What Smart City Bamberg does

Smart City Bamberg is a municipal specialist unit (Stabsstelle) within the City of Bamberg, Germany, established with funding approved in November 2020 and operating with a team of 11 specialists under the German federal MPSC (Modellprojekte Smart City) program. It serves the citizens, administration, and local ecosystem of Bamberg by translating digital innovation into municipal services across six focus areas: mobility, energy, environment, urban planning, culture, and education. The unit functions as both a builder of civic technology and a participative platform operator, having aggregated 250+ citizen ideas and converted 18 of them into implemented projects.

Its core product suite centers on a citizen-facing super-app (the Bamberg-App, launched April 2026) integrated with municipal services, gamified participation, and real-time feedback loops, plus an Engagement Platform based on the open-source wechange code for participatory budgeting and community organizing. Underneath sits a Datenplattform (data platform) using the open-source Civitas Connect framework, ingesting city-relevant IoT and citizen data through APIs. Adjacent products include BamBoards (digital signage via a Displayserver v1), the MoMM multimodal mobility solution (built with SCRL), a Crowdsensing citizen-science app with anomaly detection, and BaKIM for AI-assisted tree-health monitoring. Most product IP is open-source, leveraging codebases from the city of Soest and the wechange network.

Its business model is non-commercial: Smart City Bamberg does not sell its products or services to citizens or external customers, and all apps are free to end users. The unit is funded through federal MPSC grant allocations and additional EU project funding (e.g., AI4Deliberation, DECIDE, GreenDemo, ICC) rather than user fees, licensing, or advertising. Strategically, it functions both as a public service delivery vehicle and as a multi-stakeholder coordination layer, working alongside Universität Bamberg and municipal utilities (BaKuS, BAF, EEB). Direct commercialization is not in evidence and would require a structural change in its municipal mandate.

Name

Smart City Bamberg

Legal name

Stadt Bamberg, Stabsstelle Smart City

Website

https://smartcity.bamberg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smart City Bamberg is a municipal specialist unit within the City of Bamberg, Germany, funded by the federal MPSC program. It builds open-source civic-tech products — a super-app, engagement platform, and data platform — for citizens and local partners across mobility, energy, environment, planning, culture, and education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smart City Municipal Digital Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Parking Lots and Garages (812930), Parking Lots and Garages (81293)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Smart Parking Technology Platforms (Occupancy Sensors, Guidance, Reservations, Analytics) (TLAJAIAC), Smart Parking, Curb & Mobility Management (Facilities) (HSAPAPAK), Parking & Curbside Management Authorities (Municipal Parking, Permits, Loading Zones) (BPAIALAL)

Keywords

• Municipal smart city programs
• Civic engagement platforms
• Urban data platforms
• Accessible mobility routing
• Digital information kiosks

Headquarters

HQ city

Bamberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Government Förderprogramm — Modellprojekte Smart Cities (MPSC): Smart City Bamberg is funded as a model project under the German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) funding program 'Modellprojekte Smart Cities', which has a total budget of 830 million euros supporting 73 model municipalities across Germany. Additional EU funding has been secured through international project collaborations. The program has been underway since November 2020, with implementation starting in April 2023 after strategy development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Smart City Bamberg is a municipal smart city program that develops and operates digital applications for the residents and visitors of Bamberg, Germany. It bundles municipal services (news, events, waste collection, parking, civic engagement) into the Bamberg-App and BamBoards, provides an urban Datenplattform, accessible routing via MoMM, volunteer coordination via Bamberg-Miteinander.de, and supports citizen-driven innovation through 18 projects funded under the federal Model Projects Smart Cities program.

Product overview

Smart City Bamberg is a municipal smart city program consisting of 18 innovation projects developed from over 250 citizen ideas. The portfolio operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on three main infrastructure components: the Datenplattform (data platform) serving as the central data hub, the Bamberg-App as the primary citizen-facing mobile interface, and BamBoards as physical digital information steles. Key citizen applications include the Engagement Platform (Bamberg-Miteinander.de) for volunteer coordination, the BamBörsla for resource sharing, Dein Bamberg for community mapping, and MoMM for accessible routing. Research and EU projects including AI4Deliberation, DECIDE, Green Demo, and ICC supplement the municipal applications. The program is part of Germany's Model Projects Smart Cities funding program and operates within the city administration under the Department of Economic Affairs and Digitalization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bamberg-App: Mobile and web application providing city information, services, event calendar, and various Smart City features for residents and visitors of Bamberg.
• BamBoards
• Bamberg-Miteinander.de
• BamBörsla
• Dein Bamberg

