GACC NY Monthly Newsletter October/November

#PartnerUSA

Highlights

German American Business Outlook - GABO 2020

Forum on Energy Storage and Smart Grids

German American Forum on Offshore Wind Energy

A.I. is Focus of East Coast Industry Forum 2019

GACC Pittsburgh Receives Apprenticeship Award

What's the US Business Environment Like for German Companies?

The GACCs in the US have conducted the German American Business Outlook survey (GABO) for 10 years. Its insight into the business activities of German firms operating here have been extremely valuable to a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the transatlantic community.

In addition, many initiatives, including the role-out of Dual Education Apprenticeship programs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, are a tangible outcome of GABO.

The survey is jointly conducted and analyzed by the German American Chambers of Commerce in in the US and KPMG in Germany. Results will be presented on January 28, 2020 in NYC.

Click HERE to register

East Coast Industry Forum (ECIF) Looked at Artificial Intelligence in Education, Industry and Training

Artificial Intelligence, or as it’s commonly referred to these days, AI, is not just some futuristic concept anymore. It’s here, and it’s actively being implemented - from how you engage with your key stakeholders to how you fundamentally operate as an organization. And as it continues to evolve, it will play a major role in the world’s digital revolution, affecting nearly all aspects of our lives.

This past October 18, the Pittsburgh Chapter of The German American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (GACC NY), in partnership with the Carnegie Bosch Institute, hosted the fifth annual East Coast Industry Forum (ECIF) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

This year’s ECIF focused on AI trends, specifically impacts on education and training, ethics and our future workforce. Which industries will be affected, and how can they prepare for a future with AI?

Paul Overby, Chairman of the GACC PIT board, welcomed the more than 120 guests and participants. "It is an honor to host the ECIF in Pittsburgh, a city that has long and deep relations through immigration, business, technology and academia with Germany,” he said. “AI is a perfect lens through which to strengthen the connections, and to do so with the participation of Bosch and CMU is particularly gratifying.”

Rachel Mauer, President of GACC PIT introduced the forum’s first keynote speaker, Zico Kolter, Chief Scientist of AI Research for the Bosch Center for AI, who lead a discussion on AI in education. Kolter said that the AI paradigm already has the ability to transform industries, but there is still a long road ahead, and we need to tackle some of the risks and dangers, including ethical and social impacts. "Automating the easy things will be the real initial value of AI," Kolter stressed.

Jon Delano, KDKA, Money and Politics Editor, moderated a panel which focused on how AI is influencing our mobility, from driver-less cars to scooters and even payload deliveries to the moon.

Lujo Bauer, Director of Cylab's Cyber Autonomy Research Center provided a keynote presentation on AI in the world of cybersecurity. "Computer security needs a reboot," Bauer said. "Traditional approaches no longer suffice."

The final session featured an industry round table on the future of AI in industry, moderated by Sylvia Vogt, President, Carnegie Bosch Institute, Robert Bosch. "Cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary collaboration at the intersection of academia and industry have made Pittsburgh one of THE leading hubs for AI," she emphasized.

We Welcome Our New

Members!

PerAGraft GmbH i.G.

SYPI

Hyperion Energy UG

Serend-ip GmbH - Dermatact

Litzar UG

Adams Consulting Group, LLC

InnoME GmbH

Algiax Pharmaceuticals GmbH

Berlin Business Office

Schattdecor

Strategic Global Sourcing Ltd. (SGS Sourcing)

Steiff North America, Inc.

Apprenticeship Programs Thriving

GACC Joined Discussion on Apprenticeship in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

On October 11, the German American Chamber of Commerce joined key partners in Pennsylvania’s labor and workforce development to discuss strategies and planning for expanding apprenticeship opportunities in manufacturing.

State Representative Steve Malagari framed this initiative by recognizing the critical efforts of local partners to advance skills training in Montgomery County. Juergen Schloesser, SVP COO and Director at B.Braun Medical Inc., presented the employers' perspective by showcasing B. Braun's expansion of German-style apprenticeship in action at their Pennsylvania facilities.

