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Transforming Industrial Regions Symposium

PAST EVENT
Conference
Through original research and convenings, the Chicago Council partnered with organizations across the transatlantic space to discuss revitalizing industrial regions in North America and Europe.
Exterior view of an industrial factory
May
11
Peter Heinsius
Event Date

About the Event

On May 11-12, 2021 the Chicago Council co-hosted a symposium on ways to accelerate economic change in the industrial regions of North America and Europe. The event brought together over 100 elected officials, economic development practitioners, academics, and other stakeholders from across the Atlantic to share and identify strategies for economic success and the causes and challenges posed by populist movements.

Event participants traded notes, shared experiences, and underscored the importance and urgency of animating policies, practices, and strategies that accelerate economic transformation and build new economic opportunity for residents—with the goal of addressing the root causes of the polarizing politics undermining Western democracies.

This symposium was conducted in partnership with Georgetown University’s BMW Center for German and European Studies, the Michigan Economic Center, Policy@Manchester at the University of Manchester, and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chicago.

Read more about the initiative.

Tuesday, May 11

7:30 – 7:45am CST Welcome and Introductory Remarks by Project Partners

7:45 – 8:35am Special Messages

  • Emily Haber, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United States
  • Senator Gary Peters (D-MI)
  • Lisa Nandy, Labour Party Shadow Secretary for Foreign Policy, United Kingdom
  • Mark Speich, State Secretary for Federal, European, and International Affairs, North-Rhine Westphalia

8:35 – 9:45am Panel I: Populism and Place
Featured Discussants:

  • Cas Mudde, University of Georgia
  • Katherine Cramer, University of Wisconsin
  • Stephen Weymouth, Georgetown University
  • Pauliina Patana, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

9:45 – 9:55am Break

9:55– 10:20am Keynote Transatlantic Address
Michael Vassiliadis, President of IG Bergbau, Chemie, u. Energie

10:20 – 11:30am Panel II: Roundtable of Mayors
Featured Mayors:

  • Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
  • Tom Barrett, Mayor of Milwaukee
  • Drew Dilkens, Mayor of Windsor

11:30 – 11:40am Closing Comments
Congressman Andy Levin (D-MI)

11:40am – 12:00pm Open Forum and Breakout Discussions

Wednesday, May 12

7:30 – 7:40am Host Introduction

7:40 – 7:50am Welcome Remarks
Peter Beyer, Coordinator for Transatlantic Cooperation, German Foreign Ministry

7:50 – 8:35am Special Messages

  • Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL)
  • Rachel Wolf, Founder of Public First, former adviser to the Prime Minister (UK)
  • Roland Lescure, French Deputy, National Assemblyman and Chair of the Economic Committee
  • Thomas Westphal, Mayor of Dortmund

8:35 – 9:45am Panel III: Community Success Stories (Part I)
Featured Discussants:

  • Peter Berkowitz, EU Commission
  • Katja Witte, Wuppertal Institut
  • Richard Jones, University of Manchester
  • Jay Byers, Greater Des Moines Partnership

9:45 – 10:00am Break

10:00 – 10:15am Keynote Transatlantic Address
Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister for Economy, Science and Digital Society of Thuringia; Former Mayor of Leipzig and Former Commissioner of the Federal Government for the New Federal States

10:15 – 11:25am Panel IV: Community Success Stories (Part II)
Featured Discussants:

  • Rosalynn Bliss, Mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Jeff Lehman, Mayor of Barrie, Ontario
  • Frank Baranowski, former Mayor of Gelsenkirchen (2004-20)
  • Mike Moffatt, Smart Prosperity Institute, University of Ottawa
  • Thomas Kralinksi, former State Secretary, Brandenburg

