From Kaiserslautern to Harvard: Arlette Numutali and Connor Rhude on AI, Innovation, and the Future of Transatlantic Cooperation

Transatlantic exchange meets regional reality: We are delighted that our doctoral candidate, Arlette Numutali, and Connor Rhude, a student from our department specializing in Strategy, Innovation, and Cooperation, were able to participate in the German American Conference 2026 (GAC) at Harvard University. 

Under the theme “Rethinking Transatlanticism: New Visions for a Shifting Relationship,” the conference brought together perspectives from academia, business, politics, and civil society. Key topics included technology and innovation, the future of work, economic resilience, and the evolving relationship between Germany and the United States.

For us in Kaiserslautern, these topics are particularly relevant. With the Kaiserslautern Military Community and nearby Ramstein Air Base, German American relations have been part of the region’s economic and social fabric for decades.

Particularly relevant were the discussions around innovation and artificial intelligence, especially against the backdrop of changing political and regulatory conditions. A recurring theme was the tension between regulation and speed: How can we build trust and ensure security without slowing innovation? And how can companies move beyond simply experimenting with new technologies and integrate them strategically into their processes, capabilities, and business models?

Kaiserslautern provides a particularly interesting environment for these questions. With the RPTU, the DFKI, and the Fraunhofer institutes, the region has a strong research and technology ecosystem while at the same time facing challenges related to structural change, skills shortages, and the transfer of new technologies into business practice. These are precisely the intersections at the heart of our work at our Chair: strategy, innovation, digital transformation, and collaboration with companies and other stakeholders across the region.

There was also a special personal connection to the Palatinate at the conference: Jeremias Thiel, originally from Kaiserslautern, former guest speaker at the Chair, and this year’s Co-Chair of the German American Conference at Harvard, welcomed our team in Cambridge. Special thanks also go to the Freundeskreis der RPTU for financial support of our participation. Special thanks to the SIC-Alumna Johanna Rothmann who connected the Chair to the GAC organizing team. And, of course, we would like to thank the entire GAC team for organizing the conference so exceptionally and creating such valuable opportunities for exchange.

We look forward to bringing these perspectives back to Kaiserslautern and incorporating them into our continued work at RPTU and with partners across the region!