Nonetheless, there is a great deal of catching up to do in public administration, as shown by a  European Commission report:  • Out of the 28 EU countries, Germany is ranked only 24th for digital public services and has even dropped lower recently. [7]  • The report describes improving online interaction between public authorities and members of the public as “the greatest digital challenge” for Germany. [8]  • It is especially important to make progress here, because public administration can act as a catalyst for digital innovation in other areas.
More e-government services would present an opportunity to reduce the bureaucratic hurdles to setting up a business. • Germany is in 125th place in the current World Bank ranking. • Starting a business in this country requires nine separate procedural steps.