UBC Smart and Prospering Cities Commission at Waterkant Festival 2025

On 20 June 2025 UBC Smart and Prospering Cities Commission will hold a full-day event at the Waterkant Festival 2025 in Kiel. The event will focus on topics such as the future of democracy, mobility and innovation in the Baltic Sea region and will consist of various discussions, networking and keynotes. Event will take place in MFG5 Areal in Kiel from 10:00 to 18:00. The Commission will provide tickets, lunch and refreshments for participants.

Agenda:
10:00 – Democracy Under Fire
Keynotes and flash surveys on the crisis and future of liberal democracy
• Erdem Ovacik, social entrepreneur & author of The Next Democracy
• Lene Hartig Danielsen, Head of Citizens Services, City of Aarhus
11:00 – Panel: What Now?
Open panel discussion with audience participation on democratic resilience and the role of cities and civil society
12:00 – Cross-Border Mobility of the Future
Showcasing innovation and cooperation in the STRING Megaregion
• Sven Ratjens (REAKT project)
• Ulf Kämpfer, Mayor of Kiel & Chair of STRING
• A representative from the STRING Secretariat
13:00 – Joint Lunch
14:00 – Explore Waterkant Festival 2025
Experience the wider Waterkant program: panels, workshops, startups, and creative exchanges by the Kiel Fjord
18:00 – End of Program

Registration by 2 June 2025 by sending a short email to:
Wolfgang Schmidt
Chair of UBC SPCC
wolfgang.schmidt@kiel.de