National Digital Day 2025: On June 25, IoT company Alpha-Omega Technology will demonstrate how digitization can succeed outside of major cities with practical presentations, best practices, technology demonstrations, and panel discussions.
Schimberg and Berlin, May 22, 2025 – Local company Alpha-Omega Technology GmbH & Co. KG has been working with the municipality of Martinfeld for nine years to implement sensor-based IoT applications under realistic conditions. The Modellort „SMARTinfeld“ demonstrates how IoT solutions work for an entire community and make village life sustainable. SMARTinfeld was one of the Gewinnern des Wettbewerbs „Digitale Orte im Land der Ideen“ competition in the “Smart Community” category. The competition honors the best digital projects for rural areas every year. The company now wants to share its many years of experience and insights from this project with a wide audience at an event. Founder and CEO Jan Bose will also show what is important when setting up a tech company away from a large city. Drawing on his own experience of starting a business, he will report on how digitalization can be both regionally anchored and economically successful. Another presentation will use real-world IoT applications to illustrate how sensor data is already helping to save energy, monitor buildings, and record environmental values. The event will conclude with an outlook on the future interaction between IoT, AI, and platforms. Participation on June 25, 2025, is free of charge from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and can be accessed online via livestream or on-site in Schimberg, Thuringia. Zur Anmeldung
Material press release
Digital participation in rural areas: innovation meets practice
Smart city projects are usually limited to urban environments. As a result, they do not take into account the specific needs of rural communities. Compared to a smart city, the SMARTinfeld IoT project is tailored to low population density and a strong sense of community. It aims to maintain a rural way of life while integrating technology and innovation. SMARTinfeld serves as a model location for digitalization in rural areas. The project is already established and is being continuously developed: Alpha-Omega Technology regularly tests and optimizes new sensor-based IoT applications for rural areas in collaboration with the community. One example is the IoT solution „Ortsbeleuchtung“(street lighting)developed by Alpha-Omega Technology itself. It enables municipalities to intelligently monitor and control their street lighting.
Intelligent street lighting in rural areas: A mobile app serves as a central control and monitoring unit, offering functions such as map overviews, control options, and push notifications (graphic: Alpha-Omega Technology)
Smart regions: Becoming more digital together
Rural communities can join forces to form smart regions in order to pool their IoT infrastructure and digitalization expertise. For example, by sharing IoT infrastructure such as sensor data, gateways, platforms, and the associated costs. This creates smart regions – typically in rural or suburban areas where several smaller communities are geographically close and face similar challenges and needs. Jan Bose, Managing Director of Alpha-Omega Technology: “They implement applications for energy monitoring, water and waste management, traffic control, and environmental data collection. The communities benefit from each other's experience, solutions, and insights. This collaboration promotes faster learning and more efficient implementation.”
When municipalities join forces to pool their IoT infrastructure and expertise in the field of smart villages, smart regions emerge – typically in rural or suburban areas (graphic: Alpha-Omega Technology).
Event: “Digital participation in rural areas: innovation meets practice”
The event “Digital Participation in Rural Areas: Innovation Meets Practice” is aimed at citizens, representatives of local authorities, companies, and anyone who would like to learn more about digital technologies and their possible applications in rural areas and exchange ideas on the topic. Jan Bose explains: "The focus is on practical questions: How does digitalization strengthen rural areas? What can AI achieve in everyday business? And how does the Internet of Things help bring about sustainable change? We would also like to invite school pupils, students, and teachers to register.“
AI and IoT help with digitalization in rural areas (graphic: Alpha-Omega Technology)
The program:
The event “Digital Participation in Rural Areas: Innovation Meets Practice” is aimed at citizens, representatives of local authorities, companies, and anyone who would like to learn more about digital technologies and their possible applications in rural areas and exchange ideas on the topic. Jan Bose explains: "The focus is on practical questions: How does digitalization strengthen rural areas? What can AI achieve in everyday business? And how does the Internet of Things help bring about sustainable change? We would also like to invite school pupils, students, and teachers to register.“
1. Start-ups in rural areas: a successful model with lessons and inspiration for founders
2:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Live on site and via livestream
How do you build a tech company without a big city, but with attitude and vision? This project shows how digitalization can be regionally anchored and economically successful at the same time: with local networks, short distances, and a clear view of the needs of municipalities and small businesses.
2. AI in practice: integration into processes and systems
2:50 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. | On site only
Specific examples of AI-supported automation in everyday business. We demonstrate how we have integrated AI into our workflows and connected it to ERP and CRM systems—practical, scalable, and implemented with open-source solutions.
3. AI-based app development using the example of SMARTinfeld
3:25 p.m. – 3:55 p.m. | Live on site and via livestream
Presentation of bachelor thesis: “Evaluation of AI-based app development using the example of a smart village app for the SMARTinfeld project.” The app supports rural communities with intelligent functions such as reporting systems, citizen dialogues, and local services. It shows how research is turned into practical innovation—with AI, low-code approaches, and regional impact.
4. IoT – Current benefits and prospects for the digital future
4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Live on site and via livestream
How sensor data is already helping to save energy, monitor buildings, and record environmental values. We showcase real-world IoT applications from industry, public administration, and the housing sector—and venture a glimpse into how IoT, AI, and platforms will interact in the future.
5. Networking, technology demonstrations, and open discussion
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | On site only
- Live demo: Try out sensors, dashboards, and AI workflows
- Info point: “Experience digitization” with advice and materials
- Exchange with guests, students, and our team
- Open discussion: “How can digital participation be achieved locally?”
Venue
Registration for participation on site and via livestream: