Smart Cities as Drivers of Twin Transition – Evidence from the Republic of Serbia

United Nations sustainable development goal 11 “Sustainable cities and communities” emphasizes the importance of cities, viewing them as actors largely influenced by economic and population growth, modern consumption, and numerous environmental challenges. In urban areas, there are numerous challenges of modern life, which also imply major changes in the model of urban development. As extremely complex systems and hubs of various activities, cities that develop as "smart" get a key place in achieving the goals of economic and sustainable development, both in developed and developing countries. Undoubtedly, smart cities have a very important role in these processes and can facilitate the twin transition to a green and digital economy. This paper aims to analyze the role and importance of smart city development for the twin transition. Consequently, the paper is divided into three thematic parts. The first part refers to the basics and importance of the twin transition. The second part analyses how smart cities, as the concept of sustainable urban development, and twin transition are interconnected and contribute to each other, while the third part is about the situation and perspective of smart city development and twin transition in Serbia. Through the implemented digitalization and e-government development in Serbia, a strong base for smart cities was created. In certain local governments, successful projects that are important in creating resilient and smart cities are an incentive and a good example for the future. Some of these examples will be presented in the paper. In conclusion, final remarks are given. From a methodological point of view, this work presents a desk research analysis and synthesis of data from relevant sources, with the aim of a detailed presentation and concluding the subject. The research results contribute to the understanding and perception of this important topic.