Thanks to MaaS, Berlin is Europe’s smartest city

Berlin is this year’s smartest European city. And it’s mainly thanks to Jelbi, a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) app that seamlessly connects the city’s public transport infrastructure with its private transit options, says Juniper Research. Analysis by the market research company also mentions steps taken by the German capital to promote shared micromobility and renewable energy as important elements in Berlin’s elevation to ‘smartest city’ in Europe in 2023.

“As the birthplace of MaaS, Europe has seen significant development and deployment of the concept over the past few years. As such, a coordinated approach to transit in leading European smart cities is central to future strategies for smart city development”, says the report’s co-author Nick Maynard. In short: embracing the benefits of MaaS will help cities reduce congestion and pollution.  

Next to reducing congestion, the potential for reducing emissions is a key driver for smart city deployments. In 2023, smart cities across Europe will save 161 million metric tons (MMT) in emissions of CO2e (CO2 equivalents). By 2028, that is expected to go up by 53% to 247 MMT of CO2e.

Juniper’s definition of a ‘smart city’ is a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient via digital solutions, benefiting both citizens and businesses. Transport is a big part of this, but also efficiency in lighting and heating buildings, supplying water, and disposing of waste. 

After Berlin, Europe’s smartest cities for 2023 are, according to Juniper Research: London, Barcelona, Rome, and Madrid. However, no European cities figure in the organisation’s global top 5. The world’s smartest city in 2023 is Shanghai, followed by New York, Toronto, Seoul, and Shenzhen. 

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