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Germany's digital showcases
Digital success stories need a larger audience and make the Smart Country Convention to an interactive hotspot for technology and innovation. The smartest cities, the most promising startups and the best European solutions are role models that drive the digital change in the public sector. Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Internet of Things and Augmented Reality are key technologies that sustainably improve the quality of life for people in cities and regions and prepare companies and employees for the digital future.
Think tank for future technologies: We encourage more innovative strength and more digital competence. Get to know national and international digital champions and experience the innovative ecosystem of Germany and Europe. Meet other visionary minds to learn, network and celebrate.
Lighthouses of digitization
Cities are living spaces that have to meet the challenges with globalization and urbanization in the digital age. Successful urban development concepts need a sustainable digitization strategy on the future topics of smart mobility services, successful energy system transformation, social participation and ecological responsibility.
With the Smart City Index, the digital association Bitkom collects a digital ranking for Germany’s large cities and compares the progress of digitization in cities and regions. The successful transformation to a digital and networked city is analyzed and evaluated in five categories: administration, IT and communication, energy and environment, mobility and society.
Smart City projects work on intelligent living spaces which sustainably increase the quality of life in cities sustainably. The key is technological solutions which support the holistic digitization of the public sector. After all, the need and demand for digital innovations for mobility, energy, environment and communication is growing.
The city of the future is smart, networked and worth living in. And the human being is at the center of attention. Discover the best smart cities and the most innovative projects of the year. With the Smart City Award, we honor pioneering technological developments in a networked city.
Smart Cities made in Germany
Some smart cities have already presented themselves in our news blog and show how far they have come on their way to becoming a smart city, how they are taking their citizens with them and what innovative solutions they have developed for themselves.
Smart Country Startup Award 2025
October 01, 2025 | Plaza Stage
The application phase for the Smart Country Startup Award 2025 will be announced here at a later date.
Innovation Award of the Smart Country Convention
Cities and local authorities are future spaces for sustainable living. But smart and networked cities can only work through active participation in digitization Digital change permeates all facets of society and everyday life. Whether energy and mobility, environment and climate, education and health or communication and infrastructure, digital participation takes place in people’s living spaces. Smart cities connect economic, ecological and social sustainability with the opportunities and potentials of digitization.
The future of the federal state, public administration and society is digital. Technological solutions streamline and automate processes in administrations, local authorities and federal governments and modernize services for the public. Digital participation and digital sovereignty of people and companies are indicators for a successful digitization strategy in the public administration. This means expanding intelligent and secure infrastructures, developing further technologies and key competences and promoting new technologies and innovations.
The stage is set for bright minds and drivers of innovation
The Smart Country Startup Award honors outstanding innovations in the categories Smart City and GovTech. Get Started, the startup initiative of the digital association Bitkom and exclusive partners, promotes good ideas and innovative concepts relating to smart cities and digital administration with the Smart Country Startup Award.
Founders and founding teams are invited to submit their innovative ideas and forward-looking concepts, to be among the six finalists of the Smart Country Startup Award and to pitch for the Innovation Award. The best startups will have the chance to present their projects to a live audience.
In summer 2025, startups can submit their ideas and prototypes: The selected finalists will get the chance to pitch their projects in front of a broad audience and a jury of experts at #SCCON25. The winners will not only receive prize money of 5,000 euros, but also a one-year Get Started membership in Bitkom.
SCCON Startup Award Night
After the Smart Country Startup Award 2025, the SCCON Startup Award Night will take place. All visitors are invited to a drink and snack together: If you want to end the second day of the fair in a relaxed atmosphere and good conversation, this is the place to be! Celebrate and support upcoming startups that are shaping the cities of the future with their inspiring business ideas and advancing the digitization of public administration!
Further information on #SCCON25 will follow at a later date.
Impressions from #SCSA24
One evening, six Smart City & GovTech startups, two winners! The highlights of the Smart Country Startup Awards, which took place on the second day of #SCCON24, can be found here in the official aftermovie. The winners were Neuraflow and UrbanDataLens - two outstanding pioneers for the digital cities and modern administrations of tomorrow.
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