The Intelligent Community Forum, a think tank that studies the economic and social development of the 21st century community, announced the top 7 most intelligent communities of 2009 chosen from among 400 candidates. Stockholm was selected as the number one for this year, since the Swedish capital is considered a good role model for how technology can contribute to economic and social development. Who are the other winners? Brought to you by Tourism-review.com.
Population: 17,500
Bristol is located in rural, low income region. Tobacco and coal, its traditional products, are in major decline. Bristol fought incumbent Telco’s in court that started in 1998. The state legislature won the right to deploy a fiber network Optinet. Optinet was conceived as the main network serving government and schools, but finally became a network of business and residents in Bristol and four neighboring counties. Optinet has 62% of market share and saved its customers $ 10 million. Optinet attracted $50 million in private investment including the first technology employers. It also helped the development of rural education and healthcare by connecting local providers to leading institutions.
Population: 297,000
Eindhoven metropolitan area is the industrial heart of the Netherlands. This region is, through a public private collaboration called Brainport, ramping up its knowledge economy to accelerate the growth in the global market. Eindhoven is also trying to cope with problems such as aging of population and shrinking workforce. There are more than 40 public-private objects. Among them is FTTP to be mentioned. Award winning coop has brought FTTP and broadband culture to the suburb Neuen. The IT management system for public schools SKOL, the health program Viedome and the Technific campaign which promotes technology and tech education.
Population: 50,535
Fredericton is a capital of New Brunswick Province, Canada. The downsizing of the government in 1980´s pushed the public servants into the market. They built a well educated entrepreneurial class. Fredericton founded the e-Novations coop. This coop deployed a fiber ring that spurred competition and gave the city 70% penetration rate speeds of up to 18 Mbps. Wireless network Fred-eZone followed and provides service across 65% of the city. Broadband, entrepreneurship and Fredericton's universities created 12,000 jobs in science parks research centers and incubators.
Population: 61,000
In early 20th Issy-les-Moulineaux became the industrial zone of Paris and suffered de-industrialization in post war years. Since 1980 a visionary mayor has focused policy on creating an innovative, IT-based knowledge economy. Issy-les-Moulineaux took advantage of liberalization to attract competitive fiber carriers deploying cost-effective broadband. Issy implemented e-government and outsourced its IT needs. Further private investment in FTTP has since spurred at up to 100 Mbps and free WiFi. Cyber-kindergarten for children, cyber tearooms for older citizens, citizen e-participation in decision making a successful business incubator and ITC based real estate projects – these are few of the public-private innovations. 1,500 employers (nearly 60% in ICT and digital media) who provide 70,000 jobs – this means that Issy-les-Moulineaux has more
jobs than residents.
Population: 125,000
Moncton – twenty years ago a former railroad and industrial hub facing doubtful future. Dieppe and Riverview, strong leadership in the municipalities of Montcon decided that information and communication technologies are the key to future. Montcon has since then become a major Canadian customer contact and back office centre and built a near-shore IT outsourcing industry. Private companies have collaborated and created 20,000 new jobs since 1990´s. The jobs were mainly in management, finance, health services, technology and education. Moncton wants to repeat the success with a Vision 2010 plan. Moncton wants, with partnership with local universities, to deepen the region’s knowledge economy and diversify its IT economy into new sectors.
Population: 795,000
Stockholm is the economic and political capital of Sweden and its government with 45,000 employees is also the biggest employer in the country. In 1990s a company called Stokab was established to build an open access fiber network. Now a 4500 km network connects about 90 competing service providers to business customers and government. The city has a 98% broadband penetration rate. Stokab plans to provide FTTP access to 95,000 low-income households in public housing by the end of 2009. KISTA Science city is also managed by Stockholm. It houses more than 1,400 companies and also a support program for start-up and early-stage companies. Stockholm plans to become quality-of-life leader, so they are now making efforts to improve housing, traffic and list of online services.
Population: 405,000
Post-Soviet city Tallinn, home to half of Estonia’s companies, has risen from an economic ruin to economic tiger. Tallinn uses people and funding very creatively. The city computerized public schools and also built 700 internet public access kiosks and deployed wide spread WiFi. Large scale digital skills, training program, extensive e-government and an award winning smart ID was developed. Partnerships developed high-tech parks such as Ulemiste City, Tallinn Technology Park and Cooperative Cyber Defense Center. Tallinn receives nowadays 77% of foreign direct investment and wants to attract fostering talents, build partnerships and accelerate establishing of innovations.
Why is a community intelligent just because they are high-tech and "connected"? Cities that are able to provide nice environment for comfortable life, green areas, playgrounds for kids and enough jobs - these are more intelligent I would say.