We connectStrategyand infrastructure
ZDE brings Hot Topics
Smart City, Smart Region, Digitalization, Sustainability, Climate Impact Adaptation, Living Labs Energy Efficiency … Our Hot Topics discuss and present highly topical, highly future-relevant topics in the smart city industry as well as new solutions. We deal with questions and answers that concern the districts, municipalities, municipalities and companies of today and tomorrow. Our answers are always implementation-oriented for you.
Masterclass of the ZDE Academy
Our exclusive MasterClass is aimed specifically at managers at municipal, district and regional level, especially mayors. In an inspiring and constructive environment, you will benefit from the exchange with experienced municipal managers as well as experts from digital practice.
SEMINAR: LoRaWAN in the Municipal Context
LoRaWAN is a key standard for energy-efficient wireless networks. Our seminar provides technical know-how and practical application: integrating sensors, operating networks, and advising municipalities – directly from experienced experts.
We’re celebrating five years of the ZDE Academy
Since 2020, we have been supporting municipal innovators on their journey toward a digital future. On our fifth anniversary, we look back on many successful programs – and ahead: with new offerings, fresh inspiration, and practical training for all levels of public administration.
Our areas of expertise
We, the Center for Digital Development, are a team of experts whose vision is to support municipalities, regions, institutions and companies with solutions and innovations in the digital age. Path to the digital future . We combine solution orientation, strategy, planning, further training and concrete implementation.
Strategie
Strategy is about developing long-term goals and action plans to drive digital transformation across sectors and public spaces. This includes the analysis of trends, the identification of opportunities and risks, and the definition of measures for the effective and feasible implementation of digital innovations.
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- Development of digital strategies & area-specific strategies
- Smart City & Smart Region Strategies
- Organizational change and development
- Planning and implementation of communication & participation measures
- Development of future districts
- Funding acquisition & management
- Climate & Sustainability Strategies
- Stakeholder Participation & Communication in Municipal Heat Planning
- Climate potential analyses
Technology
In the field of technology related to IoT sensor technology, LoRaWAN radio networks and 5G, the aim is to create the basis for the smart living spaces of tomorrow. This requires purpose-built sensor solutions and seamless, fast, and reliable communication between devices, infrastructure, and systems. We combine technical consulting and implementation with data expertise.
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- Development and implementation of living labs
- Planning of 5G campus networks
- Technical consulting for IoT sensors, wireless networks and data platforms
- Supervision of technical tenders with a focus on smart infrastructure
- Advice on and installation of traffic monitoring and parking space sensors
- Planning and implementation of various LoRaWAN & IoT use cases
Academy
In the academy sector, we offer education and training programs and are constantly developing new, innovative formats that are geared to the needs of the digital future. Here, professionals from the public sector and companies are trained and empowered to operate successfully in an increasingly digital world by acquiring knowledge and skills in modern technologies and digital innovations. In this way, we explicitly support and strengthen our district, municipal and corporate partners in the expansion of digital and data skills.
What our customers say
In the past, we have already been able to participate in a large number of projects in Germany and other European countries and contribute our expertise and many years of experience. These projects cover a wide range of areas and have helped us to constantly improve our capabilities and develop innovative solutions with and for our customers.
Alexander Groll
Head of Economic Development
Schwäbisch Gmünd
As part of the 5G Innovation Competition model project, it is simply fun to work with the experts from ZDE. The team’s high level of innovation is clearly noticeable.
Phillip Reis
Chief Digital Officer
St. Wendel
“Smart Wendeler Land”
The ZDE Academy’s Smart City Expert training course was ideally tailored to our current challenges in the “Smart Wendel region” as one of the Smart City model municipalities. Both our newer team members and advanced participants were able to benefit from the training. We will also receive a recognized IHK certificate upon completion.
Peter Schmidt
Head of digiZ
Digitalization Center Ostwürttemberg
As a digiZ network partner, ZDE takes over the technical support of the service points for 5G campus networks, fiber optics and sensor solutions for us. Thanks to the in-depth technical expertise and market knowledge of the ZDE experts, we can be sure that companies in our region will receive the best advice on these key future topics and will be able to get their digital projects off the ground in the best possible way.
Michael Setzen
Economic promoter
Landkreis Heidenheim
In our multi-year, federally funded 5G model project YardManagementHDH, ZDE has contributed to the consortium as a project manager, among other things. They have repeatedly succeeded in bringing the players together and keeping everyone motivated through profitable input, valuable moderation and modern, collaborative cooperation. The project team has grown together well. We are very satisfied with the results. THANK YOU.
