France and Germany have demonstrated at the highest political level their common interest in making Europe's digital transformation a success. To be successful in the long run, this Franco-German joint approach requires the support of companies, institutions, academia and civil society. See the video: We at Roland Berger have three roles in this context.

The digital transformation is changing consumer habits, business models and markets and sparking new economic potential – in Europe as elsewhere. Experts estimate that a European single digital market could increase gross domestic product by 415 billion euros per year and create more than 100,000 new jobs in the EU. But factors like different data protection regulations and national barriers to digital transactions continue to stymie the free development of the internet economy in Europe. It would be a pity, if more and more entrepreneurs decided that they had to leave Europe, says Dirk Hoke, CEO Airbus Space and Defence.

In an effort to break these trends, Roland Berger's digital experts analyzed the respective conditions in Germany and France and came up with a concept entitled "Towards a Franco-German Digital Valley" to aid the process.

In cooperation with the German Embassy in Paris and the French Embassy in Berlin, we have successfully connected our existing digital players and started a movement of dialogue and confidence. The workshops organized at Spielfeld and NUMA generated many innovative ideas and concrete opportunities for cooperation. And above all, one message rang out loud and clear: from large corporates to SMEs and start-ups, from institutional leaders to civil society, people believe the turning point for French-German cooperation on digital matters has arrived.

This report aims at providing a factual basis for discussion between policymakers and business leaders. It is an important first step on the road forward. We are convinced that France and Germany should stand out as one continuous valley in the digital economy. Partnership opportunities to strengthen our digital ecosystem are legion, it is time to take action.