Young China Watchers Berlin & MERICS: Brown Bag Lunch with Philipp Heuermann

The Young China Watchers Berlin Chapter and MERICS are organising a brown-bag lunch talk held on October 17, 2024, 12:00-13:00 CEST with Philipp Heuermann, Associate Director at Ginkgo Bioworks. 

From developing life-saving medication, manufacturing advanced materials, enabling agricultural resilience, or securing critical supply chains, biotechnology has become the new frontier of geopolitics. During this discussion, we will explore global geopolitical competition in the biotech space between China, the United States, and the European Union: 

• Why does biotechnology matter? Who is leading the charge in the battle for biotech talent, technology, and groundbreaking innovation? 
• How are the U.S., China and the EU navigating the complex landscape of regulatory challenges, technological advancements and national security considerations? 
• What is the role of institutions such as the U.S. National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology? How is recent U.S. legislation impacting China’s biotech sector? 
• How well is Europe prepared to play a major role in global biotech competition? 

Philipp Heuermann is an expert at the intersection of international affairs, biotechnology and innovation. He currently works for the synthetic biology company Ginkgo Bioworks in Boston. Prior, he worked for the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament and in healthcare consulting for PwC Strategy&. Heuermann holds an MPA from Harvard University, Double MSc in International Affairs from The London School of Economics and Peking University, and a BA in Governance & Public Policy from the University of Passau. He co-authored a research report on biotech innovation strategies for Harvard’s Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs. Heuermann is a former member of YCWs London chapter and lived in China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. 

This event will be held under the Chatham House rule.