Munich, Bavaria, Germany – The City of Munich is calling all creative minds and data enthusiasts to participate in its new open data competition, titled “Münchner Daten-Schmankerl gesucht” (Munich Data Delicacies Wanted). The competition, designed to foster innovative solutions and insights from the city’s vast open data reserves, is scheduled to commence on January 7, 2026, and conclude on February 11, 2026.
A Platform for Innovation and Urban Development
This initiative is a brainchild of the startup proband15, which gained recognition in 2025 for its “Datengartl’n” project. This project won the “Open Data Potentials for Munich” challenge as part of the Munich Innovation Competition, highlighting the significant potential of open data in addressing urban challenges and enhancing community life.
Open data, characterized by its machine-readability, cost-free access, and freedom of use and reuse under open licenses, provides a fertile ground for developing solutions that can contribute to the ongoing evolution of urban society. The competition aims to leverage these attributes by encouraging participants to create compelling data visualizations and analyses from the city’s Open Data Portal.
What Kind of “Schmankerl” Are Expected?
Participants are encouraged to explore various creative avenues, with examples of potential contributions including:
- Unexpected Correlations: Discovering new insights through the correlation of different datasets.
- Artistic Data Representations: Crafting visually appealing and informative displays of urban data.
- Interactive Dashboards: Developing user-friendly interfaces that offer fresh perspectives on data.
- Humorous Interpretations: Engaging with data in an entertaining and thought-provoking manner.
- Elegant Problem Solving: Showcasing innovative approaches to existing data challenges.
To qualify for the competition, each submission must utilize at least one dataset from the Münchner Open Data Portal, accessible at opendata.muenchen.de. A panel of expert judges will evaluate the entries, recognizing the most creative and innovative approaches.
Organizers and Support
The “Münchner Daten-Schmankerl gesucht” competition is organized by proband15 GmbH and receives support from the City of Munich, a testament to the city’s commitment to fostering innovation and utilizing data for public benefit. This collaboration underscores the importance of open data in driving urban progress and community engagement.
Further details regarding the terms and conditions of participation, as well as the registration process, can be found on the official competition website.
Source: https://stadt.muenchen.de/news/wettbewerb-offene-daten-schmankerl.html
