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The digital room in our schools? A crime scene. Anyone entering a computer room in a German school today does not experience the future – but rather the preservation of historical monuments. Between outdated technology and pedagogical concepts from the last century, an education system is failing to renew itself. The technology is there. What is missing is the right attitude.
But there is movement. At Hinterland of Things 2025, thought leaders such as Mona Feder and Jakob Stein show how education can be rethought – and finally done. And in places where it is often forgotten: in everyday working life, in factory halls, in classrooms, in people’s heads.
“We have to go where the product is,” says Mona Feder from doinstruct. Her training solution is revolutionizing the commercial workplace: no mandatory apps, no tablets. Instead, image-based videos in TikTok format. The result: 60% fewer accidents at work, 52% more productivity on the assembly line and in parcel services. That’s not a luxury – it’s a must. Compliance, hygiene, safety: they must be understood – and proven.
These are people who have hardly been reached by the system so far. Many of them barely speak German, 12.5% cannot read or write. Traditional training courses? They seem like something from another century. What is needed here is accessible, approachable and measurable learning. And it works – if you let it.
Investors like Jakob Stein (Creandum) also see the opportunity: “Ten years ago, we invested in training software for the first time – today it has become a billion-dollar company.” But it took a decade before they dared to invest again. Stein says self-critically that they were part of the financing gap.
The potential is right in front of us: unstructured knowledge in factory halls about machine maintenance, materials and special processes – often exclusively in the heads of older employees. The question is how this knowledge can be secured – locally, not in Silicon Valley. Educational technology thus becomes industrial policy – made in Germany.
While schools want to ban AI applications, students have long been working with ChatGPT, Notion AI and 3D tools. They build no-code apps, design with Midjourney and educate themselves on Discord. The system? It counters with laminated slips of paper. This is not a backlog – this is structural oblivion.
EdTech can close this gap. Not as an add-on, but as a foundation. Platforms such as Sofatutor, Sdui and Aula show how personalized, accessible and automated learning can become a reality – especially for children who would otherwise fall through the cracks.
However, digital tools can only be effective if attitude, openness and digital competence are also present. Teachers need support, systems need flexibility, schools need confidence in their own innovative strength.
Digital competence is not a school subject – it is a survival strategy. Those who master AI, data analysis and creative prompting early on will not become the specialists of tomorrow, but the shapers of progress. This is exactly what the Mittelstand is looking for – people with independence, strong communication skills and critical thinking. But to achieve this, they need to rethink their own approach: create learning spaces, allow a culture of error, retain talent.
Even today, we still teach children how important it is to reflect critically, read books together and learn through dialog. This is more demanding than operating an iPad – but also more sustainable. Because real education means more than just accessing information.
Bettina Volkens from great2know contradicts the narrative that AI can make everything better. Although a recent study with over 3,500 participants shows that AI makes many things easier, something is lost in the process – namely the intrinsic motivation to think, question and understand on their own.
Knowledge must remain in people’s heads, not be completely outsourced. Innovation only arises when people meet, learn together and exchange experiences. It is not enough to hope for technological solutions – you have to take a close look at how they affect people.
In the panel on Tech Talent Wanted: How the Mittelstand can win the Race for Critical Skills, Paula Cipierre from ada Learning explains that AI is not a panacea. It is therefore important to consciously promote the human component. Of course we need AI – but we must not forget that we are now blindly following navigation, while no one knows exactly where we actually stand.
This is a great opportunity for the Mittelstand in particular. It’s no longer just about salary and bonuses, but about sense, impact and visibility. Talented people want to know: What can I achieve here? What role can I play?
Small and medium-sized companies can often shape the digital transformation faster and more agile than large corporations. They have the opportunity to take a bold step forward – and create real change in the process.
Critical thinking remains essential – especially in the age of AI. Many people are too quick to believe artificial intelligence without questioning its results. But the ability to evaluate cannot be outsourced. It requires attention, concentration and the courage to critically examine information.
AI can also help to promote communication skills – through prompting, for example. This is because the targeted use of AI requires clear, structured communication – a skill that has an impact beyond the screen.
Today, learning works by trial and error: Learning by doing. The new tools are implemented “bottom-up” – out of curiosity, not by decree. For this to succeed, managers need to create the framework. Some employees have inhibitions about using automated processes – they are subject to the ‘good girl’ syndrome . Being good and well-behaved is a thing of the past. Managers need to send out the signal: “Try it out – here is a safe framework.”
Smaller companies in particular face special challenges: They often have neither the resources nor the time to deal with risks or the legal framework in a structured manner. But banning AI is not a solution. Even if AI is used secretly, the company remains liable.
Yet there is great potential in smaller structures in particular: creative freedom, purpose, a strong network. For some, it’s the salary that counts, for others it’s the work-life balance. But everyone is looking for stability – especially in times of global uncertainty. Companies can offer precisely this safe haven.
What is holding us back is not the technology – it is the courage to use it consistently. Educational technology is not a sideshow, but the backbone of a resilient, fair and innovative society. If we empower talented people today, they will shape the companies, products and values that move us forward as a society tomorrow.
The Hinterland of Things 2025 shows: The educational turnaround will not begin at some point. It starts now.
Reclaim Education. Reclaim Skills. Reclaim Germany’s Future.
© 2024 Hinterland of Things
