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The dinner discussion brought together German business leaders, policymakers, and transatlantic experts to examine how economic strength, innovation, and democratic values can sustain the transatlantic partnership in a changing geopolitical environment. Following remarks by Günter Krings, MdB, Robin Quinville, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the American-German Institute and former U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Germany, provided the keynote remarks. The delegation reflected the initiative’s emphasis on entrepreneurial agency and on businesses taking an active role in shaping Germany’s economic and societal future.
A central theme of Quinville’s remarks and the ensuing discussion was the structural shift in how the United States approaches its international engagement. U.S. foreign, economic, industrial, technological, and security policy are increasingly interconnected, particularly in relation to China, artificial intelligence, energy, critical infrastructure, and strategic supply chains. For Germany and Europe, this changing environment underscores the importance of greater agency: strengthening their own economic competitiveness, technological capabilities, energy and defense security, while demonstrating more concretely the value they bring to the transatlantic partnership. The discussion highlighted that a strong future transatlantic relationship will depend not simply on shared history and values, but increasingly on Europe’s ability to act, invest, innovate, assume responsibility, and deliver tangible contributions to shared economic and security interests