Products and services

• Bamberg-App Official city application for Bamberg residents and visitors, available as a native iOS/Android app and web app. Bundles municipal news, event calendar, waste collection reminders, citizen services, and the interactive 'Dein Bamberg' community map for discovering and sharing local places and events. Built on the open-source Soest city app codebase.
• BamBoards (Digital Information Pillars) Digital information pillars/steles with interactive touchscreens installed in public spaces and buildings (Stadt:Raum at ZOB, Concert Hall, Tourism and Congress Service, Music School, City Library, VHS, BasKIDhall). Display location-relevant content including cultural event posters, city news, and visitor information, with free nearby WiFi. Targets citizens without smartphones.
• Bamberg-Miteinander.de Engagement Platform Web-based civic engagement platform connecting Vereine, Initiativen, and engaged citizens in Bamberg. Provides shared calendars, group chats, task coordination, and food waste reduction features. Built on wechange open-source software and adapted to Bamberg's needs.
• Ferienportal (Vacation Portal) Online booking portal for vacation childcare services for families in Bamberg and the surrounding Landkreis, developed with the Youth Office and Landkreis Bamberg. Processed 4,850 bookings since June 2025.
• Datenplattform (Urban Data Platform) Central urban data hub for the City of Bamberg connecting city departments with shared datasets. Built on Civitas Connect open-source software and provides secure, GDPR-compliant cross-departmental data sharing that replaces manual Excel-based data exchange.
• MoMM (Accessible Routing App) Digital route planner for barrier-free paths through Bamberg, tailored to users' individual mobility restriction levels. Uses data on stairs, sidewalk widths and gradients, road surfaces, and construction sites integrated with OpenStreetMap.
• Parkplatzleitsystem (Parking Guidance System) Real-time parking availability system using ground sensors, initially focused on disabled parking spaces with planned expansion to Park+Ride and parking garages. Integrates with the Bamberg-App to provide parking information to drivers.
• Crowdsensing-App Module Module integrated into the Bamberg-App that enables citizens to voluntarily donate anonymized mobility and environmental data (pedestrian and cycling) via smartphone sensors to support traffic and urban planning.
• AI4Deliberation Ethically responsible AI integrated into the Bamberg-gestalten.de participation platform that summarizes citizen discussions and detects inappropriate language, making civic participation processes more transparent and accessible. Developed as part of an EU project consortium.
• Digitaler Zwilling (Digital Twin) 3D city model for visualising and developing the UNESCO World Heritage Site, enabling urban planning and heritage preservation analysis.
• BaKIM (Baum-KI-Monitoring) AI-powered tree health monitoring system using artificial intelligence for healthy urban forest management in Bamberg.
• WegGefährten (Support for People with Dementia) Support system for people with dementia combining technology and volunteer services from Sozialstiftung Bamberg for safe mobility and participation in the city.
• Digitales Besuchsleitsystem (Digital Visitor Guidance System) Digital visitor guidance system providing clear paths through the UNESCO World Heritage Site for tourists and residents.
• Mobilitätsplattform (Mobility Platform) Mobility platform integrating various transportation services for easy movement in Bamberg, including the MoMM accessible routing capability.
• Stadtteilbüro für Digitales (District Offices for Digital) Digital skills support centers in neighborhoods providing low-threshold consulting, workshops, and technology lending for digital inclusion of citizens unfamiliar with digital technologies.
• BamBörsla (Raum- und Materiallotse) Room and material lending platform enabling citizens and organizations to share unused spaces, equipment, and materials within the Bamberg community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,850 vacation childcare bookings processed via Ferienportal since June 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability6 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GreenDemo EU Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026EU project focused on developing the city together with citizens, part of Smart City Bamberg's international collaboration portfolio.
• Intelligent City Challenge (ICC) EU ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026EU project on local partnerships for greater sustainability, in which Smart City Bamberg participates as part of its international cooperation strategy.
• Musikschule Bamberg, Stadtbücherei Bamberg, Volkshochschule Bamberg StadtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025These cultural and educational institutions host BamBoards (digital information pillars) at their locations, contributing to the decentralized information network across Bamberg.
• Jugendamt Bamberg and Landkreis BambergminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Joint implementation partner for the Ferienportal (vacation portal), which has processed 4,850 bookings since June 2025.
• Amt für Bürgerbeteiligung, Presse- und ÖffentlichkeitsarbeitminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Internal municipal department responsible for project management of the Bamberg-Miteinander.de engagement platform. Project led by Michael Memmel.
• Bamberger Ernährungsnetzwerk (BEN) (formerly 'meiessn')minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025The Bamberg Food Network (BEN), formerly known as 'meiessn', is the idea provider for the Regional Food Platform project. In November 2025, the Stadtrat decided to integrate food waste reduction features into Bamberg-Miteinander.de instead of a standalone platform, with BEN continuing as idea provider.
• DECIDE EU Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025EU project making city council resolutions transparent and easy to understand. Bamberg participates as a pilot city.
