Cottbus is becoming a Smart City: Progress and creative impulses today!

Cottbus is becoming a Smart City: Progress and creative impulses today!

An exciting event is coming! On October 11, 2025, Cottbus/Chóśebuz will present the progress towards becoming a Smart City during the 17th Night of Creative Minds in the town hall at Neumarkt 5. Between 6:00 p.m. and 11:55 p.m., citizens are invited to take a look at the Open Data Portal (ODP), which will be launched that evening, as well as a new 3D city model with a ground resolution of 20 cm. These steps mark significant progress in the digital transformation of the city, which has been supported since 2019 as part of the “Smart Cities Model Project”, as bmwsb.bund.de explains.

But what does “Smart City” actually mean? Cottbus/Chóśebuz is pursuing an innovative approach at an early stage that aims to combine technological advances with sustainable urban development. After brown coal mining, which was the region's main source of income for decades, was stopped around ten years ago, the need for new economic prospects has become all the more urgent. Cottbus is tackling this challenge by integrating digital solutions into everyday life to improve life for citizens while protecting the environment, as smartcountry.berlin reports.

Diverse digitalization projects

As part of the “Digital City of Cottbus” agenda, numerous projects are being initiated that actively involve local administration and citizens. These include, among other things, a digital self-service system in hospitals that is intended to improve efficiency in the healthcare system, as well as an app for more efficient coordination during large operations. Progress is also being made in public transport: an adaptive traffic control system ensures that trams and buses have priority. A novel on-demand system also enables flexible mobility solutions that better meet the needs of citizens.

This progress is based on the use of modern technologies such as data loggers and sensors that enable real-time monitoring of energy consumption in 40 municipal buildings. The goal? Uncover inefficiencies, reduce operating costs and improve conditions in public facilities. These measures are not just limited to Cottbus; The aim is to develop local solutions that are transferable to other municipalities, and this is done as part of a far-reaching initiative supported by bmwsb.bund.de.

A look into the future

However, the events on October 11th and 12th are not all that Cottbus/Chóśebuz has to offer. On October 11th, the premiere of “The Most Beautiful Version” and the performance of “Madama Butterfly” will take place in the Cottbus State Theater. On the following day, October 12th, the Cottbus Baltic Sea invites you to the “SEEgehen 2025” event. The diverse cultural events illustrate the close connection between culture and digitalization in the city.

Digital transformation is seen as a driver of structural change, which not only promotes new economic sectors but also contributes to the energy transition. Despite positive reactions to digitalization, there are also concerns about data protection and possible changes in the labor market. Cottbus/Chóśebuz aims to offer training and user-friendly digital solutions to make it easier for older residents in particular to access digitalization.

At the end of the day, the vision is to integrate the benefits of smart city development into all areas of life. Digitalization should make life better, fairer and more sustainable. Cottbus/Chóśebuz is on a promising path - and the Night of Creative Minds will certainly be an important step in this direction.