Geneva is one of the most innovative cities in the world. In the IMD Smart City Index, the Swiss metropolis ranks third, making it one of the world’s leading smart cities. The key factor in the assessment is not the sheer number of digital applications, but rather how citizens actually experience the use of technology in their everyday lives.

The areas assessed included mobility, health, governance, education and quality of life. Geneva scores particularly highly in terms of digital administrative services, the quality of public services and the involvement of the population in urban development processes. The city consistently achieves very high scores across the key categories of the index.

Digitalisation begins with trust

Whilst smart city concepts often focus on sensors, data platforms or artificial intelligence, Geneva is taking a different approach: technology is not an end in itself, but a tool for improving people’s everyday lives.

One example is the cantonal e-government portal ‘e-démarches’. Through this portal, citizens can complete numerous administrative procedures entirely online – from proof of residence and tax matters to business services. The aim is to provide administrative services in a way that is as seamless and user-friendly as possible.

Digital administrative services, transparent decision-making processes and easily accessible public services ensure that citizens actually make use of digital services. It is precisely this factor of trust that is regarded as one of the most important success factors for modern smart cities. Cities with a high level of transparency and credible governance consistently achieve the best ratings.

A smart city is about more than just technology

Geneva is continuously investing in digital infrastructure, sustainable mobility and smart public services. At the same time, the city remains true to its federal and citizen-centred model of governance. Here, digitalisation is not ‘imposed’ centrally, but is developed step by step in collaboration with the administration, academia, the business community and the public.

This approach is particularly evident in areas such as:

• Digital administrative services via the e-démarches portal, which enables numerous administrative procedures to be carried out online.

• Smart mobility, for example through real-time information on public transport, multimodal transport options and the expansion of sustainable modes of transport.

• Open Government Data, through which the city and canton make datasets on mobility, the environment, energy and urban development publicly available, thereby promoting innovation.

• Digital citizen participation, enabling residents to take part in consultations and urban development processes via online platforms.

As the European headquarters of numerous UN organisations, international research institutions and NGOs, Geneva is an ideal location for developing digital solutions in collaboration with international partners and testing them in practice. This innovation ecosystem accelerates the transfer of knowledge between public administration, academia and industry, and makes a significant contribution to the city’s digital development.

What can German smart cities learn from Geneva?

Geneva’s success shows that smart cities do not necessarily have to start with investments running into the billions or spectacular flagship projects. Often, the greatest added value arises where digital solutions are consistently tailored to people’s needs.

Several lessons can be drawn from this for German cities:

• Trust before technology: Digital services only deliver their full benefits if citizens trust them and therefore actually use them.

• User-centred design as the norm: Digital public services must be simple, understandable and suitable for everyday use. Even the most secure software is of no use if it is not user-friendly.

• Strengthening governance: Successful smart cities combine digitalisation with transparency, participation and accountable decision-making processes.

• Thinking long-term: Geneva’s pioneering role in the smart city sector is the result of continuous development – not isolated pilot projects.

Geneva thus provides valuable inspiration, particularly for German local authorities that are currently driving forward the expansion of digital administrative services, smart mobility solutions or data-driven urban development: the success of a smart city is not measured solely by the technology used, but by whether it actually improves the lives of its citizens.