First Round of Exchanges 2020-2021
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first exchange extended over two years from 2020 to 2021, focusing on digitalization. Three subtopics were of particular interest: Digital infrastructure and the future of mobility, digitalization of the economy and its impact on the future of work, and cybersecurity. After meeting virtually for over a year due to COVID-19, the Aspen Institute Germany hosted the in-person meeting with the first cohort in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, from October 13 to October 16, 2021.
The bipartisan group of German and U.S. state legislators developed policy recommendations, which are published in this action report.
Listen to the interviews with the participants of the 2020-21 exchange on YouTube.
The Aspen Institute Germany is grateful to all participants of the 2020-2021 cohort: Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D), Member of the California State Assembly; Senator Raumesh Akbari (D), Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus in the Tennessee State Senate; Senator Thomas Alexander (R), Member of the South Carolina State Senate; Assemblymember Marc Berman (D), Member of the California State Assembly; Senator Reuven Carlyle (D), Member of the Washington State Senate; Representative Tom Demmer (R), Deputy Republican Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives; Christian Flisek MdL (SPD), Member of the Bavarian State Parliament; Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D), Member of the California State Assembly; Sarah Gillen MdL (CDU), Member of the State Parliament of Saarland; Joschka Knuth MdL (Alliance 90/The Greens), Member of the State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein; State Secretary Andrea Lindlohr MdL (Alliance 90/The Greens), State Secretary in the Ministry of Regional Development and Housing and member of the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg; Representative Brandy Pyle (R), Member of the North Dakota House of Representatives; Katharina Schulze MdL (Alliance 90/The Greens), Chair of The Greens in the Bavarian State Parliament; Prof. Dr. Erik Schweickert MdL (FDP), Member of the State Parliament of Baden-Württemberg; Senator Jerry Sonnenberg (R), Member of the Colorado State Senate.
