation of AI threats. SOC teams might have some identity expertise, but it’s rarely enough. The answer? More automation. The critical decisions during an incident should be handled by the system, not delayed by waiting for an expert. • 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 ‘𝐑’ 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐓𝐃𝐑: Felix rightly notes many solutions lack true response capabilities. At Semperis, we’ve been advocating for ITDR that goes beyond detection, with a customizable response matrix: disabling compromised accounts, alerting SOCs, undoing malicious changes, and fully restoring a trustworthy identity system. Simply put: “Response” isn’t just what you do in the moment, it’s how you get back to business, safely and confidently. More thoughts on #NHI in my next post and link to the podcast in the first comment. 

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84% of CEOs view innovation as essential for driving growth (McKinsey & Company). However, innovation doesn’t always have to be radical. In fact, 95% of corporate innovation is incremental — small but steady improvements to existing products, services, and operations. 💡 In our recent conversation with Markus Winterholer, we discussed what innovation is in practice, and why companies should focus on 𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 just as much as 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. For strategic insights from Senior Specialist for AI and Cloud at Microsoft, watch our interview: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e5guw42J #techInnovation #digitalTransformation #ITleadership #techLeadership #ITservices

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