Matthew Allen, Director of Careers & Education (GACC NY), joined the conversation to congratulate the partners on the developments that have been made so far and discuss strategies to target continued sustainable growth. He stressed the need for employers to be at the center of workforce development initiatives such as apprentice training. He also shared the best practices of the German Apprenticeship model, including the cooperation with an academic training partner, the inclusion of strategy mentor training (Train the Trainer) and on-the-job competency testing for apprentices.

Panel members pictured (from left):

Jennifer Butler, Executive Director, Montgomery County Workforce Development Board
Matthew Allen, GACC NY
Dr. Juergen Schloesser, SVP & COO, B.Braun Medical Inc.
Eric Ramsey, Director Apprenticeship and Training Office (ATO), PA Department of Labor & Industry

GACC Pittsburgh Chapter Receives Award for Apprenticeship Program

Congrats to the German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter, for being designated 2019's Outstanding Pre-Apprenticeship Program by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Workforce Development Board.

Kudos to Rachel Mauer, President of GACC PIT and her Event & Apprenticeship Coordinator colleague Lisa Conturo for their dedicated work in achieving a successful apprenticeship program. Their accomplishments were acknowledged at a recent ceremony, where the award was presented to them by Eileen Cipriani, Deputy Secretary, (far left) and Eric Ramsay, Director of Apprenticeship and Training Office - both from the Pennsylvania Dept. of Labor & Industry.

US State Gov't Representatives Traveled to Berlin for Insights on Dual Education

The Council of State Governments (CSG) lead a delegation of nearly two dozen Northeastern state officials to Berlin on October 13 -19, 2019, who met with key leaders of industry and government to learn about Germany’s approach to education and workforce development.

The five-day program was sponsored by the Eastern Region of CSG and organized by the GACC NY.

During their trip, the delegation met with key stakeholders in regional Berlin’s life science industry to learn about Germany’s successful dual education/apprenticeship system. Meetings took place with: the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, government partners, companies active in the life science industry and other important industry groups.

In order to address workforce development challenges in the US, many American companies are either looking into or actually adapting the German dual education/apprenticeship model. This approach usually involves splitting time between traditional classroom education and on-the-job training in the trainee’s field of interest.

GACC Apprenticeship Award Presented During National Apprenticeship Week

Richard Wolf Medical Instruments Corporation is the winner of this year’s GACC Apprenticeship Award.

The GACC Apprenticeship Award 2019 honors Richard Wolf Medical Instruments for its efforts and investments in workforce development and education, as well as the creation of valuable career pathways for young Americans. The award also highlights the impact the apprenticeship model has made to the individual careers of the winning company’s apprentices.

Richard Wolf is recognized for its pioneering holistic approach to the development of apprentices that leads to well-rounded employees with transferable skills, and for its great outreach efforts and structured project plans for apprentices. This spirit is embodied by the company's first apprentice in the program, who is now an assistant trainer at the company and functions as a role model for future generations.

National Apprenticeship Week raises the profile and highlights the benefits of the dual training approach for companies and apprentices. It is a nationwide celebration that gives businesses, communities, and educators the opportunity to showcase their apprenticeship programs and apprentices.

Students Learn About Employability (Made in) Germany

Each year as a part of Pitt’s International Week , the I-Week Committee hosts the Global Company Tour. The event gives students the opportunity to learn about select companies in an intimate setting and ask questions on the expectations the respective companies might have when hiring interns or fresh graduates.

This year the event occurred at the O’Hara Student Center. The theme was Employability (Made In) Germany (EiG) , sponsored by the German government through the UAS7 German Universities of Applied Sciences, one of the GACC PIT's university partners. They recruited 8 - 10 companies that have a tie to Pittsburgh and are collectively interested in students of all majors. These companies included ALDI, Bayer, Bosch, etc.

The University of Pittsburg h and UAS7 alliance of seven German Universities of Applied Sciences brought together a range of speakers to address career and study options with German universities and businesses. The goal was to provide information about career options at German companies in Pennsylvania and beyond, as well as study, internship and research opportunities in Germany for US students.

The event included rotating round table discussions of three sessions followed by a networking hour in case students did not have a chance to speak to their desired companies. Both Dietmar Rieg, GACC NY, and Rachel Mauer, GACC PIT, participated at the event, answering students' questions.

