The SmartHome Initiative Germany and eco Association are joining forces in promoting Smart Home innovations and markets. For the SmartHome Initiative, with its regional networks and more than 100 member companies, the Internet is an essential building block for smart building, living and working.

Regardless of which coalition will govern Germany in the next four years, it must make a holistic, well thought-out and consistent digital policy strategy the guiding principle of its policies. eco Chair Oliver Süme is convinced that digital policy must be the common thread of the coalition agreement because digitalization is the key to tackling the biggest challenges of the coming years.

Internet-based mobility ecosystems will significantly reduce the burden on city centres in the next five years. On average, the Smart City segment “Mobility, Transport & Logistics” is growing 19.6 per cent per year, according to the study “The Smart City Market in Germany, 2021-2026” by eco and Arthur D. Little.

The European Commission has defined ambitious goals for a digital Europe and, in recent months, has presented initial strategies for achieving these goals, including the Digital Markets Act, the Digital Services Act and the European Green Deal. It is now time to have these strategies and goals converted into concrete political measures.