11:25 – 11:55am Concluding Remarks
Project Partners

11:55am – 12:00pm Thank You and Send Off

Speakers and Presenters

  • Ambassador Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the United States
  • US Senator Gary Peters (D-MI)
  • Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister for Economy, Science and Digital Society, Thuringia
  • Lisa Nandy, Labour Shadow Secretary of State for Foreign Policy
  • US Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL)
  • US Congressman Andy Levin (D-MI)
  • Roland Lescure, French Deputy, National Assemblyman and Chair of the Economic Committee
  • Peter Beyer, Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation, German Foreign Ministry
  • Mark Speich, State Secretary for Federal, European and International Affairs, North-Rhine Westphalia
  • Mayor Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester
  • Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee
  • Mayor Thomas Westphal, Dortmund
  • Mayor Drew Dilkens, Windsor, Ontario
  • Mayor Rosalynn Bliss, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Mayor Jeff Lehman, Barrie, Ontario
  • Frank Baranowski, former Mayor, Gelsenkirchen
  • Peter Berkowitz, Head of Competence Centre for Smart and Sustainable Growth in the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, EU Commission
  • Michael Vassiliadis, President of IG Bergbau, Chemie, u. Energie (IG BCE)
  • Consul General Wolfgang Moessinger, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Chicago
  • Elizabeth Shackelford, Senior Fellow, US Foreign Policy, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Thomas Kralinski, former State Secretary of Brandenburg
  • Rachel Wolf, Founder of Public First; Former Advisor to the Prime Minister (UK)
  • Cas Mudde, Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF Professor of International Affairs, University of Georgia
  • Katherine Cramer, Natalie C. Holton Chair of Letters & Science and Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin
  • Stephen Weymouth, Associate Professor, Georgetown University
  • Andrew Westwood, Professor and Vice Dean for Social Responsibility, University of Manchester
  • Jeffrey Anderson, Professor, BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University
  • Pauliina Patana, Democracy Postdoctoral Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
  • Elaine Dezenksi, Founder and Managing Partner, LumiRisk, LLC
  • John Austin, Director, Michigan Economic Center and Senior Fellow, Global Midwest, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Brian Hanson, Vice President, Studies, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Richard Jones, Chair in Materials Physics and Innovation Policy, University of Manchester
  • Mike Moffatt, Senior Director of Policy and Innovation, Smart Prosperity Institute, University of Ottawa
  • Katja Witte, Vice-Director and Co-Head of Research Unit Structural Change and Innovation, Wuppertal Institut
  • Jay Byers, CEO, Greater Des Moines Partnership

