Transatlantic Dialogue on the Industrial Heartlands

For a generation, people living in the traditional industrial heartlands all over the world have been buffeted by a technological and services revolution, the decline of manufacturing, and the rise of a borderless global digital economy. The result is deepening inequality, ongoing political support for right-wing populists and a hollowing out of the middle class.

This three-year project and its partners from the U.S. and Germany are dedicated to creating new opportunities in old industrial heartlands in both countries by forging a transatlantic dialogue, exchanging best practices and developing political strategies and policy solutions for a better, greener and more democratic future in the “places that don’t matter”. The main goal is to deliver increased living standards and opportunities, while also working towards rebuilding trust in democracy in the U.S. and Germany.

The project is supported by the 
Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, 
funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) 
of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK)

A project by

Supported by

Strategic Lead

Florian Ranft

Member of the Management Board and Head of Green New Deal

Operative Lead

Axel Ruppert

Project Manager

Rachel Stieb

Junior Project Manager

Communications

Aaron Remus

Deputy Head of Communications