education

BerlinTXL, the transformation of a former airport into a pioneering sustainble and digitally-driven urban quarter remains one of Germany's few and exciting "greenfield developments" in the Smart City space. With this session we want to update the International Smart Cities Network on the progress since the last time BerlinTXL visited the "ISCN Global Mixer" as a speaker and thus offer a close-up to the rythm of this major and inspiring project.

Key takeaways

• Transforming an airport into a city of tomorrow: Berlin TXL turns the former Tegel site into a model for sustainable and innovative urban development.
• Building the Urban Tech Republic and Schumacher Quartier: A new hub for research, startups, and housing brings together technology, community, and livability.
• Driving innovation through data and design: Digital twins, open-source platforms, and green, climate-adaptive planning shape the district’s smart infrastructure.
• Creating real-world impact through collaboration: Over 40 companies and international partners are already contributing to Berlin TXL’s transformation.

This Global Mixer offered an inspiring look at the ongoing transformation of the former Berlin Tegel Airport into Berlin TXL – the city of tomorrow in the making. Building on a first part of the presentation from March 2024, Stefan Höffken showcases how one of Berlin’s most iconic sites is evolving into a multifunctional urban district where innovation, sustainability, and livability come together. 

The area will be home to the Urban Tech Republic – a hub for research, startups, and industry focused on future urban technologies – and the Schumacher Quartier, a residential neighborhood with over 6,000 housing units and space for more than 10,000 residents. The project is ambitious in scope, with a planning horizon of two decades.

The focus areas: 

• Promoting innovation in mobility, energy, water, and construction
• Creating a digital infrastructure with open-source platforms and digital twins to manage water, land, and buildings
• Building a data marketplace to enable secure sharing of urban data
• Integrating green spaces and climate-adaptive design

Over 40 startups and companies are already active on site, supported by international partnerships (e.g. with Mitsubishi and Incheon Startup Park).

The project serves as a model for future cities, combining sustainability, digitalization, and innovation in a real-world setting.

This event is part of the ISCN Global Mixer, a series of events organized by the International Smart Cities Network. The presentations cover a wide range of topics related to international smart city approaches and provide exciting insights into urban digitalization worldwide - in just 30 minutes.