“This is not just a one off workshop; this is a long term engagement,” said Debra Lam, Managing Director of Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation at Georgia Tech. “We set this up by leading with a foundation of [questions like] what are the major issues on the ground right here locally in Atlanta? Who are the players who are actively working in this space? What are they doing about it?”
The purpose of this partnership is to connect German and American organizations, companies and institutions that do work on sustainable mobility through targeted road show series in the Southern U.S. and delegation trips to Germany. The event was meant to spur future collaborations through an exchange of best practices, knowledge transfer, technology development, case studies and more.
“I think it was a great event,” said Michaela Schobert, Director of Consulting Services at the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern U.S. “People seemed very interested in the whole subject in general. Coming from Germany we have a huge history around how cities are structured and developed. Partnerships, like the one with Georgia Tech, are very important for us.”
The forum convened over 50 individuals from 30 different organizations and departments including Siemens, the City of Atlanta’s Office of Resilience, and the Georgia Public Service Commission.
“I think it’s important that Georgia Tech brings these groups together,” said John Franklin, Executive Director of Transportation for the Atlanta Public Schools. “Networking today and listening to other people that are working in the same realm, albeit in a different community or different organization, we’re getting together and I think that is time well spent.”
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