The BA has won this year’s DIGITAL LEADER AWARD in the “Society” category. Its entry was entitled “Working from Home, Hubertus Heil, Hackathon – The Express Digitisation of the Federal Employment Agency for Citizens and Employers in the Age of Corona.
The award is a reflection of the tremendous achievements of the entire BA and particularly its IT department in recent months.
The jury was particularly impressed by the fact that all new IT developments have focused on the concerns of citizens and employers during the corona pandemic, including the new app for short-time working allowance, chatbots during applications for basic security benefits and short-time working allowance, and the restructuring of the online portal at the beginning of the pandemic.
Dr Markus Schmitz, General Representative and Chief Information Officer of the BA, comments on the award: “Winning first prize is a great appreciation in these challenging times. This award is for all members of our IT department who have been working around the clock throughout the corona crisis to ensure the stable operation and development of our digital services, as well as those involved in other areas and practical fields. Thanks to our preparation work over the past few years, we have been able to quickly develop and supply new IT products that are urgently needed by citizens and employers during the ongoing pandemic”.
The Digital Leader Award is the leading prize for digital innovation in Germany. Since 2016, it has been presented to teams and leaders in various industries who have set new digitisation standards by developing innovative projects. This year’s award elicited 83 applications with 24 finalists in five categories. Some of the other finalists in various categories included the BMW Group, Lufthansa, Fraport, Infineon, Ergo Insurance and Otto.<! [if gte mso 9]>