Participants

  • Tim Bartik, Senior Economist Upjohn Institute
  • Patryk Bialas, Director of Innovation and Competence Centre, Science & Technology Park Euro-Centrum Ltd.
  • Catherine Bertram, Managing Director, The Nord-Pas de Calais Coalfield Land-Planning Agency
  • Esther Bradel, Regionalverband Ruhr
  • Erik Brown, Brown University
  • Josef Braml, Senior Research Fellow, CASSIS, University of Bonn
  • Donald Carter, Senior Research Fellow, Remaking Cities Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
  • Inga Carus, Chairman, Carus LLC
  • Christopher Colford, Special Assistant to the Director, International Monetary Fund
  • Paul Costello, Program Manager, German Marshall Fund of the United States
  • Colleen Dougherty, Research Assistant, Georgetown University
  • Madeleine Eagan, Policy Intern, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
  • Doerte Eisenhauer, State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia
  • James Fallows, The Atlantic
  • Jack Farrell, Intern, Michigan Economic Center
  • Claudia Godinez, Operation Manager, US Mexico Foundation
  • Jennifer Goldston, Founder/CEO, AgTech PR
  • Court Gould, former Vice President, Erie Community Foundation
  • Stephen Grand, Nonresident Senior Fellow, The Atlantic Council
  • Ilene Grossman, Assistant Director, The Council of State Governments, Midwest
  • Rumyana Grozeva, Executive Director, Stara Zagora Regional Economic Development Agency
  • Alan Harding, Chief Economic Adviser, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
  • Ryan Heath, Senior Editor, POLITICO
  • Jürgen Hein, Head of Department Ruhr-Konferenz, North Rhine Westphalia Government
  • Lukas Hermwille, Senior Researcher, Wuppertal Institute
  • Yasmin Hilpert, Senior Policy Director, Council on Competitiveness
  • Alexander Hitch, Research Associate, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Bryan Hopper, Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
  • Robin Johnson, Lecturer, Monmouth College
  • Maya Kandel, Associate Researcher, CREW lab, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3
  • Melissa Kelly, Research Fellow, Ryerson University
  • Paul Kendrick, Executive Director, Rust Belt Rising
  • Jeffrey King, Principal, Advisory, KPMG
  • Eike Klapper, First Secretary-Industrial Policy, Delegation of the European Union
  • Sam Kling, Fellow & Director of Global Cities Research, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Birgit Klohs, Former CEO, The Right Place, Inc.
  • Guillaume Lacroix, Consul General, Consulate General of France in Chicago
  • Richard Longworth, Distinguished Fellow, Global Cities, The Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Andra Maciuca, The London Economic
  • Sarah Micheli, Senior Director, Media and Publications Strategy, Upjohn Institute
  • John Monahan, Senior Advisor for Global Health, Georgetown University
  • John Morgan, Deputy News Editor, Times Higher Education
  • Catherine Novelli, President of the Board, Listening for America
  • Friedrich Opitz, Project Lead, German-American Institute Saxony at Leipzig, Germany
  • Knut Panknin, Program Officer, Friedrich Ebert Foundation
  • Enrique Perret, Director, U.S.-Mexico Foundation
  • Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution
  • Ben Pontz, Fulbright Postgraduate Scholar, University of Manchester
  • Petra Roggel, Director, Goethe-Institut
  • Phil Roos, President, Great Lakes Growthworks
  • Matt Russell, Executive Director and Iowa farmer, Iowa Interfaith Power & Light
  • Paul Schickler, Owner, III Ag, LLC
  • Marianne Sensier, Research Fellow, University of Manchester
  • Courtney Shaw, SVP of Communications, Greater Des Moines Partnership
  • Stephen Silvia, Professor, American University
  • Adele Simmons, President, Global Philanthropy Partnership
  • Momo Skowron, Ruhr Regional Association
  • Todd Spangler, Washington Correspondent, Detroit Free Press
  • Ben Speggen, Vice President, Jefferson Educational Society
  • Nora Stognief, DIW Berlin
  • Keith Summerville, Deputy Provost, Drake University
  • Tiffany Tauscheck, Chief Operations Officer, Greater Des Moines Partnership
  • Elisabeth Tobia, Senior Fellow, Michigan Economic Center
  • Steve Tobocman, Executive Director, Global Detroit
  • Laura Tomaka, Senior Program Manager, The Council of State Governments – Midwest
  • Mark Tomkins, President & CEO, Greater American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest
  • Bérangère Travard, Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of France in Chicago
  • Mark Trumbull, Economy Editor, Christian Science Monitor
  • Martin Van der Pütten, Head of International Relations, City of Dortmund
  • Vanessa Vardon, Director, Pritzker Forum on Global Cities, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
  • Claudia Viereck, Urban Planning Advisor
  • Johannes von Ahlefeldt, Political Adviser, SPD Bundestagsfraktion
  • Sarah Wayland, Senior Project Manager, Immigration Partnership, City of Hamilton
  • Arnold Weinfeld, Associate Director, Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, Michigan State University
  • Thorsten Wiechmann, Professor, Technische Universität Dortmund
  • Fabian Zeuch, Coordinator Global City Diplomacy, City of Dortmund

Symposium Report

An aerial view of a power plant at night, with the moon in the background Global Cities
Transforming Industrial Regions of North America and Europe: Opportunity and Imperative
Interactive
This report summarizes the Transforming Industrial Regions of North America and Europe symposium, including strategies to rebuild economies and stem anti-democratic populism.

Video from the Symposium

Screenshot of the virtual symposium, of a man at a desk in front of flags Play Video

Video from day 1 of the symposium. 

Screenshot of the virtual symposium, of a woman at a desk in an office Play Video

Video from day 2 of the symposium.