2010 Intelligent Community of the Year
Suwon lies south of Seoul and is the capital of Geyonggi Province.  Like satellite cities in other regions of the world, Suwon long succeeded in part by serving the needs of its much larger neighbour. But beginning in 2003, led by Mayor Yong Seo Kim, Suwon set about creating an economy whose growth would be based on small-to-midsize enterprises (SMEs) specializing in IT, biotech and nanotechnology. While betting taxpayers' money on buildings and companies, Suwon has also built a web of collaborative relationships among industry, universities and government.