Seven communities from seven nations named as
finalists for the 2026 Intelligent Community of the Year Award
(17 June 2026 – New York, NY, USA & Maastricht, Netherlands) – In a joint announcement made in Maastricht, Netherlands and ICF’s headquarters in New York City, the Intelligent Community Forum today named the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2026. For the first time in 20 years, the Top7 Communities of the Year is made up of communities from seven different nations, indicative of the global growth seen in the intelligent community movement in recent years.
As Top7 Intelligent Communities of the year, these seven communities are also the finalists in ICF’s 2026 Awards program. One will succeed the 2025 Intelligent Community of the Year – Durham Region, Ontario, Canada – at the ICF Global Summit (www.icfsummit.com) in October in the Columbus Region of Ohio, USA. Officials of Durham Region were in attendance in Maastricht for the announcement.
In alphabetical order, the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2026 are:
- Assaí, Paraná, Brazil
- Brightlands-Limburg, Netherlands
- Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Türkiye
- Hilliard, Ohio, USA
- Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
- Yunlin County, Taiwan
“This year’s Top7 range in population from 15,000 to 3.2 million,” said ICF co-founder Robert Bell. “That’s a dramatic demonstration of the reality of community development today. Population and location still matter, but they are of far less importance than the community’s ability to adapt to the fast-changing demands of a digital century. The accelerating wave of innovation in technology definitely does not lift all boats, and it can benefit the small city as much as the big one, if leaders know how to navigate it.”
New and Repeat Performances
Six of the communities on this year’s list have been previously named to the Top7: Assaí, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Hilliard, Kingston, Las Rozas de Madrid, and Yunlin County. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Hilliard has made the Top7, while Assaí and Kingston are each making their third appearances on the list. Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Las Rozas de Madrid and Yunlin County are all appearing on the list for the second time.
Brightlands-Limburg is making its first appearance as a Top7 Intelligent Community of the Year, after achieving Smart21 designation for the first time in 2025. This marks the first time a community from the Netherlands has appeared among the Top7 since 2011, when Eindhoven was named Intelligent Community of the Year.
October 13-15: The 2026 ICF Global Summit
The Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2026 will be in attendance and featured prominently throughout the ICF Global Summit in the Columbus Region of Ohio, USA from October 13 to 15. The Summit will offer insightful keynotes, thought-provoking panels, networking opportunities, visits to multiple Intelligent Communities in Central Ohio and more – including the moment when one of the Top7 becomes the 2026 Intelligent Community of the Year.
In addition to the conference itself, an expanded delegation program will take place from October 12 to 16, providing exclusive opportunities for site visits, meetings, relationship development, and more. Delegation participation is by approval only, and interested individuals may reach out to ICF for more information.
More about the Top7 Communities of 2026
The following are snapshots of this year’s Top7 Intelligent Communities. Complete profiles and data can be found online on ICF’s Website.
Assaí, Paraná, Brazil
Assaí continues to demonstrate how a small rural city can build a thriving innovation economy. With a strong focus on community engagement and workforce development, this Certified Intelligent Community has attracted key partnerships to build a better future for its citizens, from workforce training with multinational companies to a satellite campus for a major university. Together, these initiatives are creating a stronger talent pipeline and positioning Assaí as a regional center for education, innovation, and opportunity.
Brightlands-Limburg, Netherlands
Brightlands-Limburg has created one of Europe’s leading innovation ecosystems through its four interconnected Brightlands campuses. Together, they drive breakthroughs in the circular economy, healthcare, artificial intelligence, smart services, future farming, and nutrition. Brightlands-Limburg is a global model of the triple-helix in action, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, businesses, and government partners to turn innovation into economic growth and build a more sustainable future.
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Türkiye
With smart traffic systems, electric buses, and bike-sharing programs, Bursa is reducing congestion and emissions. The city’s digital backbone powers efficient public services and smart healthcare. The city has become a magnet for Turks seeking opportunity. Bursa has responded with career training and counseling to equip newcomers with the skills needed in a modern economy – and counseling services to help them adapt to urban life. The result is a connected, sustainable city where technology, industry and livability go hand in hand.
Hilliard, Ohio, USA
Hilliard has become a model of small-city innovation, using technology to drive economic growth and opportunity. Initiatives like the Hilliard City Lab and the city’s A.I. Sandbox help companies test and commercialize emerging technologies, while partnerships with Amazon Web Services and Apple help local schools prepare the next generation of knowledge workers. Hilliard, a Certified Intelligent Community, demonstrates how a city of only 40,000 residents can leverage innovation, connectivity and collaboration to compete on a global stage, with outsized impact for its citizens.
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
One of Canada’s oldest cities, Kingston combines a rich history with a modern innovation economy supported by nearly universal broadband. Anchored by Queen’s University and St. Lawrence College, this Certified Intelligent Community has become a leader in research, entrepreneurship, life sciences and specialty chemistry. Its Film and Music offices support a growing creative economy, and an ambitious Climate Action Plan is delivering sustainability, quality of life and economic benefit to the city. Strong collaboration among government, industry, and academia enables this midsize city on Lake Ontario to punch far above its weight.
Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
Las Rozas de Madrid has become one of Europe’s leading centers for innovation and entrepreneurship. Through Las Rozas Innova, the city’s public innovation company, it has turned the city into a living lab for smart city solutions, advancing projects in mobility, energy, digital education, and artificial intelligence. By combining strong public-private partnerships with a culture of experimentation, Las Rozas is building a dynamic innovation ecosystem and helping shape Europe’s digital future.
Yunlin County, Taiwan
Yunlin County is proving that innovation is not limited to large urban centers. This largely rural region has combined smart education, connectivity, and innovative workforce development to create new opportunities for its people. Yunlin is pioneering advances in agriculture and aquaculture through AI technology, sustainability practices, and technology-driven training programs. Just this week, Yunlin reached a major milestone by becoming a Certified Intelligent Community, signaling its commitment to building a more prosperous future for its people.
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 helps cities, counties and regions use technology – and adapt to the massive changes it brings – to create inclusive prosperity, strengthen social bonds and enrich local culture for their people. These are the three markers of success for the place people call home. We do it for communities large and small, in urban clusters and 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 path for the next generation.
The Forum sponsors Institutes around the world 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.”
For more details on the Intelligent Community Forum’s recent publications and programs, www.intelligentcommunity.org.
Intelligent Community Forum Contacts
Matthew Owen, Executive Director, Intelligent Community Forum
Email: [email protected]
Auri Yates, Communications Manager, Intelligent Community Forum
[email protected]
