(New York City – June 16, 2026) – The Intelligent Community Forum announced today the Full Certification of Yunlin County, a major supplier of agricultural and fisheries products to Taiwan. The announcement took place at “Circular Living,” the 2026 Top7 Intelligent Communities conference taking
place in the province of Limburg, Netherlands.
Yunlin County had previously qualified for Provisional Certification based on self-reported data. A two-day, onsite audit by an ICF representative validated this information and provided fresh insights into how the county works to to automate production, retain young talent, promote the creation of new companies and prevent the decline that affects so many agricultural regions around the world.
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.
“Certification as an Intelligent Community is a rigorous process,” said ICF co-founder Robert Bell. “It evaluates cities and regions on 50 metrics spanning six categories including connectivity and digital services, workforce development, business and government innovation, community engagement, inclusion and sustainable growth. Communities like Yunlin prove that the agricultural regions we all depend on have a bright future – with the right leadership and strategy.”
Highlights of Yunlin County
Yunlin County, comprised of 19 townships and the county seat of Douliu, occupies the fertile Chianan Plain on the western coast of Taiwan. It is an agrarian center, a fishing and aquacultural region and a tourist magnet.
Making education central to development. Yunlin County’s Smart Education Center immerses students in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) technologies. The county has simultaneously focused on more advanced digital training for teachers. The county government is also collaborating with the National Yunlin University of Science and Technology and National Formosa University to develop better courses for technical professionals and create more industrial-academic internships for students.
Investing in agricultural technology. Yunlin is also driving a new vision for the future of its NT$89 billion (US$2.9bn) agricultural industry. Through workshops with local industry leaders, farmer groups and community representatives, the county is developing a shared agricultural vision for the future. Projects has developed smart greenhouses and smart poultry houses that meet labor shortages by allowing fewer people to manage major operations.
Community participation at the center. A Local Revitalization Office, established in 2019, has been instrumental in organizing over 400 consensus meetings with civil society, fostering a collaborative approach to shaping Yunlin's future. The county has focused particularly on increasing youth participation in the community. Yunlin County established the Central Youth Hub in April 2023, which serves as an event venue with public facilities and classrooms for rent. Public- and private-sector partnerships have funded co-working spaces in the Hub to give young entrepreneurs a place to gather and work on their ideas.
Learn more about Yunlin County from the community profile on the ICF website: https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/yunlin_county
About Intelligent Community Certification
Intelligent Community Certification is an economic development credential based on ICF’s Community Accelerator Strategy and analytic methods developed over two decades of research and work with more than 200 communities around the world. It is provided in two stages. In the first stage, the municipality, county or region completes an online questionnaire with guidance from ICF. ICF applies its proven analytic methods to the data and produces both detailed and summary scoring. Communities whose summary score meets or exceeds the standard receive Provisional Certification based on this self-reported data, and the certification must be renewed yearly to remain in effect.
Full Certification requires an onsite audit by ICF. In a site visit, an ICF auditor validates the information provided by the community for its Provisional Certification and learns more about the programs and practices that make it an Intelligent Community. Following the audit, the auditor prepares a report detailing results and updates the scoring of the community based on the audit. Communities whose summary score meets or exceeds the standard receive Full Certification, which is good for three years.
Intelligent Community Certification is based on a set of standards described in detail on the ICF website.
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 protected]
Auri Yates, Communications Manager, Intelligent Community Forum
[email protected]
