Experts from twenty-four municipal departments from Bratislava, Debrecen, Kharkiv, Leeds, Leipzig, Lviv, St. Pölten, Stuttgart and Vienna participated in the 2026 conference in Brno. As this year's focus was energy, the various working groups discussed topics such as energy generation from waste processing, mobility and other energy-related issues. Representing the City of Vienna, the Department of Waste Management, Street Cleaning and Vehicle Fleet together with Wien Energie (Vienna's energy provider), shared their expertise and participated in knowledge exchange. As part of the programme, a visit was also made to the URBIS Smart City Fair at the Brno Exhibition Centre.
"We greatly appreciate the opportunity to look at things from a different perspective and draw inspiration from the solutions that our sister cities have already implemented or are currently implementing," said Monika Koppová, Head of the City of Brno's Foreign Relations Department. "Every year, it is important to us to get to know the people behind these projects, rather than just simply reading about them on paper."
A tried-and-tested model for intercity exchange
The City of Brno has organised the Sister City Days regularly since 2022. Its aim is to promote exchange between Brno's sister cities and provide a platform for addressing various issues. As a result, a network of experts and institutions from various cities has developed, facilitating the exchange of good practice examples, emerging trends and innovative ideas.
The Moravian metropolis
With a population of around 500,000, Brno is the second-largest city in the Czech Republic and home to the Constitutional Court. Owing to historical and geographical ties, the city enjoys particularly close relations with Vienna. The Chief Executive Directors of both cities maintain regular bilateral exchanges.
Further information
- International relations - City of Brno
- URBIS - The Smart Cities Meetup