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

(March 25, 2026 – New York, NY, USA & Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil) – During conference hosted by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) and the Brazilian city of Curitiba, ICF today named the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2026. Curitiba was ICF’s Intelligent Community of the Year in 2024.

The selection of the annual Smart21 Communities of the Year begins the semi-finalist phase of ICF’s annual Awards Program. In June, seven of these communities will be named the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2026 during the Top7 Conference & Announcement in Brightlands-Limburg, Netherlands. Then, in October, one of the Top7 will be named the 2026 Intelligent Community of the Year at the ICF Global Summit in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Last year’s Intelligent Community of the Year was Durham Region, Ontario, Canada

(New York City – March 24, 2026) – The Intelligent Community Forum announced today the Full Certification of Assaí, a community of 15,000 people located in Paraná, Brazil.

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.

(3 December 2025 – New York City, NY, USA & Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) – The Intelligent Community Forum today named the Region of Durham, Ontario, Canada, as the 2025 Intelligent Community of the Year. Formally The Regional Municipality of Durham, the community is a regional government that provides shared services for eight municipalities. The announcement was made during the annual Intelligent Community Awards Dinner at the 2025 ICF Global Summit in Binh Duong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (www.icfsummit.com)

(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.

(New York City – October 9, 2025) The Intelligent Community Forum today announced the renewal of New Taipei City’s Full Certification as an Intelligent Community, based on an audit of the programs, policies and achievements that make New Taipei City a highly desirable place to live, work and innovate in Taiwan. 

(July 2, 2025 – New York City) – During the Top7 Conference & Announcement in Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain, the Intelligent Community Forum announced that Yunlin County, Taiwan, has achieved Provisional Certification as an Intelligent Community.

The Yunlin County, Taiwan delegation at the Top7 Conference & Announcement in Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (June 16, 2025)

Cities in Brazil, Canada, Spain, Türkiye and the USA become finalists for Intelligent Community of the Year Award

(17 June 2025 – New York, NY, USA & Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain) – At a festive, sold-out Awards dinner tonight, the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) named the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2025. The announcement was made at the conclusion of the Top7 Conference hosted by Las Rozas de Madrid – a two-time Smart21 Community in ICF’s Awards program – and its mayor, Jose de la Uz.

The seven cities become finalists in ICF’s annual Awards program. One will succeed 2024 Intelligent Community of the Year Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil in December at the ICF Global Summit (www.icfsummit.com) in Binh Duong Smart City, Vietnam. Curitiba was in attendance in Spain for the program.

(June 12, 2025 – New York City) – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) is pleased to announce an exclusive VIP Delegation to Vietnam, attending the 2025 ICF Global Summit in Binh Duong Smart City from December 2–4, followed by an extended business mission to Ho Chi Minh City from December 5–7. This experience will spotlight Vietnam’s remarkable journey as a rising global innovation and investment hub under the Summit theme: “Intelligent and Investment Ready: The Economic Transformation of Vietnam.”

Held in Binh Duong Smart City, the 2023 Intelligent Community of the Year, the 2025 Global Summit will convene global thought leaders, policymakers, technology pioneers, and economic developers to explore how digital transformation can drive investment, inclusive growth, and long-term prosperity. The program on December 2 and 3 will feature keynote sessions, workshops, and case studies from ICF’s Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2025. The flagship event of the Summit, the prestigious Intelligent Community of the Year Awards Dinner, takes place on December 3, where ICF will announce the 2025 Intelligent Community of the Year.

(4 June 2025 – New York City, NY, USA & Limburg, The Netherlands) – The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) announced today that the Brightlands-Limburg Region will host the 2026 Top7 Conference and Announcement, the second phase of ICF’s annual Awards Program. The event will bring together thought leaders from the global Intelligent Community movement for workshops, panel discussions, and keynote addresses, and will provide regional and international attendees with the opportunity to tour the Limburg Region, which exemplifies Intelligent Community development.

The conference will also feature the announcement of the Top7 Communities of 2026, finalists in ICF’s annual Intelligent Community Awards Program. The Top7 Communities are seven leading examples of excellence in Intelligent Community development in line with ICF’s Community Accelerator Strategy.

(May 15, 2025 – New York, NY, USA) - The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) is pleased to welcome Dependbuild as its newest member, strengthening a shared commitment to advancing smart and sustainable infrastructure development worldwide.

Based in Atlantic Canada, Dependbuild is a leading provider of automated risk and knowledge management solutions for infrastructure projects, and with this membership brings its expertise to ICF’s global network of over 200 cities and regions across five continents.