ICF History

The roots of the Intelligent Community movement go back to 1985.  The Intelligent Community Forum took shape in the 1990s and became an independent organization in 2004.

1985
World Teleport Association (WTA) is founded by Guy Tozzoli – president and founder of the World Trade Centers Association, who is responsible for the planning, construction and design of the World Trade Center – along with his counterpart in Japan, the late Tadoyoshi Yamada.  WTA is created to bring into existence a new type of “port,” one where information is the new weightless cargo that will stimulate economic development, trade and transform communities and real estate.  ICF Co-Founder John G. Jung is among the members of the WTA Board of Directors. 

1995
Mr.  John G. Jung, with the support of Louis Zacharilla and Robert Bell, produces “Smart95” in Toronto, Ontario (Canada).  The conference brings together, for the first time, senior telecommunications executives and economic development officials from around the world.  They gather for three days to examine the rise of telecommunications as a critical infrastructure.  The Toronto event is considered unique and forward-looking and today is cited as the birthplace of the Intelligent Community movement.

1998
Led by Board members John Jung, Alcatel's Jan Glinski and Italian economist Dr. Amedeo Levorato, currently CEO of Telerete, WTA introduces the concept of the Intelligent Community in Europe at the Teleport98 conference in London. 

1999
WTA names Singapore as the first Intelligent Community of the Year at a global conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

2001
The Board of Directors of World Teleport Association approves the creation of a special interest group within WTA, called the Intelligent Community Forum.  ICF is designated as a special project of WTA.

2001
ICF issues its first research study, Benchmarking the Intelligent Community: A Comparison Study of the Regional Communities.  The project, under the direction of Robert Bell, examines six communities around the world to determine how they have implemented broadband policies and practices that are creating positive economic, governing and social activity.  The white paper establishes the five criteria which are today used by ICF and its researchers to identify, study and evaluate Intelligent Communities.

2002
ICF issues its first list of the world’s Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year.  The list, the creation of Louis Zacharilla, becomes instantly popular among the world’s communities, as well as the international press.  It becomes a permanent feature of ICF and continues to be the highlight of ICF’s annual Summit. 

2004
ICF, in agreement with World Teleport Association, becomes an independent organization under the direction of Robert Bell, John Jung and Louis Zacharilla.  ICF holds its first Building the Broadband Economy summit in New York with the support of the New York City’s Economic Development Corporation.  New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg notes to the delegates that he is “proud that ICF calls New York City its home.” Research in Motion co-founder James Balsillie (creator of the BlackBerry), Lee Rainie of the Pew Internet & American Life Project and e-Mexico’s Director Javier Perez are among the attendees who lead discussions at the event, produced in the shadow of the World Trade Center reconstruction site.  Glasgow, Scotland is named Intelligent Community of the Year.  The summit in New York becomes a permanent part of ICF’s calendar each Spring.

2005
ICF affiliates its summit with Polytechnic University and its Institute for Technology and Enterprise (ITE), under the direction of Dr. Mel Horwitch.  ICF holds its annual Summit at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, whose teaching staff includes the recipients of three Nobel Prizes.

2006
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou, welcomes  ICF to Taiwan, where John Jung presides as moderator for  the first digital cities conference in Asia. Mr. Ma was elected president of Taiwan in 2008 and welcomed co-founder John Jung during a 2008 visit Asia.

2007
ICF conducts its first Immersion Lab study tour, which takes technology executives, mayors and other  leaders on a tour of intelligent communities in Asia, including 2005 Intelligent Community of the Year, Mitaka, Japan and 2006 recipient, Taipei.  ICF hosts the world’s first Intelligent Communities of the World Alumni Dinner in New York City.  Many of the communities from throughout the world that had been named  the ICF’s lists of the Smart21 and Top Seven gather, along with VIPs from around the globe.  Later that year, Waterloo, Ontario is named the 2007 Intelligent Community of the Year.  In October, Waterloo’s Mayor Brenda Halloran convenes an event in her community which brings together every Canadian community that has been named by ICF.

2008
ICF releases a white paper, Can e-Government Make Communities More Competitive?, at its annual Building the Broadband Economy summit at Polytechnic University  ICF announces plans for the creation of a permanent Institute for the Study of the Intelligent Community.    Fundraising begins in late 2008.