Smart Country Convention 2026: How AI and Digital Administration are Changing the State
This year's focus is on Artificial Intelligence, smart infrastructures, digitalization of administration and resilience, as well as cloud technologies, cybersecurity, mobility, energy, and digital education. The congress, expo, workshops, and networking are intended to discuss not only future concepts but also show concrete applications from cities, municipalities, and agencies.
AI to make administration faster
Artificial Intelligence will be a central theme of the event in 2026. Increasingly, the question is not whether AI can be used in agencies, but what tasks can be sensibly automated or supported. The selected practical examples for the stage program range from AI applications in city administration to digital tax returns through the tax office. Also, cyber resilience in municipal IT systems and climate-adapted urban development using satellite data are on the agenda. The Call for Speakers received 390 proposals from 40 cities, ten federal states, and eight counties. 20 projects were selected for the program. Particularly for municipalities, practical benefits are crucial. Digital solutions must not only technically function but also relieve administrative staff, accelerate processes, and become easier to use for citizens and businesses.
Three federal ministers meet with municipalities and the digital economy
Federal Minister of Digital Affairs Dr. Karsten Wildberger has again taken over the patronage with his ministry. Also expected are Federal Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer and Federal Minister of Transport Patrick Schnieder, along with representatives from state politics, authorities, science, and business. The announced speakers include Sinan Selen from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Grit Tüngler from the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, and representatives of the Federal Employment Agency, the German Pension Insurance, and the Federal IT Cooperation FITKO. The program thus ranges from digital administration to state resilience and security.
Portugal shows how a digital state can function
Special attention in 2026 goes to the partner country Portugal. The country achieved third place in the OECD's Digital Government Index 2025 and will present its own projects and digital administrative services in Berlin. Among other things, Portuguese citizens can now store and use 16 official documents digitally via the Gov.pt app. The Portuguese Minister of State Reform Gonçalo Saraiva Matias will open the Smart Country Convention together with Federal Minister of Digital Affairs Karsten Wildberger on October 13. Portugal will also be present with its own exhibition stand and several program contributions. The international comparison is likely to be particularly interesting for German administrations. Not every digital solution has to be newly developed. Experiences from other countries can show which structures work and where organizational changes are more important than the next software.
Cybersecurity becomes a prerequisite for digitalization
The more digital administration and public infrastructure become, the greater their dependence on functioning IT systems. Cybersecurity and digital sovereignty are therefore focal points of the SCCON. The topics range from cyber resilience in municipalities to the protection of state infrastructure. However, this gives rise to a conflict of objectives: administrations should digitalize faster and make better use of data, while at the same time, sensitive information must be protected and systems must remain available even in crisis situations. Digital security thus becomes a fundamental prerequisite for modern public services, not just an issue when an attack has already occurred.
Start-ups seek solutions for the digital state
In Berlin, young technology companies also get their own stage. At the Smart Country Startup Award, solutions are sought that make administrations, cities, and public infrastructure more efficient and interconnected. The range includes AI for urban planning and administration to digital procurement processes and new mobility concepts. The finalists present their applications live in front of a jury and audience on October 14. Especially GovTech start-ups can become interesting for the public sector because they develop solutions for problems that traditional company software does not always cover. However, it remains crucial whether pilot projects can subsequently be scaled beyond individual municipalities or authorities.
Digitization becomes a locational issue
The Smart Country Convention takes place from October 13 to 15, 2026, at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. The event is aimed at representatives from federal, state, and local governments as well as digital companies, start-ups, academia, and public enterprises. Admission is free. The hub27 was already fully booked eight months before the event started, leading to an additional expansion of the exhibition space in Hall 26. The response shows the urgency of action. For companies, administration digitalization is not just a public sector issue. Permits, company foundations, infrastructure projects: How quickly and reliably authorities work directly affects economic processes. The crucial question in Berlin will therefore not be which digital technologies are generally available, but which ones actually make it into everyday administrative use.