Eliten der Digitalisierung. Führungswechsel in der deutschen Wirtschaft?

Digitalisation of the economy means dynamisation of the political economy. New and established players are competing for control of digitalised value chains. This article undertakes a first structural analysis of the elites in this field in Germany. The study analyses the CVs and networks of 254 individuals who occupy key positions in the context of the digitalisation of the German economy. It examines to which extent the coordination and personnel structure of the field is shaped by the logics of transnationalisation and financialisation. In some places, an adaptation of reproduction strategies to the changed rules of digitalisation can be observed: for example, in the increasing prevalence of short stays abroad or the growing importance of financialised management skills in the new economy. However, the cornerstones of German elite reproduction remain untouched. In contrast to sociological considerations which already expected a loss of importance of national elites in the context of globalisation, the following is evident: Firstly, a national industrial network of top managers continues to exist in Germany’s digitalised economy, which is integrated via supervisory boards as well as advisory bodies and association structures. Secondly, hardly any foreigners have been able to move up into the digital elite and formative career steps take place predominantly in Germany. Transnationalisation and financialisation have found their way into the personal careers of digital elites in Germany, but to a rather limited extent, especially in the industrial core. Thirdly, characteristic features of the German elite formation continue to dominate – such as careers at home, studying at German-language mass universities, or the possibility of careers based on technical expertise. These results suggest that the traditional elites of the German economy, by incrementally adapting their reproduction strategies, will retain their positions in digital capitalism.