We are experiencing a global shortage in the supply of semiconductors – the microchips at the heart of countless products in today’s economy. From personal computers and cars to washing machines and even toasters, microchips are in great demand. As companies prepare to take on their suppliers in Asia, governments in the United States and Europe explore ways to incentivize semiconductor production at home. On June 16, the American Council on Germany hosted a discussion with Dr. Reinhard Ploss, the CEO of Infineon Technologies AG, about the challenges – and opportunities – of the current shortage for companies, manufacturers, and governments
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended nearly everything we considered to be normal—and that includes how architects and planners think about interior and outdoor spaces. We have changed how we live, work, and travel, how we navigate space, and what we expect regarding safety and sanitation. In the field of design and architecture, the pandemic has upended workflows and standards. Although there is still some uncertainty about the future, as we emerge from the pandemic the time is ripe for rethinking how we will use space moving forward. On June 15, the ACG and 1014 hosted a discussion with architects Jürgen Mayer H. and Gideon Shapiro.
Each week, the ACG hosts a discussion with a journalist based in Germany on the topics making the headlines and shaping political discourse in Berlin. However, with President Biden in Europe this week, the ACG shifted focus from Germany to the European Union as a whole and the state of transatlantic relations. On Monday, June 14, the ACG hosted a discussion with Handelsblatt’s Brussels Bureau Chief, Moritz Koch, who reflected on the NATO and G7 meetings in Europe.
If anything, the Covid-19 pandemic has underscored the common global challenges facing Europe and the United States that know no national or geographic boundaries. Global health concerns, climate change, arms control, an increasingly aggressive Russia, and domestic and international concerns regarding China are among the common challenges that require a joint approach. There is more urgency than ever to prevent a fracturing of the multilateral system. On June 9, the American Council on Germany and the New York office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung hosted a discussion between Ambassador John B. Emerson, Chairman of the ACG and former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, and Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, German Ambassador to the United Nations about the pressures on the multilateral system.
The last state election in the run-up to September 26 took place in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt on June 6. On June 7, the American Council on Germany spoke with political scientist Prof. Dr. Christian Stecker about Sunday’s election results – and what they might mean for German election campaigning in the coming months.