Hamburg remains the leading city in Bitkom's Smart City Ranking. However, Munich has made significant progress, improving from fourth to second place. While the Hanseatic city received 86.1 points in the index, Munich was only slightly behind with 85.3. It was followed by Dresden with 81.6 points, Cologne with 79.4 points, Stuttgart with 78.1 points, and Nuremberg with 77.6 points. Berlin landed in 11th place. All 81 German cities with at least 100,000 inhabitants were examined. Munich scored particularly well in the categories of IT and Communications (2nd place), Mobility (4th place), and Administration (5th place).
Smart City Ranking “shows the progress in the digitalization of German cities”
University cities perform particularly well in the Smart City ranking. Bitkom President Achim Berg says:
"The exchange between science and practice is an advantage in these cities. Cities also benefit from young Startups and should also actively give them the opportunity to test smart city applications locally in cooperation."
According to Berg, success factors for a smart city include a committed city hall, a digital strategy, clear structures, a strong local network, and public engagement. Digital technologies could play a key role in solving current challenges such as the consequences of the pandemic and rising energy prices.
"The Smart City Index shows the progress in the digitalization of Germany's major cities. No city has fallen behind in digitalization compared to the previous year; the level has increased everywhere – but there are some significant differences in the pace. This year, too, the ranking is very dynamic. Hamburg was able to defend its title for the fourth time in a row, but the lead is narrower than ever. Behind it, everything is closing in, and even the laggards are making up ground."
says Berg.
"The top spot has broadened. While Hamburg swept the field in four out of five categories last year, in 2022 we have a different winning city in every category. There's an enormous digital drive in cities."