Dr. Daniel Heuberger
Stadtwerke Hilden
Thanks to the ZDE’s issues management, we were well prepared for our city conference on municipal heat planning and were able to communicate the complex topics very effectively.
Eva Bauerschmidt
Head of Global Press & PR & Corporate Spokesperson bei BSH Home Appliances Group
The communication management provided by ZDE was a key success factor in our project. Thanks to well-structured planning, a strategically thought-out approach, pragmatic issue management, and professional coordination among the partners, the project’s content-related work was optimally supported through effective communication.
Oliver Rauh
Project Manager Smartes Fichtelgebirge
ZDE provided excellent support on our journey toward establishing the FichtelLAB. In addition to many creative ideas for the lab and our events, we were particularly impressed by the mobile IoT exhibit, which perfectly complements the pop-up concept and makes Smart Region technologies tangible.
Miroslav Scheiner
Smart City Envoy, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
In our INTERREG project PilotInnCities, I experience ZDE as a highly reliable and motivated partner. The European consortium profits by ZDE’s strategic and technological competences as well as practical experience and strong network in the Smart City area.
Our expertise
At the Center for Digital Development, we always strive to promote groundbreaking research and innovative solutions to the challenges of digital transformation. Our current publications cover a wide range of topics, including artificial intelligence in government, cybersecurity, data management and much more. These publications provide valuable insights and practical applications for professionals, academics and anyone interested in the latest trends and developments in the digital world.
What does the German smart city ecosystem look like from a European perspective? A possible answer is provided
Our Smart City Campus
Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of smart city technologies on our campus, discover innovative solutions for the cities of the future and understand their application correctly. With our experienced team of experts, we strive to drive digital development and
Our team
Our team of experts has many years of experience and extensive expertise in the areas of smart city strategy, infrastructure, neighborhoods of the future, 5G campus networks and much more. We are passionate about developing innovative solutions that drive digital development and make cities more livable. Let’s shape the future together and fully exploit the possibilities of digital transformation.
Our strong partners
We are proud of our strong and diverse partner network. Discover more about our group of companies, our partner network and how we are shaping a sustainable digital transformation together on our website.
Associations & Initiatives
Network partners
With our extensive network of strong partners, we can confidently offer our clients not only consulting services but also related services from a single source. In addition, ZDE is actively involved in numerous associations and initiatives – at regional, national, and even European levels, for example within the framework of the Erasmus program. This is how we purposefully contribute our expertise to key networks and actively help shape the digital transformation.
Click below to discover our partners and learn more about our collaborations.
Under the umbrella brand GEO. DIGITAL , the companies of the group of companies are joining forces to actively shape the digital future. GEO. DIGITAL stands for the close interlocking of humanity and innovation in order to shape the digital future in a sustainable and livable way.
The Center for Digital Development is a strategic partner in the EU-funded Interreg Danube project, which is led by the Czech Ministry of Economy. Ten partners from different countries work together to create innovative partnerships between companies, universities, municipalities and civil society.
News from us
Learn the latest developments from the digital world directly from our experts. We regularly share updates, insights and background information on our current projects, technologies and important events at the Center for Digital Development on various media.
Our news blog
Discover the latest developments and insights from the digital world. Our experts share current topics, trends and innovations in detail here. Have fun reading!
Academy Anniversary
Five Years of the ZDE Academy: Moving into the Future with Sharpened Focus and New Offerings! In October 2020, our ZDE Academy officially launched. The vision: to equip the innovative doers in municipalities and regions with the tools they need for their work. Since...
PilotInnCities Open Call: winning teams have been announced!
The time has come, the winners of our Open Call from the PilotInnCities project have been announced! We can look back on a highly exciting pitch phase and diverse, creative applications. The task of the independent jury of experts to make a selection from these...
ZDE Academy – what courses are coming up?
The first half of 2025 is over – many exciting courses at the ZDE Academy have been successfully completed, and numerous participants have expanded their knowledge of digitalisation, smart infrastructure and funding strategies. Now it's time to move on: in the second...
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Get in touch with us
We look forward to chatting with you about possible solutions and collaborations. Please do not hesitate to contact us using the options below.
Via our contact form
If you get in touch with us via our contact form, the right contact person will get back to you directly within the next few days.
Other contact options
If you prefer, we can also be contacted by phone, e-mail or post. Or you can simply drop by and we can discuss everything in person.
Come by
Our headquarters directly on the A7
In der Waage 9
73463 Westhausen, Germany