- 800 speakers, 500 exhibitors and 1,000 sessions
- Next Smart Country Convention from 13 to 15 October 2026
The Smart Country Convention has become the largest event for the digitalisation of the public sector in Europe. More than 23,000 participants attended the event this year, an increase of 22 per cent over the previous year. For the first time, the newly created Federal Ministry for Digitalisation and State Modernisation was the patron of the event and provided key political impetus with appearances by Federal Digital Minister Dr Karsten Wildberger and his four State Secretaries Dr Markus Richter, Thomas Jarzombek, Philipp Amthor and Prof. Dr Louise Hölscher.
Dr Ralf Wintergerst, Bitkom President: ‘The record attendance at the Smart Country Convention 2025 shows that the digitalisation of administrations, cities, municipalities and authorities has also become a top issue in Germany. The Federal Government has set itself ambitious and important goals with its modernisation agenda, and the Smart Country Convention can help to give the necessary momentum to its implementation.’
Three exhibition halls for the digital state and public services
This year, the leading event for the public sector grew by a third exhibition hall and offered a total of seven event stages with more than 1,000 live sessions, 800 speakers and 100 workshops. The focus was on the topics of administrative digitisation, smart cities and smart regions, cyber security, mobility, digital participation, and AI and cloud technologies. Also in attendance were Federal Minister of Education and Family Affairs Karin Prien, Andrea Nahles, Chair of the Executive Board of the Federal Employment Agency, and Aletta von Massenbach, Chair of the Management Board at Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH (BER). A delegation of digital ministers from the federal states was also in attendance.
For the first time, around 500 exhibitors presented innovative solutions and the latest technologies for public authorities and local governments on 20,000 square metres of exhibition space. The curated expo at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds recorded growth of around 30 per cent compared to 2024.
Dr Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin: “The Smart Country Convention 2025 was a complete success: the high level of participation and enormous interest from both the public sector and the digital economy once again demonstrated how important this exchange is for digitalisation in Germany. The packed exhibition halls, exciting presentations and stimulating discussions between politicians, administrators and business leaders have once again demonstrated that SCCON remains the central meeting place for all stakeholders. We look forward to continuing this success story and shaping SCCON as a platform for innovative ideas and forward-looking solutions in the future.”
The initial results of market research also show that trade visitors are enthusiastic about #SCCON25 and are planning to attend the event again next year. More than 90 per cent of the exhibitors surveyed so far are already planning to participate again next year.
Presentation of the Smart City Index Award 2025
The Smart City Index Award 2025 was also presented at the Smart Country Convention. With its Smart City Index, Bitkom provides an annual overview of the 83 major German cities in terms of their degree of digitalisation. The smartest cities in Germany were honoured at the Smart Country Convention. Munich took first place, closely followed by Hamburg and Stuttgart. Hannover is the climber of the year, ranking 7th.
Presentation of the Smart Country Startup Award 2025
This year’s award for the most innovative startup for the digital state went to GovIntel from Berlin. GovIntel offers AI-supported analysis of public data to predict procurement and was able to prevail against the competition in a pitch competition and was awarded the Smart Country Startup Award.
Smart Country Convention 2026 from 13 to 15 October
Next year’s Smart Country Convention will take place from 13 to 15 October at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. Further information about the event is available at www.smartcountry.berlin.
