Industrial Policy & Economic Security Conference Session 2

Session 2: Autos: The Autonomous and Electrical Vehicle Challenge
Main Questions: Is the automotive industry -- which constitutes a major share of the U.S., European, and Japanese manufacturing base -- the next ailing industry? If so, does it merit trade protection or subsidies? Or should the West embrace lower-cost Chinese cars?

I. Unpacking China's EV success: Competition, Subsidies, Scale, and Growing Internationalization: Ilaria Mazzocco, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

II. Driving Security: U.S. Auto Industrial Policy: Elaine Buckberg, Senior Fellow, Harvard University's Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability

III. Rare Earth Minerals: China's Role in the Green Tech Supply Chain: Kristin Vekasi, Mansfield Chair of Japanese and Indo-Pacific Affairs, University of Montana

Discussant: Kelly Sims Gallagher, Dean, The Fletcher School

This hybrid conference was held on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 and brought together leading policymakers, academics, and industry experts to examine the evolving landscape of industrial policy in the context of technological change and global competition. Key sessions addressed the challenges facing ailing industrial champions, the future of the automotive sector amid the rise of electric and autonomous vehicles, and the strategic implications of artificial intelligence. The agenda featured in-depth discussions on U.S. and Chinese industrial strategies, supply chain security, and the policy tools needed to bolster economic resilience in an era defined by rapid innovation and geopolitical shifts.

Click here for more about the conference: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/m...