Smarter Together: Why Connectivity Makes Smart Cities Successful

Good digital solutions don’t have to be reinvented from scratch everywhere. The greatest added value is created when experiences are shared, ideas are developed collaboratively, and successful approaches are applied to other municipalities. That is why knowledge transfer and networking are key success factors for the Jena Smart City project.

Learning from One Another

Digital transformation is a team effort. Many municipalities face similar challenges: they want to digitize their administrations, make downtown areas more attractive, respond to the effects of climate change, or make municipal data more accessible.

The federal “Smart Cities Model Projects” program therefore aims to develop digital solutions not just for individual cities. The insights and applications gained are intended to benefit as many municipalities as possible—regardless of whether they are large cities, medium-sized centers, or rural communities.

Exchanges between the model municipalities ensure that experiences are shared, mistakes are avoided, and tried-and-tested solutions can be implemented more quickly. This way, not every municipality has to start from scratch.

Jena as Part of a Nationwide Network

The Jena Smart City Project is actively involved in this network. The project team exchanges ideas with both other Smart City pilot projects and municipalities not receiving funding, participates in various working groups within the funding program, and takes part in nationwide expert discussions.

In addition, Jena regularly presents its projects and experiences at regional, national, and international industry events. These include, among others, the DMEA—Europe’s leading trade fair for digital health—in 2024, as well as the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona in 2024 and 2025.

From October 13 to 15, 2026, the Jena Smart City Project will also be represented at the Smart Country Convention in Berlin. Such events offer the opportunity to present solutions from Jena to a broad professional audience, establish new contacts, and exchange ideas on current developments with municipalities, companies, and research institutions.

Sharing Knowledge Instead of Duplicating Efforts

Just how valuable this exchange is was demonstrated, for example, by a peer learning session on urban data platforms hosted by the Jena Smart City Project. Municipalities with varying levels of experience came together to discuss common challenges and share tried-and-true solutions.

Jena is also committed to fostering stronger networking within Thuringia. Together with municipalities, municipal IT service providers, companies, and the Thuringia Digital Agency, the project participates in the “Smart Cities/Smart Regions in Thuringia” network.

By hosting network meetings and a digital tour of Jena, the project brought concrete applications to life right on site. This allowed participants not only to discuss digital solutions but also to experience them firsthand.

Making Experiences Permanently Accessible

However, knowledge transfer does not end with a single event. It is also crucial to document experiences and make them publicly accessible.

The Jena Smart City Project therefore regularly publishes expert articles, presents project results, and contributes to publications of the funding program. These include, among other things, a blog post and a newsletter article on the topic of “analog anchor locations,” as well as the rollout plan for the health apartments in the Jena-Lobeda Smart Quarter, published via the Thuringia Digital Agency.

In addition, the project contributes to guidance materials developed by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs, and Spatial Development, for example, on measuring the impact of urban data platforms or on designing analog anchor points.

This approach produces materials that provide guidance to other municipalities and support them in implementing their own projects.

From Jena to the Countryside: Telemedicine as an Example of Successful Knowledge Transfer

The benefits of knowledge transfer are particularly evident in the telemedicine room in the Jena-Lobeda Smart Quarter.
The experience gained there is now being incorporated into new projects in rural areas. In Crossen an der Elster, a telemedicine center is currently being established to supplement medical care in the future. The service is being developed in collaboration with local residents and builds directly on the insights gained in Jena. If implementation proceeds as planned, the first patients are expected to be treated there in the fall of 2026.

A similar service is also being established in Langenwolschendorf as part of the “Smart Cities Model Projects” program. This demonstrates how a solution tested in Jena can be further developed and adapted for other regions.

Together, we’re creating solutions that have a lasting impact

The ongoing exchange with local governments, academia, industry, and other partners is paying off. Projects and experiences from Jena are attracting interest nationwide and are regularly cited as examples of best practices.
Knowledge transfer and networking are therefore far more than just supporting activities. They play a decisive role in ensuring that individual projects give rise to transferable solutions.

By openly sharing its experiences, establishing collaborations, and fostering professional dialogue, Jena ensures that the results of the Smart City project extend beyond the city’s borders and support municipalities throughout Germany on their journey toward a digital future.