Berlin named as Europe’s smartest city, thanks to MaaS

New analysis from Juniper Research has ranked Berlin as the leading smart city in Europe in 2023.

Other cities in the European top five are London, Barcelona, Rome and Madrid.

Juniper defines a smart city as: “A place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient through the use of digital solutions for the benefit of its inhabitants and business.”

The analysis covered areas including transportation and infrastructure, energy and lighting, city management and technology, and urban connectivity.

It identified Berlin as a leading city due to its focus on improving its transport infrastructure, such as with the mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) app Jelbi, which brings together public and private transport.

The researchers said Berlin has also taken proactive steps on shared micromobility and renewable energy generation, demonstrating a “joined-up approach to smart city development”.

Research co-author Nick Maynard commented: “Europe, as the birthplace of MaaS, has seen significant development and deployment of the concept over the past few years. As such, transit in leading European smart cities is a central part of future strategies for smart city development – cities aiming to follow this approach must take a coordinated method to transit, embracing the benefits of MaaS in reducing congestion.”

Cutting carbon

Juniper said the potential for reducing emissions is a key driver for smart city deployments in Europe. CO₂e emissions saved by smart city deployments in Europe are forecast to reach 247 million metric tons (MMT) by 2028, from 161 MMT in 2023, representing growth of 53 percent.

Within this, smart grids are expected to be the biggest driver of savings, with elements such as artificial intelligence (AI) analytics, demand-responsive networks and urban microgrids helping to modernise urban grid infrastructure. Smart street lighting and smart traffic management are also expected to deliver significant savings.

“With cost pressures being prevalent in the European energy sector, governments must focus on strategies enabling both cost reduction and renewable energy deployments, such as greater use of AI in smart grid systems,” the analyst firm said.

In May, Juniper ranked Shanghai as the smartest city globally for the second year in a row, followed by New York, Toronto, Seoul and Shenzhen.

Shanghai took the top spot due to its ‘Suishenban Citizen Cloud’, which provides access for over 1,000 different services for city residents. The city was also praised for its strong deployment of 5G and use of innovative technologies such as digital twins.

“The leading cities in this ranking have all rolled out services that are effectively harnessing data and connectivity to improve citizen experiences,” the report said.

There are geographical variations around the world in the approach to implementing technology, and smart city deployments in China in particular often draw concerns about surveillance.

Maynard told Cities Today: “Privacy is a very important issue, and something that should be very closely considered within the smart cities area. Shanghai has been a leader due to its comprehensive data platform, but this is something that is not as possible to build in other markets due to privacy concerns, while data efforts can still be made.”

Some cities are moving away from the term ‘smart city’ altogether in a bid to focus on benefits and emphasise privacy.

“Fundamentally, smart cities are a key way to achieve net zero targets, which are at the top of mind for many city authorities and governments throughout the world,” Maynard said. “Whether these technologies will always be thought of and branded as ‘smart cities’ is another question, but the technologies have a very important role to play going forward.”

Cost savings globally from smart city deployments are forecast to reach US$249 billion by 2028, from US$96 billion in 2023.