Smart City - Smart Country

The aim of the two Federal states of Berlin and Brandenburg is to create a smart capital region with networked smart regions and cities. For the first time, the “Strategic Overall Framework Capital Region 2021” takes up the topic of Smart City - Smart Country in its overall view. The economic development agencies of both States combine the sponsorship of the Smart City Network on the Berlin side and the Smart Country Network on the Brandenburg side, i.e. the Smart Villages, Smart Regions and Smart Cities and their actors in the independent cities and districts of Brandenburg. Both business development agencies regularly bring actors from both Federal states together under the title Smart City meets Smart Country and explore possibilities for cross-border cooperation. The exchange between Berlin and Brandenburg is also to be continued and expanded in connection with the model projects Smart Cities in the region. The focus is on the transfer of knowledge, the transfer of best practices and the generation of joint projects. Companies in the capital region also present their smart solutions, products and projects annually at the joint stand of the Berlin-Brandenburg capital region at the world’s leading trade fair Smart City Expo World Congress Barcelona and at the Smart Country Convention Berlin.

As early as 2013, the Administration and numerous actors from business and science in the State of Berlin were ready to collaborate across departments or sectors and to develop jointly a State strategy as well as countless measures and innovation projects to make Berlin smarter and more liveable and to establish sustainable city management. In the light of the growing city with increasing competition for space, and considering urbanisation and digitisation as well as climate change, Berlin has set out to make better use of the innovation potential of its companies and startups as well as its excellent research landscape for the city. Berlin Partner has acted as a navigator, mediator and networker in this process from the start. Berlin Partner supports this innovative ecosystem as the first point of contact for companies, as the office of the target group and cross-sector network Smart City Berlin with more than 150 institutional members and as a project initiator and facilitator.

New impulses by means of digitisation in rural areas.

Digitisation opens up new perspectives for all districts and independent cities. This is because digital workers can freely choose their place of work. Innovative startups, self-employed people, creative people, but also employees in established companies also work in the home office or in third-party locations (labs, hubs and spaces). New digital locations and projects are emerging, with an impact beyond the capital region.

Brandenburg surprises with innovative companies and numerous initiatives for coworking, co-villages, digital teams and creative places. They are the basis for successful on-site initiatives by numerous companies that have led to awards and Federal funding. Potsdam-Mittelmark is one of seven German Smart Country regions (BMEL), Cottbus, Bad Belzig and Wiesenburg as well as the State capital Potsdam are three German model projects of Smart Cities (BMI). Courageous companies and innovative projects are our transformation partners in the mobility and energy transition, in Business/Work 4.0 and for new products, services and business models.

Smart Country Brandenburg stands for intensive networking in the region and beyond. At the end of 2018, the Brandenburg Economic Development Corporation (WFBB) together with Fraunhofer IESE and Bitkom, founded an umbrella format “Smart Country Brandenburg” in order to set impulses with other partners in the capital region, to promote model projects and best practice, to network their makers, to organise events and participation in trade fairs and conferences.

Smart Country Brandenburg

• Is an approach to initiate and accompany digital locations and projects
• Using digitisation for technology development and new forms of work
• Offers the chance to give new impetus to life in the country
• As well as supporting the development of the capital region, its cores and corridors

In Brandenburg, Smart Country is what “Smart City” is in Berlin – a network with many innovation partners and initiators.

Smart Country Brandenburg, that is the Smart Villages, Smart Regions and Smart Cities in the State of Brandenburg, all districts and independent cities in which several actors have come together to initiate sustainable regional development on site. Numerous companies are driving forces behind change.

The example of Coconat as the initial spark for the “Smart Village Bad Belzig and Wiesenburg” shows how successful such years of support can be in becoming a pioneer in digital locations and projects in the State of Brandenburg. In addition, there has recently been a close collaboration with the newly founded DigitalAgenturBrandenburg (DABB), which acts as a hinge between the Municipalities and the State government.