Vernetzung

First meeting of the Smart City expert group: Making Jena smarter together

On June 4, 2025, the newly founded Smart City expert group met for the first time at JEDI. An important kick-off to deepen cooperation within the city association, share knowledge and shape the digital future of our city together.

A space for exchange and in-depth collaboration

The specialist group is anchored in the Jena Digital e. V. network and is aimed at stakeholders from the city administration, municipal enterprises and municipal utilities. The aim is to exchange ideas about smart solutions regularly and in a practical way - in more depth than is possible in the open Smart City regulars' tables. These regulars' tables will continue to exist in order to pick up on external ideas and new topics.

Teilnehmende stehen aufgereiht, auf und neben einer Treppe, vor einem Eingang, auf einem Schild steht: JEDI - Jena Digital Innovation Hub

Smart City specialist group


City of Jena

Focus: data strategy as the foundation

The first meeting focused on the question: How can we lay the foundations for innovative and sustainable urban development with a data strategy?

The participants discussed how data can be collected, processed and used sensibly - always with the aim of benefiting citizens and the city in equal measure.

Stadtwerke Jena provided exciting insights into its path to data-driven work. It became clear that a good data strategy touches on four levels - strategic, cultural, operational and technological. At the moment, the focus is primarily on technical implementation: How do data processes work? How is data prepared? And how are digital applications with added value for everyone created from it?

Organizational structures: who does what?

In addition to the data strategy, there was intensive discussion about the appropriate organizational structures for the digital transformation. What roles are needed? Which teams or staff units make sense? And how can processes be designed so that digitalization projects do not fail but are implemented successfully?

It quickly became clear that digitalization is not an isolated solution, but can only be achieved by working together across all areas. Various models - from central digital teams to decentralized matrix organizations - provided valuable impetus for future collaboration.

Thank you - and we will continue!

We would like to thank all participants for the open exchange, the intelligent questions and the many thought-provoking ideas. The Smart City expert group thrives on everyone who wants to get actively involved and help shape the future.

We will continue in Q3 2025 - with new topics, ideas and joint solutions. Because only together can Jena become smart.

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