When Apple boss Steve Jobs presented the iPhone in 2007, hardly anyone suspected how fundamentally it would change the world. Today, almost everyone carries their digital life in their pocket. Smartphones connect the world, and in theory at least, anyone can find out almost anything, anywhere, with just a few clicks. In fact, countries and companies must cooperate successfully to be able to produce smartphones in the first place. The supply chain is as global as the communications that run through it. Everything is interlinked. And yet, the hopes from the beginning of the Internet age have not been fulfilled. "That borders between countries would disappear, that the gap between rich and poor would narrow - none of that has happened,” says Mark Liu, CEO of global chip manufacturer TSMC. Instead, geopolitical tensions between the superpowers USA and China are on the rise. The idea of ‘blocs‘ and ‘spheres of influence‘ is returning. Global production is no longer just the search for the best and most favorable production conditions. Rather, questions of risk management arise, within the fierce competition for global leadership. While development in old Europe seems increasingly stagnant, other parts of the world may be pulling ahead. Who are the winners? Who are the losers?