The Transatlantic Marketplace 2016: Leadership in a Challenging World

10th Annual Transatlantic Business Conference

Frankfurt/M, Nov. 9-10. One day after the election of Donald Trump as the next President of the United States, participants at the 10th Annual Transatlantic Business Conference not only discussed the outcome of the election and possible implications for the EU-US partnership. They also called for even closer transatlantic ties to cope with today’s challenges, global megatrends and fast-paced digitalization.The American Chamber of Commerce in Germany and FRANKFURT BUSINESS MEDIA, together with the Federation of German Industries (BDI) and the Transatlantic Business Council (TABC), host this annual conference that has existed since 2006.

Stay tuned for more coverage of the event in the December issue of commerce germany (will be published Dec. 8).

More Transatlantic cooperation, not less

At this year’s conference, around 400 decision makers from German, American and multinational companies as well as representatives from politics and society gathered to discuss ways to deepen economic relations between the EU and the US, and to address current challenges in these fast-paced times. Besides the political outlook right after the US presidential elections, the event focused on industry in the US and Europe, the future of the European integration progress as well as the risks and opportunities of digital transformation. Also, the role of the business community in propagating the importance of trade for prosperity and peace on both sides of the Atlantic was emphasized.

“The maxim in today’s world full of political and economic challenges has to be more, not less, transatlantic cooperation,” said AmCham Germany President Bernhard Mattes in his opening speech: “Isolation is no solution.” He underlined how close EU-US ties are the basis for our prosperity, the driver of innovation and competitiveness, saying that Germany and the US are two strong economies and leaders in smart services and manufacturing. “We already live in an interconnected world, and we live well.” He called on the business community to step forward and show some real leadership, by vigorously informing citizens on both sides of the Atlantic about the benefits of trade and global investment.

In addition to the two inspiring panel discussions on European integration and digital business models, top-level keynote speeches were among the highlights of the conference. Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO of AGCO Corporation, who has dual citizenship and has been living in the US for the past 12 years, presented an interesting view commenting on the presidential elections. He said he was “moderately optimistic” from a business perspective, since several elements of Trump’s plans, such as a tax reform and investments in infrastructure would act as a booster to the US economy. “Trump’s presidency has opportunities as much as risks,” he said, calling on the stakeholders to enter into dialog with the President-elect and his team on the importance of transatlantic relations and free trade.

Furthermore, in the morning and afternoon, participants could choose among various workshops on selected topics of transatlantic business and digitalization, such as emerging possibly disruptive technologies.

To view pictures from this event, please visit our gallery.

For more detailed information please contact:

Heather Liermann

Head of Department

Membership Engagement & Development