Beer, Pretzels, Bratwursts – and Agile Pilots in Bavaria

While Oktoberfest was in full swing, the real highlight for us this autumn was the PilotInnCities consortium meeting in Selb and Bamberg. Over three days, partners from across Europe came together to align on next steps, showcase innovative pilots, and discuss the future of agile piloting in the Danube Region.

Day 1 – Consortium Alignment in Selb

Porzellanikon provided a stylish backdrop for our internal workshop. The international team focused on:

• Aligning national pilot actions

• Planning communication activities to maximise impact

• Opening discussions on a joint follow-up project

The day closed on a lighter note with a hands-on porcelain mug workshop – a fitting reminder that innovation and craftsmanship go hand in hand.

Day 2 – Smartes Fichtelgebirge and German Pilots

Oliver Rauh presented activities of Smartes Fichtelgebirge, the testing ground for German agile pilots. Four companies – Hypertegrity AG, Ideenkultivierung GmbH, Venus Ai, and Incoretex GmbH – showcased their solutions and reflected on the open-call process.

Two clear lessons emerged:

• Even peripheral regions can tackle demographic and structural challenges if they combine systemic data, bold location marketing, community-building, talent infrastructure, and cross-border collaboration.

• Agile Piloting is consistently proving to inspire stakeholders across countries, sectors, and governance levels.

Day 3 – Smart City Bamberg

At LAGARDE1, Sascha Götz, Volker Brand, and Jonas-Dario Troles introduced the Smart City Bamberg initiative. Discussions focused on how agile piloting can complement large lighthouse projects. A key consensus emerged: better national and European coordination of urban transformation and innovation ecosystem management is urgently needed.

This is a gap we are determined to address – and we welcome partners ready to join forces.

Acknowledgements

Our sincere thanks go to Zentrum für Digitale Entwicklung GmbH and EurA AG for hosting and coordinating the program with characteristic German precision. Special appreciation also to Georg Würffel, Alexander Renz, Johannes Röder, Bernhard Weigl, Rayen Ochi, and Julia Kloiber for their contributions.