Recap: ZENNER at Smart Country Convention (SCCON) 2026
Published: 23. Oct 2026
The Smart Country Convention (SCCON), a German trade fair and conference focused on the digitalisation of the public sector, took place in Berlin from 13 to 15 October. This year, more than 30,000 visitors attended the industry event dedicated to the digitalisation of the public sector. ZENNER International GmbH & Co. KG was once again among the exhibitors, showcasing practical examples of how digital infrastructure can contribute to the development of resilient cities. Smart Water was one of the key themes of ZENNER’s presence at the event.
What are the key takeaways from three days at the trade fair? For Jan-Philipp Exner, Smart City expert at ZENNER, one thing is clear: the Smart City concept is maturing and is by no means becoming less relevant. Instead, the focus is increasingly shifting towards how digital infrastructure can be operated and further developed over the long term.
“Alongside current trends, one very practical question is particularly important to us: how can we turn publicly funded pilot projects into digital infrastructure that operates reliably over the long term?” says Exner, describing one of the key questions on his mind at SCCON.
This question was the subject of in-depth discussions at the ZENNER stand. Topics included the Smart Water Rollout and the interplay between IoT and water, as well as a range of Smart City applications. These included smart street lighting (Smart Lighting), water network monitoring and soil moisture measurement.
These examples demonstrate how digital infrastructure can be used for a variety of purposes and expanded step by step. LoRaWAN enables the energy-efficient transmission of data from a wide range of sensors and devices.
Smart Cities Are a Joint Effort
One personal highlight for us was the joint presentation by Jan-Philipp Exner and Thorsten Schmidthuis from the City of Gütersloh on operating digital Smart City infrastructure and the interaction between IoT and Urban Data Platforms (UDP). The presentation focused on how technical solutions can deliver long-term value beyond individual projects.
“One thing is clear to me: Smart Cities are a joint effort between municipalities and utility providers,” says Exner.
For digital applications to work reliably over the long term, technical infrastructure, operations and financing must be considered together. By working together, both parties can help move digital applications beyond the project phase and into everyday operations.
Key Takeaways from SCCON 2026
Of course, our connections with Saarland, the region in south-western Germany where ZENNER is headquartered, were also part of SCCON. Discussions with stakeholders from the region once again highlighted the many ways in which digitalisation is progressing in Saarland.
The conversations in Berlin made one thing clear: ensuring the reliable provision of essential public services through digital infrastructure is becoming increasingly important. Digitalising cities and municipalities is no longer just about implementing individual pilot projects. The priority now is to establish sustainable, long-term infrastructure backed by viable funding and appropriate operating models.
We are taking away valuable insights and many engaging conversations from Berlin and look forward to continuing the dialogue. See you at SCCON 2027!