Welcome to Karlsruhe!

Karlsruhe and its surrounding areas are one of Germany's most innovative regions. Karlsruhe is a city facing transitions, and already in transition - for example, in the last few years, the city administration has worked with sustainability scientists and citizen feedback on a city-wide and regionally connected mobility transition. The city is pursuing a holistic and collaborative Smart City concept, combining public and private initiatives, with the aim of developing into one of Europe's leading digital locations. Numerous citizen-led initiatives work in specific neighborhoods and/or on specific sustainability initiatives. Further, in 2019, Karlsruhe became the first German 'City of Media Arts' in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, due principally to its globally renowned museum, the Center for Art and Media (ZKM). ZKM's work highlights the interface between digitalization and arts, providing dynamic, interactive, and/or immersive arts experiences that go far beyond the scope of traditional arts exhibitions.

We see IST 2021 as an opportunity to highlight Karlsruhe and the surrounding region as an innovation hub already implementing transitions. We are planning a series of activities for conference participants to learn more about the city and region, and to have the opportunity to meet with the people shaping local transformations.