“I Always Believe in the Opportunities First.”

Dr. Karsten Wildberger studied physics and earned his doctorate at RWTH Aachen University, subsequently holding leadership roles in consultancy and management before transitioning into politics. Since May 2025, he has led the newly established Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation. How did this come about? Was stepping into politics a difficult decision? And how did his time at RWTH shape his professional path? In this interview with “keep in touch,” Karsten Wildberger reflects on the challenges of building a new ministry and on his enduring ties to his alma mater.

Dr. Wildberger, you earned your doctorate in physics at RWTH in 1997, yet your career soon took you in a very different direction – from consulting to executive roles and eventually into politics. How did that path unfold?

I truly loved my doctoral studies and my time in research; they meant a great deal to me. That’s why the question of whether to remain in academia or pursue a different path was a difficult one. I had followed the academic path for many years, but at some point I began to wonder whether the scientific questions that fascinated me so deeply would sustain me throughout my entire career. Outside the specialized scientific community, I found it quite isolating; I’ve always enjoyed working with people. Ultimately, I decided to leave academia because I wanted to collaborate more and to actively shape outcomes.

Management consulting felt like a natural next step. You gain exposure to a wide range of topics in a very short time and encounter questions that are highly relevant for industry – that was certainly my experience. Even today, though, I still find myself thinking back to research. The decision to leave wasn’t an easy one.

That mindset guided my later executive roles, including at Ceconomy, the parent company of Media Markt and Saturn [both consumer electronics retail groups, editor’s note]. Looking back, much of what happens in life comes down to encounters: people meeting, paths crossing, doors opening. That was certainly true of my move into politics. None of this was planned – least of all politics. At some point, I received a call – you don’t apply for a position like this. Being open to the unknown, willing to turn things upside down, and unafraid of change: that’s something I took with me from physics.

You received a call offering you a position as a federal minister. Did you have to think long about accepting?

The call came, and I had twelve hours to decide – so there wasn’t much time for reflection. I’ve always had a strong interest in politics. When you’re given the chance to contribute, even in a small way, to making things better, it’s both a remarkable opportunity and a significant responsibility. In the end, there was only one possible answer for me, and that was “yes.” The formal process began about two weeks later. My life changed fundamentally within a very short period of time.

Beyond your degree itself, were there aspects of RWTH that had a lasting influence on your professional development?

Very much so. I’d highlight three things in particular. First, RWTH provides an excellent education – one that clearly supports and enables professional success.

Second, and just as important, are the people. I encountered individuals who had a profound impact on my life. One of them was Professor Peter Dederichs, an extraordinarily sharp and insightful mind. As my supervisor, he shaped me by believing in me and creating opportunities I might not otherwise have had. Others, such as Professor Stefan Blügel, engaged with me as an equal, challenged my thinking, motivated me, and offered steady support. I was surrounded by many inspiring personalities, and that environment allowed me to grow.

Third, that period of life is deeply formative. The memories from that time stay with you; they are tied to strong emotions and continue to shape me even now. In fact, the community I built with my fellow students back then remains a very important part of my life today.

In 2023, you returned to RWTH for the celebration marking the 25th anniversary of your doctorate. What was that experience like? And do you still visit the University regularly?

I’ve always remained closely connected to Aachen, including through my professional work. I served on the board of E.ON and was responsible for the E.ON Energy Research Center. Beyond the advisory board meetings, I was involved in a number of research projects, which I greatly enjoyed. It was an intense period that brought back many memories.

I’ve also maintained close ties to Forschungszentrum Jülich. Since one of my sons studied in Aachen and is now pursuing his doctorate there, my connection to the city and the University is also deeply personal. My brother studied in Aachen as well and still lives there. Whenever I’m in the city, it feels a bit like coming home – although I have to admit, it does seem to rain quite a lot.

For many years now, I’ve followed RWTH’s development with great interest. I hope the University continues to evolve into an even stronger, more integrated ecosystem – bringing together research, teaching, students, start-ups, and innovation. The Aachen region has enormous potential.

Do you have a favorite place on campus?

Not one specific place – but there are many memories and anecdotes tied to particular spots. I remember a lab course where we were tasked with measuring the Earth’s magnetic field. We fiddled around for hours, but the results were completely meaningless. Nothing made sense. Then someone walked in and mentioned he had done the same experiment two days earlier. He opened the cabinets – and they were packed with horseshoe magnets … Someone had played a prank on us!

You’ve said that it’s important to be open to the unknown. Is that advice you would also give to alumni or students who are considering a similar path?

I never set out with the goal of joining a company’s executive board. I was always focused on the work itself and on the scope and substance of the tasks. I didn’t pursue a career in the conventional sense.

