The mayor's visit was closely related to the announcement by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft that the Berlin Center for Digital Transformation is now entering its second phase, two years after its foundation. Within the Center, the four Berlin-based Fraunhofer institutes – FOKUS, HHI, IPK, and IZM – pool their expertise in information and communication technologies, data processing, production, and microelectronics. The Center is being funded by the state of Berlin, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, and by monies from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to the tune of €6 million until the end of 2020. In the second phase, which has now begun, cooperation with partners from industry, medium-sized enterprises, and start-ups is set to intensify.

At the end of his visit, Michael Müller stressed the Center’s importance to Berlin. He highlighted for particular praise the fact that the Fraunhofer institutes and the Center – together with their collaborative and network partners – were turning the capital into an international hotspot for digitalization and were thus an important location factor in Berlin's economic development.