Quebec City, October 22, 2010 - Quebec City has successfully completed the first round of a contest honouring the world's most innovative cities and regions, joining the ranks of the Smart21 Communities of the Year. Quebec City is also a finalist for the Intelligent Community of the Year Award. The announcement was made today by Louis Zacharilla, one of the founders of the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), at a ceremony in Suwon, South Korea.
"This decision acknowledges efforts to diversify our economy in recent years and the spectacular results that have been obtained. The knowledge economy is no longer a distant goal; it is already a reality in Quebec City, and the ICF jury members have recognized this fact. The finalists will be presented as models to be followed around the world and will thus enjoy enhanced visibility. The business community and our researchers will certainly benefit from and capitalize on this standing," said Carl Viel, President and CEO of Quebec International.
The Intelligent Community Forum is an independent think tank dedicated to creating jobs and developing the digital economy.
The winning cities and regions for the 2011 Intelligent Community Awards are from 12 countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Greece, Hungary, India, the Netherlands, Taiwan, the UK and the US). In Canada, four communities made the Smart21 (Quebec City; Stratford, Ontario; Windsor-Essex, Ontario; and Winnipeg. The list of winners is available on the ICF's website ( www.intelligentcommunity.org).
The selected cities were required to demonstrate their capacity to use the Internet and information technologies for the purpose of helping companies develop and grow rapidly and offering better services to local residents. According to the ICF, these communities are better positioned to outperform in the broadband economy. Every year, ICF chooses a new theme for determining the choice of finalists. The theme for 2011 is "Health in the Intelligent Community".
Next stage
A new application must be submitted for Quebec City to enter the second round and be selected among seven finalists. The results will be announced on January 19, 2011 at the meeting of the Pacific Telecommunications Council in Honolulu, Hawaii. The grand prize-winner will be announced on June 3, 2011 in New York City at the annual ICF conference, entitled "Building the Broadband Economy Summit".
Seventeen of the cities and regions selected for 2011 were included in the Smart21 in the past. This was the first time, however, that Quebec International nominated Quebec City for this prestigious contest.
"We are very proud of our initial foray into the Intelligent Community Forum's network of innovative cities, particularly since we were informed earlier this week that the Australian firm 2thinknow has ranked Quebec City in its Top 20 Innovation Cities Americas Index. We thus feel confident that Quebec City will continue its rise into the Top 7," concluded Mr. Viel.
About Quebec International
Quebec International contributes to regional economic development and promotes Quebec City's international standing. As the pre-eminent regional economic development agency, Quebec International fosters business growth, supports key economic clusters and attracts talent and investment. For further information, please visit www.quebecinternational.ca.
