GABC News | Update from the German Consulate

Dear members, partners & friends,

these are unprecedented times and we wish everyone well! We would like to continue our conversation and exchange with our members and friends, and while this may be mostly via email, newsletter and virtual meetings for a while, we are here as a resource for you to connect and to inform.

Many of us have already been flooded with invitations for webinars and virtual town hall meetings to make up for postponed or cancelled in-person events. We share the enthusiasm to provide content and connections, which is at the core of what we do, and we want to do that in a way that is relevant and informative. To that end, we welcome suggestions towards topics you would like us to see covered, people you would like to hear from, experts you would like us to approach who you find important during these times and who bridge our German-American business community.

For this newsletter, we provide you with information & resources, we point to announcements from our sponsors related to the current Coronavirus developments, we share a few links to news stories. We also look back at a few past GABC events and share plans for the fall knowing fully that we take life & business day by day and that everything is subject to change at the moment.

Please stay healthy.

With kind regards | Mit freundlichen Grüssen

Emily Westhoven

Executive Director

Update from the German Consulate General Boston:

The German Consulate General in Boston would like to share the following information:

Online: Up-to-date information is posted on www.germany.info/boston and www.diplo.de.You can also email info@boston.diplo.de.
Hours and Staffing: Due to reduced staffing, the Consulate in Boston can now be reached by phone from Monday through Thursday from 10AM to 3PM and Fridays from 10AM to 1PM.The consulate is (except for urgent emergencies matters) not open to the public at this time.
Phone Service: Can now be contacted with the following phone numbers: +1 (617) 369-4900 and +1 (207) 352-8254
Call Volume: Due to an increased call volume, the Consulate is asking to only call in case of emergencies. Non-emergency inquiries, such as questions relating to Beibehaltungsanträge, flights to Germany, drivers license translations etc. should not be made at this time.
Elefand: The Website for Electronic Registrations for Germans Abroad (Elektronische Erfassung von Deutschen im Ausland) is experiencing delays due to high demand. Please continue to register even if it may require a few attempts.
Flights to Germany: The Consulate cannot assist in booking flights to Germany. Private citizens who wish to travel to Germany, have to make those arrangements themselves, and should make them rather sooner than later. Lufthansa suspended flights to Germany from Boston temporarily.
Rückholaktion: Currently there is no such “Rückholaktion” for German citizens in the US. [The German Federal Office is currently providing German citizens who have traveled as tourists to the following countries: Argentina, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Tunisia return flights to Germany. This list is updated daily. Click here for the most up-to-date information.]

Information relating to German institutions in Boston under the auspices of the German government:

Goethe-Institut Boston: The Goethe-Institut building remains closed for visitors and cultural events have been postponed or cancelled. German language classes for the remaining semester will have completely switched to an online platform this week and continue to be facilitated online by German teachers. Classes scheduled to start in April will run in mixed format of virtual face-to-face and online learning. Registration is open.

The German International School Boston: The school building has been closed to students and faculty. Teaching has been completely converted to virtual and online teaching for all grades (preschool through High School) and is facilitated through all faculty working from home. More information .

US Embassy and Consulates in Germany

Due to reduced staffing, the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Berlin and the Consulates General in Frankfurt and Munich are providing emergency services only until further notice. More information

Disaster Assistance to Small Businesses in Massachusetts

Small businesses, private non-profit organizations of any size, small agricultural cooperatives and small aquaculture enterprises that have been financially impacted as a direct result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) since Jan. 31, 2020, may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred . SBA Online Application Portal

SBA Fact Sheet MA Declaration

Announcements from our sponsors

Bayer Partners with U.S. Government on Major Product Donation to Fight Coronavirus

Bayer announced it is joining the U.S. Government's fight against COVID-19 with a donation of 3 million tablets of the drug Resochin (chloroquine phosphate). More infor mation

MilliporeSigma Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

MilliporeSigma consolidated their product offering on a dedicated COVID-19 webpage, providing a one stop-shop of approximately 125 products and corresponding information for academic labs and biopharmaceutical companies working to combat the virus. Read full announcement . MilliporeSigma COVID-19 Web Page

Newsworthy | Pressespiegel

As seen in

Hopes of a coronavirus vaccine mount as three key biotech players make progress

March 17, 2020

Two German biotech companies are in the race to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.

Full article

As seen in

A resource guide for Mass. businesses during coronavirus outbreak

March 19, 2020

"The Boston Business Journal has compiled this resource list to help businesses during the outbreak, a list that is likely to grow and change over the coming days and weeks."

Full article

Podcast im

Das Corona-Virus Update mit Christian Drosten

Täglich

"NDR Info Wissenschaftsredakteurinnen Korinna Hennig und Anja Martini sprechen jeden Tag mit einem der führenden Virus-Forscher Deutschlands: Christian Drosten, dem Leiter der Virologie in der Berliner Charité."

Zum Podcast

Gelesen in

10.000 Beatmungsgeräte fürs ganze Land

17.März 2020

"Das Lübecker Familienunternehmen Dräger hat einen Riesenauftrag von der Bundesregierung erhalten. Aus eher individueller Fertigung soll jetzt eine Massenproduktion werden." (...)

Zum Artikel

Past events

On January 30th, the German American Business Outlook 2020 (GABO), a cooperation with the GACC New York, was held at J.P. Morgan in Boston. It is safe to say that the outlook presented in January has since then been turned upside down.

On February 26th, we were invited to partner with BABCNE on an event on Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace focusing on how AI impacts companies' hiring, firing and retention.

On February 27th, the GABC Young Professionals invited to a Networking 101 presentation at Kaplan International Languages in Harvard Square where guests learned how to capitalize on networking tools.

Future Events

For the time being, we have canceled or postponed events originally scheduled for March and April 2020 and we will update you on any plans for new dates and new events as soon as we can.

We understand that at this time it is difficult to predict how the COVID19 situation unfolds, but here is what we are working on for our Fall Program Highlights:

The German American Economic Forum 2020 is a half day conference and focuses on "Smart Cities" highlighting the importance of data and technology to improve livability and sustainability of a city.

Friday, November 6th, 2020 | 8AM

Flashback: View a video of our 2019 German American Economic Conference here .

Our Annual Gala returns to the UMass Club on December 4th where we hope to celebrate with many of you and look back on what is already shaping up to be an extraordinary year.

Friday, December 4th, 2020 6:30PM