German Cities Boost Digital Administration and Energy Planning

Munich's municipal administration received a digitalisation push after Mayor Dominik Krause gave Chief Digital Officer Dr. Laura Dornheim expanded authority to implement city‑wide digital management. The new directive places the IT department in charge of the digital strategy, architecture and execution, while individual departments focus on their own digital development. Initial priorities include wider use of the electronic file (eAkte), digital signatures for internal documents and the reduction of paper where legal or contractual reasons do not require it.

A recent Smart City Index 2025 report shows that 76 % of German cities with more than 100,000 residents already use digital tools such as AI applications, intelligent energy networks and digital twins for energy‑ and heat‑planning. An additional 12 % are in the process of implementation. The study also notes that 45 % of cities employ AI‑driven chatbots for citizen queries and 84 % allow mobile payment at citizen service offices, underscoring a broader shift toward digital municipal services across Germany.