Hamilton and Winnipeg named Top7 Intelligent Communities of the Year!

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) announced the Top7 Intelligent Communities of the Year and there are two Canadian cities on the list!

And the Top7 Intelligent Communities of the Year are:

Chiayi City, Taiwan

Espoo, Finland

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Tainan City, Taiwan

Taoyuan, Taiwan

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The ICF selects the Top7 based on a detailed questionnaire that communities respond to in great detail. An international team of academic analysts reviews the responses and scores the submissions based on a variety of criteria.

You may look at the Top7 list and think, I’ve been to a few of these places and they don’t seem so futuristic or intelligent. That’s because that’s not what the ICF Intelligent Communities of the Year is all about.

The community doesn’t have to be the most advanced technologically or even the fastest growing economically. The Top7 are selected based on demonstrating best practices and innovation in broadband deployment and usage.

Top7 communities also have blossoming workforces and are advocates for strategic broadband deployment for other regions, cities, and towns. They’re “charting new paths” so that other communities can follow their lead.

It's all about economic and social transformation in the 21st Century, and in 2018, these communities are leading the way!

For example, Hamilton deployed a 10-gigabit fiber network to improve city facilities, businesses, education buildings, hospitals, and also to attract new businesses.

There’s also the McMaster Innovation Park and another downtown incubator, which together house 23 startups focused on tech initiatives. In 2015, Hamilton also launched The Forge, which offers support for entrepreneurs, prototyping, and production facilities.

Winnipeg has a similar program called the North Forge Technology Exchange, which supports entrepreneurs with award-winning mentors and startup programs. It has produced more than 2,550 prototypes, 75 new businesses, 75 new jobs, and $175 million in revenue.

This is just a taste of what Hamilton and Winnipeg have in the works!

Congrats to both cities. CPC will be cheering for you when the winners are announced at the ICF Global Summit in London, June 4-6, 2018.