TOWN OF KEŽMAROK
ABOUT US
The town of Kežmarok is the historical centre of the Spiš region. It has more than 15,000 inhabitants and lies in a mountainous area between three national parks: the Tatra National Park, Slovenský raj National Park and Pieniny National Park. Kežmarok has received a number of national and international awards: In 2016 and 2017, for our care of senior citizens, we received the Senior Friendly award. In 2019 we joined the Digital Coalition and we are among the leaders in digitalisation in Slovakia. The people of Kežmarok love sport so in 2022 we successfully defended our title as European City of Sport, for which we also received the award for best European City of Sport. In 2025 we want to apply for the European Community of Sport award together with the towns of Liptovský Mikuláš and Nowy Targ. We care about the environment and a sustainable economy, and we therefore began focusing on this area more intensively back in 2019, when we also received the Enviromesto title. In the ecological field, our development is guided by the Smart Green City strategy, a document our town had specially prepared. On the environmental side we are progressing on several projects simultaneously, including a geothermal well, for which we received the Félix business award, Local Government for Future Generations, in 2022. The three pillars of a sustainable town are environmental, economic and social balance. The town is making good progress in green infrastructure. We are looking for new heat sources, investing in public lighting, seeking out smart solutions, constructing smart buildings and monitoring energy use. Kežmarok is adapting its development strategies, prioritising low-energy housing, renaturalising the environment, limiting its expansion and promoting a mix of housing, services and shops, along with density and micromobility.
OUR ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE CONSORTIUM
WP6 – Blockchain Transformation Grid Kežmarok
Within the STICS project, Kežmarok is focusing on creating an urban Living Lab for testing and deploying smart and green innovations, with a focus on: data interoperability, energy transformation, strengthening community resilience and developing innovative tools for urban management.
BENEFITS OF OUR OUTPUTS AND TARGET GROUPS
Thanks to the project, the Blockchain Transformation Grid Kežmarok will be created, an innovation and experimental environment that will make it possible to:
Deploy and test smart and green solutions for energy, climate resilience and municipal services.
Build an interoperable data ecosystem for the town and improve data governance.
Create new digital public services, dashboards and analytical tools for decision-making.
Support energy positive communities (Energy Positive Districts).
Strengthen the adaptability and resilience of the community, particularly vulnerable groups.
Reduce the town's carbon footprint and increase the efficiency of municipal processes.
Prepare the groundwork for smart investment strategies and the modernisation of public infrastructure.
The target group includes:
the municipality of Kežmarok,
professionals and innovators,
communities and households,
public service providers,
stakeholders in energy, mobility, social services and the environment.
Dominik Čižik
Data Analyst, Town of Kežmarok
What do you expect from the STICS project?
- Development of smart and green innovations applied directly in the urban environment of Kežmarok.
- New digital solutions in energy, resilience and data governance.
- Stronger cooperation between the town, the academic sector, businesses and communities.
- Creation of new datasets, methodologies and models for further projects and solutions.
- Better decision-making thanks to data and smart tools.
- Improved practical readiness of the town to face challenges such as climate change, energy poverty and social exclusion.
- Foundations for a long-term smart city ecosystem and the sustainable digital transformation of Kežmarok.
Who will be able to use your outputs, and when?
The outputs will become available gradually during pilot testing in the Living Lab, with full use possible once the functionality of the solutions has been validated.
Benefits for:
- the general public — better services, energy efficiency, solutions for communities and households,
- local government and municipal organisations — better data, greater efficiency and transparency,
- the municipal innovation system — space for collaboration and know-how transfer,
- businesses and startups — new data opportunities and innovation