The ICF Dublin Institute’s May 4 workshop welcomed more than 40 attendees who were able to hear an inspiring keynote presentation from Roberto Gallardo, Executive Director of the MSU Intelligent Community Institute.

In Mississippi, Dr. Gallardo is on a mission to close this digital divide, one citizen, one neighborhood, one business, one community at a time. Dr. Gallardo discussed with Institute members the steps he has taken and the community development model he uses to move the dial toward a more connected and intelligent Mississippi.

The Institutes of the Intelligent Community Forum are local research institutions established in partnership with ICF by universities, local governments and other organizations to expand the world's knowledge about the creation of Intelligent Communities.

Each Institute focuses on a field of study related to one of ICF's six Intelligent Community Indicators while also supporting a specific mission of the community or institution that is home to the Institute. The Institute's specific mission may focus on education or e-democracy, agriculture or alternative energy, the creation of technology clusters or the reduction of poverty. Whatever the mission, the Institute creates new knowledge on the role of the Intelligent Community in achieving it.

Through the Institutes, ICF seeks to expand understanding of successful community development and to equip local leaders with tools to build stronger communities. For national policymakers, the Institutes provide a source of unbiased information on the role of information and communications technology in economic growth and social health at the local level in regions, cities, towns and villages.

Click on a logo below to find out more information about the Institutes

The Intelligent Community Forum is working with universities, institutes and Intelligent Communities around the globe to develop future Institutes for the Study of the Intelligent Community. Local founders of ICF Institutes take responsibility for funding, staffing, management and overhead of the Institute. The Institute's course of study and resulting research output are determined in collaboration between the Institute and ICF. Contributions to the Institute from ICF include advice and counsel on the Institute's formation, the ongoing participation of our executives and fellows, access to ICF data, and the right to use ICF's identity in its work.

Future Institutes

If you wish to explore formation of an Institute of the Intelligent Community Forum, request an Expression of Interest template from co-founder Louis Zacharilla.

The Intelligent Community Institutes are local research institutions established in partnership with ICF by universities, local governments and other organizations to expand the world’s knowledge about the creation of Intelligent Communities. The ICF, its Foundation, and the City of Dublin, Ohio have entered into agreement for the formation of such an institute in Dublin. The Institute held its launch event in October of 2015, where ICF Co-Founder Lou Zacharilla also made the announcement of the Smart21 Communities of 2016. The highlights from the event can be seen in this video:

The Institute's Objectives are:

• To expand the base of awareness regarding issues central to the development of communities in the 21st Century “Broadband Economy” or digital age.
• To establish the Institute as a regional hub where leaders, investors and other stakeholders will go to become familiar with the ICF process. The Institute will serve as a collaborative learning lab where interested parties may learn the principles of the Intelligent Community and its awards program and accelerate their transformation.
• To develop a network of thought leaders to look at relevant aspects of the community for the purpose of enhancing economic and social development within communities through applied research, publishing and/or events and activities.
• To connect the Institute to the ICF Foundation, an international group of 134 Intelligent Communities and their leadership. The leadership includes businesses, schools and civic institutions.
• To connect the Institute to ICF’s other institutes around world.
• To connect ICF to other institutes and organizations that will allow it to better understand the needs of communities.

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Institute News

• Meanwhile Out on the Roads of Ohio... - By Louis Zacharilla. Public transit is a local issue. And while global challenges remain unsolved, local ones are being addressed aggressively, with or without the funding or support necessary from national governments. I am proud to say that a case in point was another event which took place in the state of Ohio, USA during General Assembly Session week in New York. The ICF’s Global Institute in Dublin, Ohio launched its first roadshow. MORE