(27 October 2017 – New York City) – In a live ceremony in New York City and an online video, the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) today named the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2018. Selection of this group of cities and counties begins the eight-month process through which ICF will name of them as its 2018 Intelligent Community of the Year. More than semi-finalists for an international award, the Smart21 represent the best models of economic, social and cultural development in the digital age, in the judgment of ICF and its team of independent analysts. The Intelligent Community of the Year will be named on June 7 during an Awards Dinner at the ICF Global Summit in London. (http://www.intelligentcommunity.org/summit_18)

The ICF’s Smart21 Communities of 2018, in alphabetical order:
"This year’s list contains more surprises than we have seen in a long time,” said ICF Co-Founder Louis Zacharilla. “Over half of them are Canadian communities that have been working on their programs for years and arrived on the list. We also see Taiwan and Australia continuing to embrace broadband and the ICF Method effectively. While these are diverse places, they all connect this year as places that take the humanization of data seriously. Data has no value unless it is put in the service of a better, more prosperous region, city or town."
 
The Smart21 Communities of 2018 include cities and counties from Canada, the United States, Taiwan, Australia, Finland and France. The announcement video may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owwafUa3E_s. The video is available by request as a high-resolution download.

• Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
• Chiayi City, Taiwan
• Espoo, Finland
• Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
• Hudson, Ohio, USA
• Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
• Issy les Moulineaux, France
• Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
• Kinmen County, Taiwan
• Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
• Olds, Alberta, Canada
• Parkland County, Alberta, Canada
• Pickering, Ontario, Canada
• Sarnia-Lambton County, Ontario, Canada
• St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
• Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
• Tainan City, Taiwan
• Taoyuan, Taiwan
• Western Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
• York (Regional Municipality of), Ontario, Canada

The 2018 Smart21 Communities were named at the conclusion of the 4^th Annual Next Gen Tech Conference in New York City, produced by Silicon Harlem. The conference encouraged attendees to explore the untapped potential of urban markets such as Upper Manhattan and how these corridors inevitably will be reshaped by technology investments, educational advancements, policies, dynamic programs and other new opportunities. ICF Co-Founder Louis Zacharilla, who made the Smart21 announcement on behalf of ICF, also moderated a panel discussion featuring international leaders in the Intelligent Community movement. More information about the event can be found at  http://www.siliconharlem.net/event/4th-annual-next-gen-tech-conference/
 
The Smart21 are selected by ICF based on quantitative and qualitative data submitted to the Forum, which are evaluated by a group of Analysts led by former Cisco executive and Westchester County (New York) CIO, Dr. Norman Jacknis. The analysis is based on the six Intelligent Community Indicators, which provide the conceptual framework for understanding the factors that determine a community's competitiveness in economic, social and cultural terms. The 2018 Awards program focuses on the theme of Humanizing Data, which explores the intersection between big data and open data, and the impacts of a data-driven economy on communities. Click here for more information on the 2018 theme. 

About the Intelligent Community Forum
The Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org), headquartered in New York, is a global movement of more than 160 cities, metro regions and counties with a think tank at its heart. ICF studies and promotes the best practices of the world's Intelligent Communities as they adapt to the new demands and seize the opportunities presented by information and communications technology (ICT). To help cities and regions build prosperous economies, solve social problems and enrich local cultures, the Intelligent Community Forum conducts research, hosts global events, publishes books, and produces its high-profile annual international awards program. The Forum sponsors research Institutes in North America dedicated to the study of the movement, and national organizations in Canada and Taiwan, both home to many Intelligent Communities. In 2012 ICF was invited to participate at the Nobel Peace Prize conference in Oslo and in 2014, its model and work was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which, according to the American government, was "aimed at creating a more flexible and responsive system of workforce development to meet the needs of employers looking to fill 21st century jobs.” The Forum’s membership is made up of more than 160 designated Intelligent Communities worldwide. For more information, go to www.intelligentcommunity.org/icf_membership. For more details on the Intelligent Community Forum’s recent publications and programs, www.intelligentcommunity.org.
 
Intelligent Community Forum Contacts
Matthew Owen
Director of Operations
Intelligent Community Forum
Phone: +1 646-291-6166 (x105)
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @Newcommunities