• Sozialstiftung BambergminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Healthcare foundation in Bamberg collaborating on the WegGefährten project (support for people with dementia), combining technology and volunteer support for greater safety and participation.
• Stadtbau GmbH BambergminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Stadtbau GmbH Bamberg originated the BamBoard concept and provided locations in their housing buildings. A first version was implemented in individual Stadtbau buildings in 2023. Stadtbau GmbH is a cooperation partner and location provider for BamBoards.
• wikimovecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2025wikimove is responsible for programming MoMM (Mobility for People with Mobility Impairments) version 1.0, developing the barrier-free routing application for Bamberg using existing backend technology from Kaiserslautern integrated into the mobility platform.
• SWCodecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2025SWCode is the company responsible for programming the Bamberg-App, building on the Soest city app codebase and extending it with the 'Dein Bamberg' interactive map module. Contact: swcode.io.
• AI4Deliberation EU ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024International EU-funded project consortium developing ethically responsible AI for civic participation. Smart City Bamberg serves as a pilot partner, integrating AI summarization and moderation functions into the Bamberg-gestalten.de participation platform. Began end of 2024 with market analysis.
• Civitas Connect e.V. (CORE Community)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Civitas Connect is a development community of German municipalities collaborating on the Civitas Core open-source urban data platform. Bamberg joined in June 2024 after intensive research. The data platform development is based on freely available open-source software being extended and reassembled collaboratively. Bamberg's participation supports the shared goal of long-term, cost-effective digital urban development across municipalities.
• wechangecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2024wechange is the software provider for the Bamberg-Miteinander.de engagement platform. The existing wechange software was selected in March 2024 after evaluation of multiple solutions and is being adapted to Bamberg's specific needs.
• University of Bamberg — Smart City Research Lab (SCRL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021The Smart City Research Lab (SCRL) is a research cluster at Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg conducting feasibility studies, pilot projects, student research, and doctoral projects on Smart City topics. It provides interdisciplinary academic support (geography, computer science, psychology) to make Smart City applications more sustainable and scientifically grounded. SCRL opened in November 2021 and launched BaGSCiS graduate school in November 2024. Led by Prof. Dr. Marc Redepenning, Prof. Dr. Astrid Schütz, coordinated by Eva-Maria Steger.
• Stadt Soest (Soest city app)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020The Bamberg-App builds on the open-source code of the city app from Soest, Germany. The Soest codebase provides the foundational architecture for both the Bamberg-App and BamBoards, which are then extended and customized for Bamberg's specific needs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smart City Wien: Vienna's municipal smart city framework, focused on digital citizen services, mobility, and data-driven governance; a directly comparable public-sector smart city program with similar heritage-and-modernization tensions.
• Stadt Hamburg – Smart City Hamburg: Hamburg's municipal smart city portfolio bundling citizen apps, mobility, and civic participation; comparable in approach and scale to Smart City Bamberg within the German federal MPSC ecosystem.
• Stadt München – Smart City München: Large German municipal smart city program with similarly structured citizen participation, digital service bundling, and data platform initiatives; directly comparable in mission and operating model at a much larger scale.
• Smart City Köln: Cologne's smart city initiative covering digital citizen services, data platforms, and mobility; another large German municipal program under the same MPSC funding umbrella with similar delivery mechanisms.
• Stadt Soest: Another German MPSC model municipality whose city app codebase is the technical foundation for Smart City Bamberg's Bamberg-App and BamBoards; directly comparable as a fellow municipal smart city program using citizen-driven, open-source tooling.

Broad incumbents

• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Global incumbent offering commercial smart city, building, and mobility infrastructure solutions; overlaps with Smart City Bamberg's broader portfolio (data platforms, mobility, parking) but as a vendor-focused portfolio rather than a municipal program.
• Cisco Smart+Connected Communities: Cisco's smart city program providing networking, IoT, and data platform solutions to municipalities worldwide; comparable in the urban data and connectivity layer, but commercial and global rather than a single-city program.

Others

• KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau): German federal development bank that administers the MPSC funding program (alongside BMWSB) backing Smart City Bamberg; comparable as the key financing counterparty in the same program architecture.
• Civitas Connect e.V. German municipal development community that co-builds the open-source Civitas CORE urban data platform underpinning Smart City Bamberg's Datenplattform; comparable as an ecosystem/infrastructure partner rather than a direct competitor.
• wechange: Provider of the open-source civic engagement software that powers Bamberg-Miteinander.de; comparable as the underlying platform technology used by Smart City Bamberg's volunteer coordination offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuBzatJAfjg1Uc8ec9lDlrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/smartcitybamberg
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartcity.bamberg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smart-city-bamberg

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart City Bamberg