The Intelligent Community Forum announces that Ohio is the world’s first intelligent state
“Ohio’s designation as the world’s first smart state marks the beginning of a journey of discovery,” said ICF co-founder Robert Bell. “The work carried out by the Dublin Institute and the ICF provides a solid foundation that provides international standards and testing criteria that will allow any state or province to be assessed as a potential smart state or province. We We look forward to these standards being adopted by states and provinces around the world.”
Kirby Dearth, Economic Development Administrator for the City of Dublin, who led the research into the state designation, also said: “The ICF and its method of assessing what makes a community ‘smart’ has provided a solid framework for Dublin to evolve in. itself in the future. Using the same framework and summarizing the many efforts of the communities of Ohio and the State of Ohio, we were able to obtain the recognition our state deserves among some of the most advanced cities, regions, states and provinces in the world.
The designation will be celebrated at the Smart Community Awards Dinner to be held at the Ohio Statehouse as the culminating event of the 2022 ICF Global Summit in nearby Dublin. Taking place October 26-27, the ICF Global Summit is a conference featuring panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, a tour of Dublin – an ICF Top7 smart community – and the announcement of the intelligent community of the year 2022.
Registrants include regional, national and international economic developers, municipal managers, CIOs and other public and private sector stakeholders, including business delegations from Taiwan and Vietnam, and participants from Australia, Brazil , Canada and the Netherlands. Those interested in economic development, smart city development, sustainability and urban planning are encouraged to attend.
State Senator Stephanie Kunze will acknowledge the state’s new designation on behalf of the Ohio Senate at the summit. She said, “I was thrilled to learn of this designation for the State of Ohio, the result of the collective efforts of our cities, regions and states. I thank ICF and Dublin for taking the initiative to help us understand and define these achievements in such a comprehensive way. This announcement is another reason Ohio is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
“In Dublin, our vision is to be the most sustainable, connected and resilient global city of choice,” said Dublin Mayor Jane Fox. “We have a long history of working in partnership with the state and our neighboring cities and towns to provide our residents with premium fiber optic broadband and services. Being in such a forward-thinking and collaborative state as Ohio – now recognized globally as a smart state – has been the secret sauce to our success.
Registration is open for the ICF Summit and a discounted rate is available for Ohio City Representatives. To sign up for this discount, email Matthew Owen at mowen@intelligentcommunity.org.
For more information on the ICF Summit, including the full list of speakers and sessions, visit www.icfsummit.com
Learn more about Smart Status Designation
ICF defines “smart” for cities and counties based on six factors – drivers of success that build strong, thriving, and forward-looking communities in this digital century. Through its work with the Intelligent Community Institute in Dublin, Ohio, USA, the ICF has expanded its definition to include the next highest political unit: the state or province. The goal is to bring the benefits of the smart community to more people, including an innovative economy, a strong and inclusive society, and a culture of affirmation that is open to the world. For the ICF, a smart state or province has the following key elements:
· Programs that target ICF’s success factors. Programs and projects should target the success factors that, in the experience of nearly 200 communities studied by ICF, create sustainable prosperity, an inclusive society and a culture of affirmation. They can be statewide or provincewide, or target specific regions based on need or opportunity.
· Partnership with local and county government. Programs and projects should involve local, county or regional authorities as true partners in development, planning and execution. This leverages local strengths and needs and targets barriers to meeting them. Focused through the lens of local or county government, these partnerships also ensure that the maximum benefits accrue to their residents, businesses and institutions.
· Participation of intelligent communities. Cities, counties and regions that have proven themselves as smart communities are a valuable asset to states and provinces. They have experience implementing programs targeting success factors and confidence in ICF strategies that they have tailored to the needs and strengths of their community. They function as role models, as natural leaders and advisors to the many other parties that are needed to create a successful program or project.
About the Smart Community Forum
The Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org), headquartered in New York, is a global network of 185 cities, metropolitan areas and counties with a think tank at its heart and a mission to make home” of everyone a great place. The ICF studies and promotes the best practices of smart communities around the world as they adapt to new demands and seize the opportunities presented by broadband and digital technology. To help cities and regions build thriving economies, solve social problems and enrich local cultures, the Intelligent Community Forum conducts research, organizes events around the world, publishes books and produces its annual program high-level international awards. The Forum sponsors research institutes in North America dedicated to the study of motion, and national organizations in Canada and Taiwan, both of which are home to many intelligent communities. In 2012 ICF was invited to participate in the Nobel Peace Prize Conference in Oslo and in 2014 its model and work was recognized by the US Department of Commerce under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which , according to the US government, was “to create a more flexible and responsive workforce development system to meet the needs of employers looking to fill the jobs of the 21st century. For more information, visit www.intelligentcommunity.org/icf_membership For details on recent Intelligent Community Forum publications and programs, visit www.intelligentcommunity.org.
