Governing global China’s green technology frontiers: Insights from Eastern Germany

China/Europe and the Changing Global Order seminar series, organized by The Open University, REDEFINE research cluster, Milton Keynes, UK, hybrid, 21 November 2024

Recent efforts in the European Union’s shift towards climate neutrality and diversified supply chains post-Covid-19 have sparked a major investment surge in large-scale renewable energy and green technology projects across Europe. Simultaneously, key technologies and resources essential for Europe’s green transition remain dependent on East Asian, particularly Chinese, firms. This imbroglio places considerable pressure on host-state actors – especially local planning, administration, and policy professionals – as they have to navigate ambitious EU targets, alongside growing geopolitical tensions, on the ground. Drawing on empirical studies from the recent implementation of two Chinese gigafactories for the manufacturing of electric vehicle battery cells in Eastern Germany, the talk offers insights into the mechanisms, conflicts, and ruptures in Sino-German cooperation while illuminating the (trans)local histories and power relations that shape each project’s implementation. It thus aims at moving beyond bold geopolitical narratives, contributing to the growing initiative in studying the locally situated peculiarities and urban effects of China’s global expansion.

More information
https://fass.open.ac.uk/research/projects/redefine