(New York, NY – 20 November 2025) - The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) announced that Dentons, the world’s largest global law firm, has joined the Forum as a Corporate Partner.
As a global organization committed to building prosperous, inclusive and sustainable communities, ICF brings together leaders from government, business and academia to share best practices and drive economic growth. Its Corporate Partnership program provides a way for dependable service providers to support this mission, while connecting our Network and Members with a reliable, trustworthy company with whom they can trust.
“Legal frameworks and policy guidance are critical to the success of intelligent communities,” said Matthew Owen, Executive Director of the Intelligent Community Forum. “Dentons brings unmatched global expertise that will help cities navigate challenges such as AI integration, data privacy, cybersecurity and sustainability. Our partnership strengthens our shared mission to create resilient, equitable and future-ready communities around the world.”
The Partnership launched with a collaboration around activities at the Smart City Expo World Congress, which took place earlier this month in Barcelona. Multiple representatives from Dentons joined ICF’s VIP Delegation for the week for meetings, site visits and networking events. One highlight was the Agora session on 5 November, Redefining “Smart” in an Age of AI, Connected Systems & Data, which was co-developed by ICF and Dentons. Video from the session will be released shortly.
More About Dentons
Dentons’ Global Smart Cities & Connected Communities Think Tank brings together the world’s largest law firm and a global network of leaders from business, government academia and civil society. Together, they co-create forward-thinking legal, economic and policy frameworks to address the complex challenges of urbanization in an era of rapid technological change.
The initiative has grown into a platform of 750+ members with over 50 global convenings. The Think Tank's mission is to help cities modernize and integrate digital, physical and social infrastructure to deliver public and private services that are efficient, secure, equitable and sustainable.
Responding to rising political challenges, economic pressures, urban migration, climate pressures and aging infrastructure, the Think Tank tackles a wide range of issues including AI, cybersecurity, social equity, decarbonization, hydrogen, smart agriculture and digital connectivity.
In 2025, Dentons restructured panels into new pillars of thought leadership, including:
- Macroeconomic infrastructure – global trends and best practices
- Data centers – energy demands and development
- AI and emerging tech – intelligent solutions for smarter communities
Through deep collaboration and thought leadership, Dentons helps businesses, cities and communities navigate complexity, harness innovation and build a smarter, more connected future.
More About 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 details on the Intelligent Community Forum’s programs and publications, go to www.intelligentcommunity.org.
Contacts
Matthew Owen, Executive Director, Intelligent Community Forum
[email protected]
Auri Yates, Content and Communications Director, Intelligent Community Forum
[email protected]
