The finalists are:
- Aarhus (DK) – for giving citizens more responsibilities in creating social welfare and creating physical labs for innovation.
- Berlin (DE) – for its shared approach to governance, allowing the city boroughs to experiment in several domains, from social innovation to logistics and green supply chains.
- Copenhagen (DK) – for its "Transformative Living Lab" approach, which encourages citizens and entrepreneurs to take part in a network of experimental laboratories.
- Helsinki (FI) – for its world-class education and IT culture that fosters innovative collaborations among citizens and institutions to jointly tackle urban challenges such as air quality, maritime technology and health-tech.
- Nice (FR) – for its Smart City strategy that offers citizens to engage via the city Innovation Centre in decisions on climate change, healthy ageing, environmental risk and security innovation.
- Paris (FR) – for its mission to turn into a "FabCity" hosting the largest start-up campus in the world, which encourages innovative projects by citizens and entrepreneurs.
- Tallinn (EE) – for becoming a model of a true "eCity" by digitalising all the city services.
- Tampere (FI) – for its "Grow.Smart.Together" urban development program, where citizens, universities and businesses are involved in creating smart urban solutions fostering new jobs in the city.
- Tel Aviv (IL) – for its impressive hi-tech sector programmes and city policies, leading to the highest concentration of accelerator programs in Europe.
- Toulouse (FR) – for its Open Metropolis strategy, a participatory governance model allowing citizens and business organisations to co-design major urban local initiatives.