Juniper Ranks Berlin as Europe’s Smartest

Innovative Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) initiatives have seen the German capital Berlin ranked as Europe’s top smart city by Juniper Research.

Juniper judged Berlin as number one due to its focus on its transport infrastructure, such as the mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) app Jelbi, which brings together public and private transport.

Jelbi partners with Berlin’s public transport network, e-scooter, e-moped and bike sharing and car sharing services to deliver an integrated transport solution across booking, planning and payment.

The app was developed by the city’s public transport operator, BVG, the leading player in Berlin transport with over 1.2 million commuters.

The Juniper researchers said Berlin had taken proactive steps on shared micro-mobility and renewable energy generation, demonstrating a "joined-up approach to smart city development."

“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,” said Juniper researcher Nick Maynard.

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 assesses transportation and infrastructure, energy and lighting, connectivity, city management and technology.

Juniper said the potential for reducing emissions is a key driver for European smart city deployments. 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 a growth of 53%.

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

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.

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