All the facts on the CDR Award 2023

CDR Award: what’s it all about?

Corporate digital responsibility (CDR) refers to when companies responsibly approach the digital transformation in a way that not only has a positive impact on their business, but also contributes to shaping the digital world for the benefit of society and the environment. The idea behind it is that this voluntary commitment by a company must go beyond what is legally required.

In 2021, the German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW) and Bayern Innovativ launched the CDR Award to acknowledge companies in the DACH region that have achieved outstanding and innovative work centering around CDR. The initiators also hope to raise awareness of the digital responsibility of companies and promote digital business models and creative solutions in the context of CDR. But let’s take a closer look at how the previous winners of the CDR Award managed to convince the jury two years ago.

CDR Award 2021: best practices

Varied, inspiring, and future-proof: the winners of the last CDR Award impressed the jury of experts with projects that pursued a relevant project goal and offered great potential for making an impact within their own company and society as a whole.

In the “CDR and Consumer Concerns” category, the jury particularly focused on CDR projects that demonstrated exceptional progress in terms of the user-friendliness of digital applications. Aspects including consumer education and transparency in critical fields, such as the use of AI, were taken into account here.

Adobe Systems GmbH came out on top with its “Content Authenticity Initiative”. The tool allows media outlets and artists to authenticate their work. In turn, consumers can use the tool to check the authenticity and trustworthiness of digital content. In times of deepfakes and fake news, the CAI aims to make an important contribution to tackling disinformation online.

With its data ethics guidelines, DATEV eG was able to secure the CDR Award in the “CDR and Employees” category. The one-pager provides employees with extensive information about data processing to reinforce standards and boost awareness of their own digital responsibility. On a cross-departmental exchange platform, solutions can be developed together to tackle challenges relating to data ethics.

In the “CDR and New Business Models” category, the first place went to Merck KGaA for its “Code of Digital Ethics”, a scientifically proven, principle-based framework that serves as a basis for all the digital products and business models at the company. In addition, it helps employees find their bearings in digital areas with a high level of regulatory uncertainty and encourages them to act in an ethically responsible way.

For more digital responsibility: putting CDR into practice with the help of the BVDW

The German Association for the Digital Economy (BVDW) offers the “CDR Building Bloxx” to help companies implement their own CDR strategy. This practical CDR framework makes it easier for companies to access CDR and also establishes a common understanding of CDR so that more experienced companies can test, verify, and successfully execute their own CDR activities.

CDR Award: you have until April 28, 2023, to enter

The submission period for the CDR Award has already started. Companies, startups, and organizations have until April 28, 2023, to submit their projects. The award ceremony is planned to take place in Munich at the end of June. We can’t wait to see what innovative and inspiring CDR models, keynotes, and interactive sessions are in store for us this year. And of course we’ll keep you in the loop, so stay tuned!