The WISSENSARCHITEKTUR - Laboratory of Knowledge Architecture (TU Dresden) is actively involved in the establishment of a nationwide smart city science network as the scientific lead in the Smart City Dresden model project. At the invitation of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR), around 70 researchers from the federal funding program met at HafenCity University in Hamburg to explore prospects for greater visibility and networking.

Not just monitoring: smart city research can actively shape the future

In his keynote speech "Making Smart City Science", Prof. Jörg Rainer Noennig (Head of WISSENSARCHITEKTUR) outlined the roles and functions that synthesis and accompanying research for municipal smart city projects can perform. "Para" research, which supports the measures in an advisory and reflective capacity and consists of tracking or monitoring the intended impact, is only a basic form. "Accompanying research" in the literal sense.

"Intra" research would have more creative potential. Here, the scientific contribution is developed from active project participation. A strategy developed based on the methods and findings of smart city research could provide the municipality's smart city activities with an overarching vision and prioritized areas of activity.

"Meta" research: cross-project services and basic principles

However, Noennig sees the greatest benefit in "meta" research. This approach uses integration into municipal smart city development to abstract the knowledge gained and use it to develop cross-project services and principles. "The smart city is in the world, but we don't understand it enough yet," said Noennig. He advocated an inductive approach that develops suitable models based on the concrete object.

Noennig supplemented the theoretical explanations with insights from the Dresden model project. For example, the WISSENSARCHITEKTUR team has developed a smart city strategy with the state capital based on extensive participation processes. It is also currently developing an indicator system for the impact analysis of smart city measures as well as a smart city radar, which provides an overview of smart city projects from renowned funding projects to civil society initiatives and makes them comparable and networkable using relevant parameters.

The future of the network: results and initiatives

Presentations, workshops and discussions gave participants from research institutes and universities as well as science-oriented municipal stakeholders plenty of opportunity to exchange ideas. There was a consensus that the smart city research community should become firmly established in the scientific landscape in the long term.

The results, such as a "science map" of relevant research collaborations, will soon be made available online and continuously developed. Further events are already planned: The conference "Interdisciplinary perspectives on the smart city" will follow in May 2026.

Further information can be found in the Federal Institute's report.