The many events and personal encounters between the two Bay Areas in 2025 show that our ties to San Francisco and Silicon Valley are more vibrant and stronger than ever. With our ever-growing network, we aim to continually foster new connections and open up new perspectives. To that end, For many of our projects, we work together with partners and sponsors.

Our Highlights of 2025—just a few examples of many great moments:

• Staying in Touch Across the Atlantic: Staying in touch with people who share our values is especially important to us, particularly in today’s world. In partnership with the Schleswig-Holstein Society for American Studies and the Transatlantic Student Initiative, we have done just that with the „Kiel Meets the U.S. – Friendship Picnic“ Celebrated in early July as well as at the Thanksgiving reception under the theme „Building Transatlantic Bridges“, at which Scott Woodard, the new U.S. Consul General for Northern Germany, also delivered a welcoming address.

• Visitors from San Francisco in Kiel:
  • In March, Dr. Kai Westerwelle of the German American Business Association (GABA) delivered a fast-paced keynote address outlining the Trump administration’s goals for the U.S. domestic market, the role that international economic relations play in this context, and the diversity of perspectives within a country as large as the United States. (more)
  • In June, Renata Kiefer and James Bridgeman from our sister organization, the San Francisco–Kiel Sister City Committee, as well as Maureen Singleton and Michelle Jeffers from the San Francisco Public Library, took part in the International Cities Forum during Kiel Week. (more) For example, a discussion on the further development of cultural institutions led to the idea for a pilot project offering low-threshold social counseling at the Kiel Central Library, which launched in November and is supported by the „Übermorgen – New Models for Cultural Institutions“ funding program of the Federal Cultural Foundation. (more)
  • The Lighthouse Swim, held in early July, once again featured American participants. This time, Brent Butler represented the South End Rowing Club in Kiel. (more)
• Learning from one another and being open to innovation: These core principles also shape the Digital Challenge. We are very pleased that this year we were able to welcome Minister of Digitalization Dirk Schrödter as our new patron and that, with AI.SH and DiWiSH, two new partners, to work with the state’s universities to further develop this initiative toward digital and AI-based solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. (more)

What 2026 Will Bring

• Networking Event „Digital Challenge – New Horizons“ On March 24, 2026: That evening, we’ll take a look at the ideas that have been implemented and the experiences of the participating companies, and discuss them.
• Joint conference series held in Kiel for the first time: In early July, Prof. Carsten Schultz and his team from Kiel University (CAU) will bring the joint conference series of the Responsible Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RI&E) Initiative—a collaboration between San Francisco State University and the Kiel Institute for Responsible Innovation (KIRI)—to Kiel. The two-day symposium will deepen academic exchange while also offering new insights into responsible innovation processes at various levels for all other interested parties.
• German Day at Golden Gate Park: At the end of September, we plan to participate once again with The Bay Areas at German Day in Golden Gate Park to strengthen and expand our network in San Francisco.