Trade realities with Michal Koran and Donna Kunzler - Next 100 series

07/31/24 • 20 min

Trade Realities: European Uncertain Autonomy and Global Geoeconomics - N100 2024 Berlin
This discussion explored the implications of Europe's quest for resiliency and selective autonomy on its global trade relationships, regional economic stability, and overall competitiveness in an uncertain global environment. The debate dissected the state of global trade, examining the precarious balance between maintaining open commercial flows and responding to increasing geopolitical pressures. It analyzed the mixed outcomes of Europe's strategic shifts towards greater economic sovereignty, highlighting the challenges posed by external dependencies, particularly with China and the U.S., and the internal disparities among how EU regions were vulnerable to these shifts. The discussion addressed Europe's vulnerabilities and opportunities in technology and production, the broader impact of protectionist trends on global trade architectures, incorporating also the business and supply chain perspectives. With the evolving landscape of globalization—marked by cautious engagement and selective isolation—the panel explored viable strategies for Europe to navigate these dilemmas, ensuring resilience in a fragmenting global economy.
Speakers:
Donna Avellana Künzler
Head of Procurement Process Excellence & Digital Transformation, ABB

Donna Avellana Künzler is currently the Head of Procurement Process Excellence & Digital Transformation for ABB’s Robotics and Discrete Automation in Zurich, Switzerland. With 25 years of experience, she excels in international program/project management, business and IT process reengineering, risk and controls, and global system implementations.As an award-winning author, Künzler's book, "The Overseas Fabulous Pinay," published in March 2020, has earned accolades, including the Best Independent Book Award (BIBA) 2021 for Nonfiction: Travel-Living Abroad.

Michal Koran, Founder of the Global Arena Research Institute
Michal Kořan, President & Founder of the Global Arena Research Institute and Assistant Professor at Masaryk University, holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences. His expertise spans globalization, technology, global politics, security, foreign policy, theories of International Relations, and philosophy of science, with a focus on applied complex data science, data-driven forecasting, and risk assessment. He explores the interplay between (de)globalizing forces, supply chains, commodities, energy, security, and their social impacts, integrating neuroscientific research into understanding complex societal behaviour.

Next 100 Symposium
The Next 100 Symposium, organized by the Global Arena Research Institute, has brought together leaders and experts across various disciplines to discuss global challenges since 2018.

Supported by: International Visegrad Fund

International Visegrad Fund
Established by the governments of the Visegrad Group countries to promote regional cooperation.
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Supported by: International Visegrad Fund

Previous Episode

Nuclear Fusion with Mileda Roveda, CTO of Gauss Fusion - Next 100 series

Fusion energy, at the cutting edge of scientific advancement, offers a promising yet challenging path to sustainable power. Recent breakthroughs in magnetic confinement and laser-driven inertial fusion have moved us closer to net energy gain. However, significant obstacles remain in scaling stable fusion reactions for commercial use, requiring substantial investments and stringent safety regulations. Despite these hurdles, the potential for fusion energy to provide a nearly inexhaustible, low-carbon source of power continues to drive global research. Looking ahead, the focus will be on improving reactor efficiency and addressing material science challenges, maintaining a realistic yet optimistic outlook on fusion's role in future energy solutions.
Gauss Fusion is a Greentech venture founded in 2022 by private industrial companies. The company brings together a combination of cutting-edge scientific research and industrial expertise on fusion energy that is unique in Europe. The founding companies from Germany, France, Italy and Spain have extensive expertise in fusion technology. In addition, Gauss Fusion cooperates with leading European research institutes. These include, among others: CERN, the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP), the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and ENEA in Italy. With this impressive knowledge base from industry and academia, and through strategic public-private partnerships, Gauss Fusion is pursuing the goal of bringing renewable fusion energy to market at high-speed using efficient structures, and represents an entrepreneurial approach that aims to significantly accelerate development through public-private partnerships (PPP).
https://gauss-fusion.com
Milena Roveda, Chief Executive Officer, Gauss Fusion, Innovator
Her previous roles include the Chief Financial Officer of DEPT (2021-2022) and IFS (2018-2019) and Chief Operating Officer of MotorK(2019-2020). Roveda has over 25 years of international experience leading teams in developing and expanding businesses and extensive know-how in designing and executing corporate strategies.
The Next 100 Symposium, a Global Arena Research Institute conference, brings together leaders and experts across various disciplines. True to the original ethos of the Next 100, we reject the notion of deepening disorder, mistrust, and polarization as the "new normal." The 2024 Berlin edition aims to identify realistic, actionable paths forward, particularly in the context of the upcoming European parliamentary elections and the upcoming European Commission.

Next Episode

Society & Politics: Should Disorder Be the New Normal? - Next 100 series

In this podcast, we explore whether it's possible to augment stability and safeguard freedom in liberal democracies amidst rapid socio-political changes and growing extremism across the ideological spectrum. We assess the shifting dynamics within developed democracies of the Euro-Atlantic space, where increasing activism at both ends of the political spectrum complicates the search for a moderate political middle. The discussion delves into the complexities and unprecedented pace of social and political changes, examining their implications for governance amidst significant policy challenges, such as digital and environmental transformations, cultural debates, and migration issues. Additionally, we consider the effects of polarization, opportunism, and populism on effective governance, exploring whether this seeming disorder can be managed or even reversed, and what strategies might stabilize these trends in the short and long term.

Guests:
Hans Pung, President of RAND Europe

Hans Pung is President of RAND Europe, a not-for-profit public policy research organization that helps improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. Pung joined RAND as a policy analyst in 2002 and continues to lead and deliver research projects, particularly around industrial economics and security policy issues. Before joining RAND, Pung served as an engineer officer in the United States Army with responsibility for logistics, personnel, and operations and overseas service in the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Germany. His recent projects include Cost Modeling and Skills Analysis, European Defense Industrial Base Analysis, Future UK Military Capability Requirements, Improving Counter-Violent Extremism Intervention.
Nestor Maslej, AI Index Research Manager, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI

Nestor Maslej is a Research Associate at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI). In this position, he uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies to conduct research for the AI Index and Global AI Vibrancy Tool. Nestor also leads research projects that study AI in the context of technical advancement, ethical concerns and policymaking. In developing tools that track the advancement of AI, Nestor hopes to make the AI space more accessible to both policymakers and citizens. His work is also oriented towards building knowledge about AI in a way that facilitates more productive dialogues surrounding its future and can lead to its development in ethically responsible ways. Prior to joining HAI, Nestor worked in Toronto as an analyst in several startups.
Elizabeth Nelson, Co-Founder, Head of Innovation & Content Smart Building Collective

The author of The Healthy Office Revolution, Elizabeth C. Nelson is a researcher, writer, and Co-Founder of the Smart Building Collective | Certification. She stands on the review board for Academic publications including Nature's Digital Medicine, Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR), and Plos One. Her PhD in biomedical engineering focuses on our complex relationship with technology and a better way of living and working.
Supported by: International Visegrad Fund