Students had the opportunity to learn about select companies in an intimate setting and ask questions on the expectations the respective companies might have when hiring interns or fresh graduates.

Valuable Business Connections Made at This Year's UN Procurement Seminar

Every other year, the GACCs team up with the German Mission to the UN to offer a seminar exclusively designed for German companies interested in UN procurement processes. This year marked the sixth time the event took place (in late October), with 38 companies gathered for a full day conference.

The 2019 seminar provided German companies the rare opportunity to connect with UN Procurement staff in one-on-one meetings and build unique business relationships with the participating UN organizations. The focus was on ICT, safety & security, water, energy, and shelter and accommodation solutions.

The seminar highlighted procurement from the following New York-based UN organizations: UNPD, UNDP, UNICEF and UNOPS . These are four of the 10 largest UN agencies by procurement volume which represent nearly 49% of overall procurement.

Delegation Trip to Reeperbahn Festival a Hit

The GACC NY organized a September 16-20 delegation trip for 19 US thought leaders, executives and buyers from the music industry to Europe's largest music festival & conference - The Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany.

Since its debut in 2006, the Reeperbahn Festival has grown to become one of the most important meeting places for the music industry worldwide and is Europe’s B2B platform for the music and digital industry. The festival's conference offers industry professionals a program that includes sessions, networking events, meetings and awards shows. In 2019, about 5,900 professionals and media representatives from 52 countries attended Reeperbahn Festival.

The main topic of this year’s festival & conference was: Music in all its facets!

With artists from all over the world, speakers from over 350 countries, and over 100 art & film programs, the Reeperbahn Festival has succeeded in drawing a colorful picture of the music industry in Germany and worldwide.

Topics such as Creative Tech, Live Entertainment, Rights Management, Modern Classical Music and the political impact of music were brought to the attention of more than 40,000 attendees who experienced over 600 concerts and more than 900 events covering new talent and trends & developments, such as Keychange 2.0 – an EU funded program which supports gender equality in the music industry.

Offshore Wind Energy Forum Slated in December

The German American Forum on Offshore Wind Energy will take place on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 in New York City. Hosted by the GACC NY, the forum will bring together local US innovators and experts from Germany to identify ways that they can collaborate on offshore wind energy technologies and solutions.

Increased use of renewable energies in our economies is leading to a number of important challenges. As such, efforts to ensure the successful expansion of offshore wind energy capacities on the East Coast of the US is taking on greater urgency.

As part of the forum, a German delegation will present their latest solutions, technologies and services in developing more offshore wind energy capacities on the East Coast. Germany has been considered for decades a leader in renewable energy technologies.

Click HERE for registration and forum details

Robust Idea Exchanges at German American Forum on Energy Storage and Smart Grids

The GACC NY appreciates the support of all those who attended and participated on our October forum on energy storage and smart grids!

The conference, which took place at the German House in New York City, offered valuable idea exchanges and expertise from both sides of the Atlantic, along with in-depth insights into the German and US market.

Attendees learned about the latest trends, business models and market opportunities in the sector and met with German companies individually to discuss potential synergies.

The full-day conference also was part of a delegation trip for select German companies from the energy storage and smart grids industry in New York.

Increased use of renewable energies in our economies leads to a number of important challenges: How to successfully integrate renewable energy sources into our power grids and how to deploy renewable energy sources as efficiently as possible, were among the most pressing questions in this regard. New technologies and solutions in energy storage and smart grids offer interesting new options.

Click HERE for more details and to download presentations from the forum

Transatlantic Forum on Industry 4.0 Slated for January in NYC

The Transatlantic Forum on Industry 4.0 will take place on Tuesday, January 28, at the LMHQ in Lower Manhattan.

The event will be part of a delegation trip for eight German companies working in the Industry 4.0 sector, who will visit New York City from January 27-31, 2020.

The program aims to strengthen international experience transfer and collaboration between Germany and the US. This exclusive knowledge exchange between US and German experts is a unique opportunity for attendees to hear from high-level speakers and meet with companies from both countries.

