Digitalisation in the healthcare sector: KfW promotes the expansion of hospitals’ digital infrastructure

• Digital Infrastructure Investment Loan will extend to cover hospital IT as well as broadband expansion from 1 February 2021
• Hospitals benefit from a lower interest rate

From 1 February 2021, KfW will be working on behalf of the Federal Office for Social Security (BAS) to help German hospitals invest in their digital infrastructure by providing low-interest promotional loans. Therefore, KfW is extending its existing “Digital Infrastructure” loan programme. Hospitals that would like to access grants from the hospital structural fund in accordance with the Hospital Future Act (KHZG) can use these loans to finance the compulsory contribution from their own resources.

To date, projects related to broadband expansion have been eligible for the investment loan. The extension makes the promotional programme a strategic component in the financing of German hospitals’ digitalisation plans.

Dr Ingrid Hengster, member of the KfW Group Executive Board: “The coronavirus pandemic demonstrates the importance of highly effective hospitals. Germany has an excellent hospital system that boasts a large number of well diversified hospitals. The Federal Government and KfW want to help ensure that this remains the case: we are helping our hospitals to make the most of the opportunities offered by digitalisation. Faster sharing of data and expertise, closer cooperation and more efficient cost structures are just a few of the benefits that patients will enjoy going forward.”

In addition to municipally owned enterprises and private companies, the Investment Loan is now also available to corporations, institutions and foundations governed by public law, non-profit organisations and churches.

You can find more information about the Digital Infrastructure Investment Loan at:
www.kfw.de/206 (available only in German)