(May 11, 2023 – New York City, NY, USA) – The Intelligent Community Forum announced today the certification of Binh Duong Smart City in Vietnam as an Intelligent Community, identifying it as investment-ready and prepared to prosper economically, socially and culturally amid the challenges and opportunities of the Digital Decades.

Meeting ICF’s Certification standard provides objective validation that a community has high-quality connectivity, effective workforce development, a business innovation ecosystem and meaningful community engagement, digital inclusion and sustainability programs in place. These qualities combine to support the growth of innovative businesses, meet their talent needs and provide inclusive prosperity and a high quality of life.

“ICF introduced Intelligent Community Certification this year to extend the value that communities have long received from recognition in our international award program,” said ICF co-founder Robert Bell. “Certification takes that economic development value a step further with a rigorous analysis of policies, programs and progress.”

About Binh Duong Smart City
Binh Duong Smart City in Binh Duong Province is a two-time honoree as a Top7 in the ICF’s Intelligent Community Awards program. It received Provisional Certification based on the scoring of a self-reported questionnaire.

In the heart of Vietnam’s southeastern, Binh Duong Province is a new city in development. Binh Duong Smart City is being created and operated by the Smart City Office – managed by Becamex IDC, the state company overseeing the project – and the academic and entrepreneurial sector and the Standing and the Peoples’ Committees of the government of Binh Duong Province, all working in a Triple-Helix concert to design a modern, environmentally friendly city that will be home to more than one million Vietnamese. In 2020, Binh Duong was one of the fastest growing provincial economies in Vietnam, which itself was a world leader in economic growth. After the pandemic lost its grip on the world, the Binh Duong Smart City swiftly returned to growth, making its way toward a bright future for the region and beyond. More from the ICF profile of Binh Duong Smart City.

About Intelligent Community Certification
Intelligent Community Certification is provided in two stages. In the first stage, the municipality, county or region completes an online questionnaire with guidance from ICF. It reports on connectivity, workforce development, public and private-sector innovation, digital inclusion, public engagement and sustainability and resilience. ICF applies its proven analytic methods to the data provided in the completed questionnaire and produces both detailed and summary scoring. Communities whose summary score meets or exceeds the standard receive Provisional Certification based on this self-reported data, and the certification must be renewed yearly to remain in effect.

Full Certification requires an onsite audit by ICF. In a site visit, an ICF auditor validates the information provided by the community for its Provisional Certification and learns more about the programs and practices that make it an Intelligent Community. Following the audit, the auditor prepares a report detailing results and updates the scoring of the community based on the audit. Communities whose summary score meets or exceeds the standard receive Full Certification, which is good for three years.

Intelligent Community Certification is based on a set of standards described in detail on the ICF website.

About the Intelligent Community Forum
Starting in 2000 with a research project comparing cities in various nations, the Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org) created a unique, data-driven approach to development that puts citizens first while tapping the enormous economic and social potential of technology. In a world dominated by digital, ICF's mission is to help communities create innovative, sustainable and growing economies, inclusive societies and affirming cultures open to the world. We do it for communities large and small – in urban clusters, outlying suburbs and rural places – through training, consulting, assessment, certification and award programs. ICF believes that digital connectivity and technology create the opportunity for almost every community to develop a dynamic local economy and the social and cultural strengths that go with it – giving them all a chance to be great places to live, work, learn, grow, raise a family and prepare a sustainable path for the next generation.

The Forum sponsors Institutes in North America and Taiwan 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 were 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."

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.

Contacts:

Matthew Owen, Executive Director
Intelligent Community Forum
[email protected]

Tuan Anh PHAM, Director
Binh Duong Smart City Office
[email protected] / [email protected]