Smart city strategies are increasingly becoming key tools for modernizing administrative units and introducing innovative approaches into public policy. Their emergence and dynamic development are closely linked to the rapid advance of digitalization and energy transitions, both of which have the potential to significantly influence the quality of life of residents. At the core of this concept is the use of digital tools and data-driven solutions that enable cities to better understand developments within their territory, respond to emerging challenges, and manage local processes more effectively. Although modern technologies are often presented as the decisive factor of transformation, the practical implementation of smart cities is always shaped by the specific conditions of individual regions. Therefore, it is important to examine how smart solutions adapt to local political, social, and economic contexts. This article evaluates two approaches to building intelligent models – one in the Indonesian province of Yogyakarta and the other in the Trnava Region of Slovakia. The selected administrative units offer distinct perspectives on the implementation of smart initiatives, with each model grounded in unique territorial and institutional assumptions. The analysis highlights different ways of integrating local context into strategic planning and identifies types of contextualization practices that may enrich current knowledge on Smart City issues from the perspective of real-world application.

Keywords: Smart City, innovations, Trnava region, Yogyakarta province