Expansion of the digital infrastructure is the key to success for small and medium-size enterprises

Innovative enterprises are transferring their current business models to the digital economic world - and are doing so successfully. Due to technological advances, assets can be used more and more efficiently.

As demonstrated by the Savings Banks Finance Group’s S-SME Fitness Index 2019, one euro in fixed assets generated approx. 1.70 Euro in sales revenues in 2004. In 2018, the amount had increased to EUR 2.20. Germany will need to continue with such productivity gains as these in the future.

Germany’s patchy broadband coverage has therefore become the Achilles heel of economic growth. This affects not only SME employers, but also savings banks and Landesbanken. They want to help their customers save time and travel -  and for this purpose, they need a state-of-the-art network infrastructure. They can only be present locally with bricks-and-mortar branches in communities with a sufficient level of economic activity.

For this reason, savings banks and Landesbanken are committed to financing the expansion of digital infrastructure within their business territories - in some cases also as data network operators. In this way, they make a sustainable contribution to the development of future prospects in communities.