The Industrial Accelerator Act: Will the EU manage to reshape economic relations with China in strategic sectors?

Presented by the European Commission on 4 March 2026, the Industrial Accelerator Act marks an attempt by the European Union to rebuild its industrial base, reduce strategic dependencies and reclaim control over critical value chains. With Chinese firms deeply embedded in European supply chains and China remaining one of the EU’s largest trading partners, the stakes could hardly be higher. What does the EU ultimately aim to achieve with the Act? How far is the EU willing to go in confronting China’s industrial dominance, and at what cost? How might Chinese firms respond, and what role could the Chinese government play in shaping those reactions? And how could the Act reshape economic relations between Europe and China?

Dr. Finn Ole Semrau

Deputy Scientific Lead of the Industrial Policy Lab and postdoctoral researcher at the Kiel Institute.

His research lies at the intersection of global value chains, sustainable development, and innovation policy, with a particular focus on state-led environmental innovation and the scaling up of green hydrogen technologies. He is currently actively engaged in the debate surrounding the EU Industrial Accelerator Act, analyzing how its “Made in Europe” approach and new conditions for foreign direct investment could reshape Europe’s industrial strategy. Finn Ole Semrau is strongly committed to bridging academia and policymaking. His advisory work includes contributions to the European Parliament, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Alexander Hoeckle

Head of Foreign Trade and Customs Department, Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade, Services (BGA)

Alexander Hoeckle, born in Bonn in 1966, has been working in foreign trade for over 30 years, following his training as a banker and graduating from the RWTH Aachen with a degree in Business Administration. He has spent most of this time working in the foreign trade sector of various chambers of industry and commerce (IHK). Aachen, Düsseldorf, Munich and Cologne were his stations. Since spring 2023, he has been managing director of the Federal Association of German Export Trade (BDEx) and head of the foreign trade and customs department of the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) in Berlin. He represents the BGA in the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA). He also serves as a volunteer on the board of the German-Chinese Business Association (DCW) in Düsseldorf. Mr Hoeckle brings extensive experience and expertise in foreign trade, an extensive network of contacts in Germany and abroad, and excellent contacts in business and politics to his work. His profile is rounded off by his high level of expertise in advising medium-sized companies on internationalisation and globalisation issues, as well as extensive experience in the international trade fair business. 

Moderation

Dr. Vera Eichenauer

Vera Eichenauer is an economist at the Federal Ministry of Finance and works on geo-economic issues. She previously conducted research at the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich (Switzerland). She is interested in economic policy and questions of international economic governance. She received her PhD in Economics from Heidelberg University in 2016 and her Master’s degree in International Relations from Sciences Po Paris.

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Contact

Gunda Böhm
+49 (431) 8814-204
gunda.boehm@kielinstitut.de

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