Second Horizon

The US still controls the world’s most advanced AI chips. But China may be building something just as powerful: cheaper open-source models, abundant energy, massive amounts of real-world data—and an ecosystem designed to deploy AI at scale. In Episode 7 of Second Horizon, Marcel Münch and Pascal Coppens unpack six signals that could reshape the global technology race:China is putting data centers...

The global chip war was supposed to slow China down. Instead, it may have accelerated the rise of an entirely new semiconductor ecosystem. In Episode 6 of Second Horizon, Marcel Münch and Pascal Coppens dive into one of the most important technology stories of our time: China's race for semiconductor independence. We discuss:• Why Huawei became the central target of U.S. sanctions• Whether the...

China isn’t just building better AI models. It’s building:robotssupply chainsindustrial data loopsphysical AI ecosystemsand entirely new forms of human-machine interaction. Meanwhile Europe is still debating regulation. In Episode 5 of Second Horizon, we unpack:🇨🇳 China’s robotics acceleration⚙️ why data is the real bottleneck🧠 AI replacing workers vs augmenting them🌍 and the growing Europe–Chin...

What if China’s real advantage isn’t AI, EVs, or robotics… but something deeper? In Episode 4 of Second Horizon, we go beyond headlines and explore what’s actually happening on the ground in China right now. Marcel reports live from Shenzhen & Beijing, sharing firsthand insights — from walking into AI agent hackathons to discovering humanoid robots already deployed in real-world operations. Pa...

China is not just building AI — it’s building an entire system around it. In this episode of Second Horizon, Marcel Münch and Pascal Coppens connect live from Europe and China to break down what’s really happening on the ground. From humanoid robots and AI-driven factories to domestic chip development and China’s global expansion strategy — this episode goes beyond headlines and explores the deepe...

Second Horizon – Episode 2In this new podcast, Pascal Coppens and Marcel Münch go beyond the daily China headlines — adding a second layer of interpretation from a European perspective. Each episode is built around a simple format:We each bring three signals — trends, shifts, or weak signals — that we believe matter long-term. From declining CO₂ emissions and Europe’s industrial wake-up call to hu...

Welcome to the first episode of Second Horizon. In this new podcast, Pascal Coppens and Marcel Münch go beyond the daily China headlines — adding a second layer of interpretation from a European perspective. Each episode is built around a simple format:We each bring three signals — trends, shifts, or weak signals — that we believe matter long-term. In this first conversation, we explore:🌍 Macro s...