My advice would be this: if what you’re doing gives you energy and motivation, that in itself is a success. You need to identify what truly drives you – and then ask yourself why. I don’t believe that a particular job title or money alone are strong motivators. The motivation has to come from somewhere else. And I’m convinced that you have to be willing to reinvent yourself several times over the course of your life. In short: stay open to new things, remain curious, and be prepared to change direction when necessary.

We need more young people who actively shape things themselves – who start their own businesses, experiment, and take initiative whenever they have the opportunity. And alongside that drive to shape and create, we also need young people who help hold society together.

You were a long-standing member of the advisory board for the Aachen Engineering Award. Why do you think it’s important to make scientific achievements visible to the broader public?

There are several reasons. First, there are outstanding individuals who accomplish remarkable things – and that alone deserves recognition. Second, it’s important to bring visibility and understanding to engineering achievements that are grounded in scientific insight and then also lead to economic success. The importance of science, research, and engineering is still underrepresented in public discourse. And awards like this also serve as an incentive for young researchers to pursue ambitious goals themselves.

I’m particularly pleased that we’ve seen more female award recipients in recent years. Beyond that, we’ve also demonstrated that success isn't just about building the largest company or producing the single biggest invention. Vital fields such as science communication deserve just as much recognition for their impact.

Turning to your current role: a newly established ministry undoubtedly comes with major challenges. How would you describe your strategy for the coming years?

The ministry has two core areas of responsibility: digital transformation and government modernisation. Both are cross-cutting issues, which is relatively uncommon in politics. Ministries traditionally operate in fairly isolated ways, so there was a clear need for a coordinating body that could address certain topics across departmental boundaries – that’s precisely the role of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation.

We have a very clear roadmap for cutting red tape as part of government modernisation, as laid out in the coalition agreement. After just a few months of hands-on work, we’ve already established structures that allow these discussions to take place on an ongoing basis – including at the cabinet level.

When it comes to digital transformation, we’re focusing on four key areas. The first is digital infrastructure, including telecommunications networks. A great deal is already underway here. We’ve passed important legislative changes and will introduce additional measures later this year to accelerate the rollout of fiber-optic and mobile networks. I’m very confident that we’ll succeed.

The second area is regulation – both for digital transformation in general and for artificial intelligence in particular. This is strongly shaped at the EU level, and the key challenge will be finding a better balance between opportunity and risk. In my view, the pendulum now needs to swing much more decisively toward seizing opportunities.

The third area is digital sovereignty. This includes initiatives such as AI gigafactories [large-scale industrial facilities for AI development, editor’s note] that we aim to establish together with our European partners, as well as making greater use of European cloud providers. We also want to spark a new dynamic among start-ups, for example through living labs. Digital sovereignty ultimately means reshaping the ecosystem so that we become digitally independent.

The fourth area is particularly important because it directly affects citizens: the digital transformation of public administration. With around 11,000 municipalities and tens of thousands of specialized procedures, there is still a great deal of work to be done. We’ve now defined four major projects – what we call “missions” – that outline how we want to move forward, in close cooperation with the federal states. Our goal is for citizens to be able to complete administrative procedures digitally far more often in the future.

There’s certainly a lot to do. But we’ve been fully operational since week one, and within two months we had already developed a clear roadmap – while at the same time building the ministry itself. It’s a long road ahead, but we’re making solid progress.

Reducing bureaucracy is often mentioned in connection with the new ministry. Is this something you’re already addressing in concrete terms?

Yes – digital transformation and cutting bureaucracy go hand in hand. We’re taking a close look at legislation from previous coalition agreements, such as the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act and its extensive reporting requirements. These obligations are placing a heavy burden on many companies.

When it comes to digital transformation, I also hope that artificial intelligence will allow us to approach many tasks differently – and much more efficiently – than traditional programming ever could. That’s why we want to invite start-ups to test procedures in living-lab environments and demonstrate what’s possible in practice. New technologies, especially AI, offer enormous opportunities.

Do you ever miss your previous life?

I don’t dwell on the past. I use the rearview mirror only to move forward more effectively. Looking back is useful if it helps you learn in the present and approach the future with confidence.

What would you like people to associate with Minister Karsten Wildberger ten years from now?

I hope that my work as minister will have helped create momentum in Germany. We’ve accumulated far too much bureaucratic complexity, and we need to reduce it. Citizens should notice tangible improvements – for example in digital infrastructure, through the expansion of fiber-optic and mobile networks. I hope we’ll see a very different start-up landscape by then, with three or four times as many young, innovative companies experimenting with new technologies. And last but not least, we should have made a major leap forward in the digital transformation of public administration. I want to see measurable progress in all of these areas.

It would make me very happy if, in ten years’ time, Germany were once again looking to the future with greater confidence – by focusing on its strengths. That means seeing technology and innovation first and foremost as opportunities, rather than starting with the risks. Of course, risks must be addressed, but I always believe in the opportunities first.

– The interview was conducted by Siba Fitzau in August 2025.