- October 16, 2018
“Present at the new Creation? Tech. Power. Democracy.” was this year’s topic at the 5thannual Berlin Transatlantic Forum on October 16, 2018 hosted by the Aspen Institute Germany at the Bundespresseamt. The conference kicked off with a keynote and a panel analyzing the state of the transatlantic relationship and where transatlantic cooperation could be intensified despite current challenges. The panel was followed by a conversation on American politics with New Jersey Governor Philip Murphy. Turning the focus to the nexus of technology, democracy and power, the panels in the afternoon discussed various aspects of how technology is impacting relations within states – from the dangers of social media to the possibilities for greater transparency – and between states, including cyber threats and the role of technology in military conflicts. The on-the-record conference, attended by over 160 guests, included speakers such as Andreas Michaelis, State Secretary in the German Foreign Office; Julie Smith, Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy; Nina Hachigian, Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles; Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Member of the Bundestag; and Wolfram von Heynitz, Head of the Cyber Policy Coordination Staff at the German Foreign Office.The Berlin Transatlantic Forum was made possible by partners including the Lotto Stiftung Berlin, Volkswagen AG, Lockheed Martin and the Bundespresseamt.
