(March 28, 2023 – New York City, NY, USA) – Two award-winning cities in North America and Asia have received the first Intelligent Community Certifications issued by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), identifying them as investment-ready and prepared to prosper economically, socially and culturally amid the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. 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 a high quality of life.

Connectivity by itself adds little value – it is what people do with it that counts. Learn from communities that have leveraged their broadband assets for business retention and attraction, market differentiation, talent attraction for remote work and regional partnerships.

(March 14, 2023 – New York City, NY, USA & Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, USA) – The Alliance for Innovation (AFI) and the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) announced today a partnership aiming to further advance the innovation potential of local governments in the United States and around the world. Through the partnership, AFI and ICF will exchange content, expertise and communication resources with each other’s networks.

ICF Co-Founders Robert Bell, John Jung and Lou Zacharilla discuss current issues relating to broadband connectivity in our communities.

Communities from eight nations over five continents named as semi-finalists in ICF’s annual Intelligent Community of the Year Awards Program

(February 23, 2023 – New York, NY, USA) – At the conclusion of a virtual conference hosted by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) and co-hosted by Economic Development Australia (EDA) and the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC), ICF today named the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2023.

The selection of the annual Smart21 Communities of the Year marks the semi-finalist phase in ICF’s annual Awards Program. The program will conclude when ICF names the 2023 Intelligent Community of the Year in October at the ICF Summit. One of these 21 communities named today will succeed New Taipei City, the 2022 Intelligent Community of the Year.

(February 21, 2023 – New York City, NY, USA & Sydney, NSW, Australia) – Economic Development Australia (EDA) and the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) announced today a partnership, which will support economic developers and municipal leaders in Australia and in Intelligent Communities around the world.

Through the partnership, EDA and ICF will exchange content, expertise, and communication resources with each other’s professional development and event programs and extend select benefits to each other’s members. On February 22-23, EDA joins ICF and the Economic Developers Association of Canada in hosting “Turning Connectivity into Growth” (www.icfsmart21.com), a two-day online conference that culminates with the announcement of ICF’s Smart21 Communities of 2023.

ESTEVAN - Members of Estevan city council received an update on initiatives from the community’s innovation council during Monday night’s meeting.

In a correspondence, Coun. Rebecca Foord wrote that the innovation council had a busy year in 2022. A highlight came when they successfully applied to be named an Intelligent Community through the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), which is a global network of cities and towns focusing on economic development, and looking to solve challenges through innovation and new economic development opportunities through technology.

(February 16, 2023 – New York City) – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) today launched the world’s first Certification program for cities and regions that validates the community’s digital, workforce development and innovation assets, which form the foundation for investment attraction, job growth and entrepreneurship. It also validates the ability to attract, retain and serve their people through commitments to digital inclusion, community engagement and sustainability. Taken together, these are the critical factors that give communities a competitive advantage as great places to live, work, build a business, start a family and give a path to the next generation.

(February 14, 2023 – New York City, NY, USA & Stoney Creek, ON, Canada) – The Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) and the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) announced today a partnership aiming to bring a new level of benefits to economic developers in Canada and in Intelligent Communities around the world. Through the partnership, EDAC and ICF will contribute content, expertise, and communication resources to each other’s professional development, training, certification, awards, and event programs throughout the year, and extend select benefits to each other’s members. The first collaboration of the partners will be joint production of “Turning Connectivity into Growth” (www.icfsmart21.com), a two-day online conference on February 22-23 that culminates with the announcement of ICF’s Smart21 Communities of 2023.

Today Mayor of Tallinn Mihhail Kõlvart launched the Test in Tallinn initiative to welcome companies around the world to test their smart solutions on the streets of Tallinn in three focus areas: mobility, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

European Green Capital 2023 Tallinn and Estonia already have a positive image both in terms of the ease of doing business, the creation and growth environment for start-up companies and digital society in general, Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart said, adding: “The strength of Tallinn is our smallness, flexibility, and the technological openness of society. Today we will proactively launch our city as a test platform for both international and domestic companies.”