People in Germany want AI in government offices. 70 per cent would like artificial intelligence to be used when processing their applications. Last year, the figure was just 63 per cent. 12 per cent would even leave the assessment and decision entirely to an AI – almost twice as many as in 2025, when the figure stood at 7 per cent. At 23 per cent, around a quarter want AI to assess the application and a human to make the final decision (2025: 17 per cent). And 35 per cent would like a human to assess and decide, but then have an AI review the decision (2025: 39 per cent). Only 26 per cent now say that their application should be processed entirely without AI. A year ago, the figure stood at 31 per cent. These are the findings of a representative survey of 1,004 people aged 18 and over, commissioned by the digital industry association Bitkom to mark the Smart Country Convention (SCCON). The event is taking place in Berlin from 13 to 15 October. Bitkom and Messe Berlin, together with representatives from the partner country Portugal, presented the results today. “AI is the key digital technology of our time, and public administrations can benefit enormously from it,” says Bitkom’s Chief Executive, Dr Bernhard Rohleder. “AI can review applications, analyse documents and handle more than just routine cases. People want the public sector to use this technology. How the state can use AI to become faster and more citizen-friendly is therefore one of the major themes of the Smart Country Convention.”

Dr Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin: “The Smart Country Convention continues to grow – more than 23,000 attendees, over 600 exhibitors and, for the first time, three fully booked exhibition halls demonstrate just how great the need is for dialogue and practical solutions for the digitalisation of the public sector. Particularly at a time when digitalisation, security and resilience are becoming increasingly intertwined, the SCCON brings together people from politics, public administration, business and academia who are shaping the digital state.”

Looking beyond our borders reveals what a digital state might look like. Three-quarters of Germans (75 per cent) are convinced that Germany still has much to learn from other countries when it comes to the digitalisation of cities and regions, as the example of Portugal also shows.

Philomène Dias, board member of AICEP Portugal & Invest: “Portugal is delighted to be the official partner country of SCCON 2026. This partnership reflects the close cooperation between Portugal and Germany in the further development of digital administration and the modernisation of the public sector. SCCON 2026 provides a platform to showcase Portugal’s technological excellence, attract strategic investment and strengthen economic ties – thereby consolidating Portugal’s position as a leading digital nation and technology hub.”

As digitalisation advances, so too do the expectations placed on the public administration. 73 per cent – around three-quarters of German citizens – would like a public administration that takes the initiative to reach out to them, for example when they are entitled to benefits such as child benefit or Bafög, or when their identity card needs renewing. 30 per cent want to be automatically informed that they can take action, and 32 per cent want to be automatically asked whether they wish to claim the benefit, so that they simply have to confirm this, for example. And 11 per cent would prefer it if the authorities applied for the benefit on their behalf automatically. By contrast, 21 per cent do not want the authorities to take the initiative. If an application is pending, 85 per cent would like to be able to check the current status and the estimated processing time online at any time whilst it is being processed. 62 per cent are in favour of authorities sharing more data with one another so that they do not have to provide the same information over and over again. “The state knows when an identity card is due to expire and who is entitled to a benefit. It should use this knowledge and take the initiative,” says Rohleder.

Even today, a majority are satisfied with the authorities they deal with: 26 per cent are very satisfied, and 35 per cent are fairly satisfied. Conversely, 18 per cent are fairly dissatisfied and 17 per cent are very dissatisfied. At the same time, complaints about long processing times are falling, albeit from a high level. 74 per cent say that public authorities take too long to deal with their enquiries. Last year, the figure was 85 per cent.

Overall, a narrow majority – 53 per cent – consider their town or local authority to be digitally advanced; in 2025, the figure was 50 per cent. However, opinions at the extremes are drifting further apart. A quarter (25 per cent) now regard their own local authority as very advanced, up from 18 per cent the previous year. At the same time, 19 per cent consider their local authority to be very behind the times, compared with 16 per cent the previous year. 71 per cent believe their own local authority is capable of handling digitalisation competently – practically the same as a year ago, when the figure stood at 70 per cent.

Despite all the progress made, people feel that the pace of digitalisation in their local area is not fast enough. 91 per cent would like their city or local authority to pursue digitalisation with greater vigour – the highest figure since 2019. Across all age groups up to 64, the figure stands at 94 per cent in each case, whilst among those aged 65 and over, 83 per cent also represent a clear majority. Citizens believe politicians have a duty to ensure digitalisation progresses more quickly. 67 per cent say Germany must invest significantly more money in the digitalisation of public administration. 66 per cent would like to see the implementation of politicians’ digitalisation promises measured. “The federal government has placed the modernisation of the state at the heart of its digital policy. Now it must be rolled out across the board,” says Rohleder. “Where local authorities consistently use digital solutions, people notice the difference. Good solutions must be rolled out more quickly; no local authority should have to reinvent the digital wheel.”

People value very specific local digital services. For example, 83 per cent would like an app that allows them to report issues in public spaces. 79 per cent want smart street lighting, whilst 72 per cent want real-time information on buses and trains. 66 per cent would like free public Wi-Fi, 65 per cent want a real-time display of available parking spaces, and 63 per cent want an online dashboard showing environmental and traffic data. 56 per cent consider smart bins with fill-level alerts to be important. At the lower end of the scale, with 53 per cent, is the desire for digital citizen participation. At the same time, however, 65 per cent believe that citizens should be more closely involved in digital projects in their city or region (2025: 62 per cent).

The Smart Country Convention, Germany’s leading event for the digitalisation of the public sector, showcases how cities and regions are becoming smart and how the digitalisation of public administrations can be driven forward. From 13 to 15 October 2026, more than 23,000 experts from public administration, politics, business and academia will gather at the Berlin Exhibition Centre. More than 850 speakers are expected to take to a total of seven stages, including Dr Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digitalisation and State Modernisation; Gonçalo Matias, Portuguese Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister and for State Reform; Alois Rainer, Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture; Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Home Affairs, Local Government, Construction and Digitalisation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia; and Bitkom President Dr Ralf Wintergerst. Visitors can also look forward to over 600 exhibitors and a wide range of professional development opportunities on site. The combination of a conference, workshops, an expo and networking opportunities is aimed at decision-makers and professionals from the public sector, politics, the digital economy, associations and academia. The Federal Ministry for Digitalisation and State Modernisation is acting as patron of SCCON, and Portugal is the partner country for 2026.

Note on methodology: The figures are based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital industry association Bitkom. A total of 1,004 people in Germany aged 18 and over were interviewed by telephone. The survey took place between calendar weeks 33 and 37 of 2026. The survey is representative.

Note to editorial teams: Register for the Smart Country Convention now!

The Smart Country Convention opens its doors on Tuesday 13 October. Members of the press can register for the SCCON here. Please ensure you follow our accreditation guidelines. Once you have successfully registered and your details have been verified, you will receive your digital press badge by email.

The Smart Country Convention is the leading event for the digital state and public services. With over 23,000 participants, SCCON is the meeting place for everyone involved in the digitalisation of the public sector. The combination of congress, workshops, expo and networking is aimed at employees from administration, politics, the digital economy, associations and science. SCCON is organised by Bitkom e.V. and Messe Berlin.

You can also find this press release on the Internet: www.smartcountry.berlin

Press photos of the Smart Country Convention in printable quality can be downloaded here. Videos about the event and the topics of the Smart Country Convention can be found here.