How can public administration become more digital without creating new security vulnerabilities? How can public authorities remain operational even in crisis situations? And which solutions are already working in practice today?

These are precisely the questions at the heart of the Smart Country Convention 2026, which will take place from 13 to 15 October at the Berlin Exhibition Centre. More than 23,000 participants from the public sector, politics, business and academia are expected to attend. The programme features more than 1,000 sessions, as well as over 100 workshops and training courses.

A look at the programme’s key themes:

When digitalisation becomes a security issue

Digitalisation of public administration, AI, smart cities and digital infrastructure remain key themes at SCCON. At the same time, one question is coming increasingly to the fore: just how resilient is the digital state?

Cyber-attacks, sabotage, disinformation and geopolitical tensions make it clear that digital transformation and security cannot be considered in isolation from one another.

That is why, for the first time this year, SCCON is dedicating a separate ‘Resilience Day’ to this topic.

On 15 October, experts from public authorities, security organisations, the business sector and the field will discuss how public institutions and critical infrastructure can be prepared for new threat scenarios.

Topics to be covered include:

• dealing with disinformation,
• protecting digital infrastructure,
• hybrid threats and crisis management,
• cyberattacks, industrial espionage and sabotage,
• and the question of how public authorities can remain capable of acting in an emergency.

The full programme for this focus area is available here on the website.

From state modernisation to local government practice

Even beyond Resilience Day, the programme covers a wide range of topics. More than 850 speakers will bring together diverse perspectives on the digitalisation of the public sector.

SCCON will be opened by the Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and patron, Dr Karsten Wildberger, and by Gonçalo Matias, Minister for State Reform and Public Administration from this year’s partner country, Portugal.

The stages will also feature representatives from federal and state politics, local authorities, security agencies and businesses. These include, amongst others, Federal Minister for Agriculture Alois Rainer, FITKO President Dr André Göbel, BKA President Holger Münch and President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution Sinan Selen.

The range of topics thus extends from state modernisation and federal cooperation to cybersecurity, digital infrastructure and specific use cases from federal states, cities and local authorities.

An overview of all sessions can be found in the SCCON 2026 programme.

Don’t just listen: deepen your knowledge straight away

Anyone wishing to explore individual topics in greater depth will find, alongside the extensive stage programme, more than 100 free workshops and training opportunities.

The focus here is less on broad political strategies and more on specific, practical questions: How can digital projects be implemented? What skills do public administrations need? And which experiences can other organisations adopt directly?

The workshops and deep dives thus create space for discussion in smaller groups and for topics that can often only be touched upon briefly on a large stage.

More information on the programme can be found here in the overview.

Three days dedicated to the pressing issues facing the digital state

SCCON 2026 thus brings together strategic debates, political perspectives and practical solutions. One thing is particularly clear this year: digitalisation alone is no longer enough. It is also becoming increasingly crucial that the public sector remains secure, resilient and capable of taking action.