Jena relies on sustainable logistics: ways into the future of urban development!

Jena relies on sustainable logistics: ways into the future of urban development!

on the 11th Smart City Congress in Jena, which took place on June 24, 2025, it became clear that the future of urban mobility is in the hands of the cities. Dirk Lange, department for urban development and the environment, emphasized the importance of taking people into the transformation process. "We have to tackle together," said long. The State Secretary in the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Mario Suckert, saw the current crisis an opportunity to rethink the old and to venture new approaches. "Courageous steps are required to promote sustainable logistics," he added.

The focus of the discussion was the battery -electric mobility, which is considered the key to more environmentally friendly logistics. Cities should see themselves more and more as a "children's room of e-logistics", according to the motto of the congress. In Jena, for example, AI-based traffic lights and an innovative city logistics concept with microdepots are being developed. In view of the major challenges, the need for so-called "Best Practice" examples is underlined in order to learn from the experiences of other cities and to implement new models successfully. "Lighthouse projects are no longer the goal, we need functioning solutions," explained Suckert.

Smart City technologies in use

The integration of smart city technologies is becoming increasingly relevant in order to master everyday urban challenges. According to aimojo , intelligent transport systems (ITS) fundamentally change our cities. These systems use sensors and data analysis to optimize traffic flows and increase safety. According to the forecasts, the market for AI in smart cities will grow to £ 138.8 billion by 2031, which corresponds to an annual growth rate of 18.1 %. The need for efficient transport solutions grows with the rapidly growing city population.

The congress also showed technologies that are already actively used to improve urban life. These include intelligent parking solutions that keep distance among the lengthy parking space seekers and shorten the search by up to 40 %. Another example is the application of AI for waste management, where intelligent waste bins increase the efficiency of waste removal and thus save resources.

opportunities and challenges

like Biblus , AI technologies are the key to improving the quality of life and sustainability in our cities. They not only help with resource management and planning, but can also help to avoid traffic chaos and to increase security through real -time analyzes. Nevertheless, there are challenges that need to be mastered, such as data protection, accessibility and the reliability of the systems.

Andreas Weinhut spoke of a KEP logistics company about the use of generative AI to increase efficiency in logistics. He explained how rationalization and process optimization through smart technologies are possible. Jan Güttinger von Bosch also presented fascinating new opportunities: trucks that can coordinate workshop dates themselves. The use of smart #Technological solutions is considered crucial to promote the turnaround in traffic.

summarized the congress that the future of urban mobility and logistics is in the hands of the cities, and it is important to actively use the opportunities that a digital transformation entails. Jena is on the best way to become a pioneer city in the area of ​​sustainable logistics - it remains exciting which steps will follow next.