The positive development of Kaiserslautern as a high-tech location with around 40 high-tech companies, two universities, ten research institutes in the fields of IT and engineering and networks that contribute to this development continuing as positively as in recent years - that was the focus of this Leadership Connect meeting. Together with the Science and Innovation Alliance Kaiserslautern e.V. (SIAK), leaders from USAFE and other partners from the region, the meeting took place in the modern offices of matelso GmbH.

The Mayor of Kaiserslautern, Beate Kimmel, was also present at the beginning of the meeting and warmly welcomed the guests. She emphasized how important associations such as ZukunftsRegion Westpfalz (ZRW) and SIAK are for networking and implementing joint projects in the region and that it is also very important to her to further intensify relations with the Americans living here. The Leadership Connect program was recognized by Ms. Kimmel as a valuable project for the region, which is why she is pleased about the continuation of the program.

Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Dieter Rombach, Founding Director and Executive Consultant of the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE in Kaiserslautern and Chairman of the Board of SIAK, gave an overview of the last 30 years and Kaiserslautern's development into "Silicon Wood", an important location for the IT and AI industry. With the establishment of a number of global players and hidden champions, the business landscape in the city of Barbarossa has changed significantly, which has fortunately led to a reduction in the unemployment rate from almost 15% to 7% over the last 15 years. matelso GmbH is a good example of the fact that companies are returning to the university city or moving here because the infrastructure and framework conditions for companies are right; and also proof that being part of a network such as ZRW or SIAK can be a great advantage. According to Rombach, networking in the region and bringing the right partners together are among the factors that have contributed to the region's positive development. This would not have been possible without the institutional landscape in Kaiserslautern, especially the Fraunhofer ITWM or the Fraunhofer IESE, as they provide a safe environment with competent employees to allow business ideas to mature.

SIAK was founded in 2007 and has since built a large network of 65 members. A major new project is currently in the pipeline that will bring scientific exchange and the latest technologies right into the heart of Kaiserslautern: 42Kaiserslautern, a non-profit GmbH founded by SIAK. The 42 is also based on the idea of networking and exchange, as it is intended to serve as a public space for companies and events, and to show the people of Kaiserslautern what opportunities are available here in the field of AI. This project also aroused great interest among the American participants.

Benjamin Gundermann, HR Business Partner at matelso GmbH, also provided exciting insights into his company's leadership and management ideas. The MarTech company supports its customers in making their processes and lead management more efficient. It was very impressive to see how the team has grown in such a short time and how they work together to achieve the company's goals. The software service provider is very focused on developing its employees and their specific knowledge in different areas of the company.

We would like to thank our partner companies and institutions for the exciting discussions and insights!