However, half of the companies in Germany assume that competition outside of their specific sectors, for example from the IT sector, will attack their core business. At the same time, only six out of ten companies in Germany are well prepared for Industry 4.0. 26 These numbers show that there is a substantial need for support and assistance before manufacturing companies can develop sufficient evaluation abilities. In its Industry 4.0 platform, the Economic Affairs Ministry has joined forces with partners from business and the scientific community to develop practical guides and recommendations for action in the areas of standardisation, IT security, the legal framework, work and continuing education on how to implement Industry 4.0 in companies. We hold regional events where we work together with local chambers of industry and commerce to provide information on the results of these efforts and provide a look at specific examples of how Industry 4.0 has been implemented. 27 It is our goal to make Germany the leading supplier and user of Industry 4.0 – and as a result, it will be the most modern industrial location in the world. We want to assist the industrial SMEs in developing their own digitisation strategies and new business models. We are convinced that Work 4.0 offers the potential for creating new jobs that have more responsibility and are less physically strenuous. In order to develop and utilise the potential provided by Industry 4.0, the following must happen: •W  e will utilise all of the assistance programmes for SMEs (see Item 6: New business models for SMEs) in order to raise awareness, provide information and finance investments. •W  e will introduce a funding programme for microelectronics. The sensor and actu­ator technology found in machines and robots that is essential for Industry 4.0 is unthinkable without microelectronics, and is also key to maintaining our digital independence. We should therefore advocate a European research and innovation project for microelectronics and contribute to it in the period from 2017 to 2019 with government subsidies of a total of €1 billion. •W  e will implement the recommendations on the issue of Industry 4.0 that are developed at the Hanover Fair by the five working groups of the platform, particularly in the areas of standardisation, legal framework, IT security and work. Topics include secure identities and secure trans-company communication, the necessity of further development of the machine guidelines, standardisation requirements and qualification or awareness enhancement for employees, in particular in the area of security requirements. Furthermore, the platform will publish a quick check list on IT security. 26 McKinsey & Company (2015): Industry 4.0: How to navigate digitisation of the manufacturing sector. 27 See http://www.plattform-i40.de