The German delegation looks forward to meeting local industry leaders, research institutions, and government representatives to exchange ideas, discuss new developments and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.

Click HERE for more information about the event, the participating companies and to register

And please contact us, if you are interested in scheduling a meeting!

Harvard's Annual German American Conference Focuses on Key Transatlantic Issues

Andreas Schwarz Fotographie

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeir headlined this year's German American Conference, where he joined a panel on the Ethics of the Digital Transformation . The panel, hosted by the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, featured experts from Germany and the US, and explored the implications of artificial intelligence and Industry 4.0 on society.

Friedrich Merz, Vice President, Economic Council of the CDU, was one of many distinguished speakers. GACC NY President & CEO Dietmar Rieg spoke at the conference's innovation lounge.

Among the topics addressed at the conference were: Building an Apprenticeship System / Transatlantic Security / The Changing Energy Landscape / Tech Innovation.

The Council of the German American Conference at Harvard e.V. brings together American and German leaders from business, politics, and academia with motivated students. During the annual German American Conference at Harvard participants from diverse backgrounds ask tough questions, learn from each other, and engage in dynamic discussions of the most important transatlantic issues today.

Beyond the conference, members have the unique opportunity to participate in the Council's local events and discussion forums, which they will leave with an expanded network and concrete ideas of how to tackle today’s cutting-edge challenges. By building a community of aspiring and established leaders in the U.S. and Germany, the Council aims to become a moving force in bettering transatlantic relations

GACC Partners with Goethe Institute on Annual Career Booster Day

The GACC has been a proud partner of The Goethe Institute in New York for their annual Career Booster Day for several years. The Career Booster Day allows high school and college students to hear directly from representatives of German organizations about how they can work or study in Germany and use the German language in their careers.

It's a great opportunity for young adults to hear directly from the German business community and gives the German community the occasion to connect with the future workforce market.

In mid-October, GACC NY President & CEO Dietmar Rieg, accompanied by Lindsay Bongi (Manager, Careers & Education), presented at the day-long event, speaking about the history of the GACC and the strong tradition of trade and investment between Germany and the United States.

This year, their presentation also highlighted how language skills have shown to increase an employee’s earning potential over a lifetime. Individuals who were able to speak German topped the “language bonus” list. As noted by Lindsay Bongi, “The students were very engaged and interested to learn about German companies with subsidiaries in the United States. I wish I had these types of events when I was a university student looking for international opportunities.”

German Center for Research & Innovation Forum Looks at Impact of Artificial Intelligence

Everyone's talking about AI these days, but most of us don't really have a handle on what it exactly is and what its impacts on our lives will be.

The German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York looked at ways to Demystifying AI in a Nov 17 -18 Future Forum, held at New Lab in Brooklyn, NY.

Participants included tech industry gatekeepers and researchers, early adopters, regulators, journalists, and even activists and skeptics.

GACC NY member Felix Zeltner, Co-founder Work Awesome, welcomed the guests on the forum's first day, which featured a "Stakeholder Talk Show" with David Gill, German Consul General in New York, as one of the panelists

The roster of expert speakers included: Beth Simone Noveck, former tech advisor to Barack Obama and David Cameron and current member of Germany’s Digital Council, and Christoph Luetge, Director of the Technical University of Munich’s Institute for Ethics in the A.I., endowed by Facebook with 6.5 million euros .

Click HERE for details.

JKJ & H International Winner of GACC Excellence in Services Award

JKJ & H International (Newtown, PA) is the winner of the Excellence in Services Award presented at this year's German-American Business Awards in Chicago. The insurance and risk management service provider works closely with both parent companies in Germany and their US subsidiaries coordinating insurance solutions across borders with in-depth knowledge of both market environments.

The company’s clientele consists largely of German Mittelstand companies, with an emphasis on the manufacturing sector, giving clients confidence in their risk management solutions and the determination to grow their US investments.

Guests of the 2019 German-American Business Awards discovered German-American success stories both past and present . The event’s 220 guests from across the US and Germany celebrated the winners of this year’s awards at the Chicago History Museum, giving attendees a chance to explore the museum’s exhibits as they networked with C-level executives from German-American companies.