Markham Celebrates Top7 Intelligent Community achievement and congratulates 2020 winner

MARKHAM, ON – October 29, 2020 – The City of Markham is proud to be recognized as a Top7 Intelligent Community of 2020 by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), alongside communities from the United States, Canada, Australia and Estonia. The coveted Intelligent Community Forum’s (ICF) 2020 Intelligent Community of the Year award went to Tallinn, Estonia at its annual Global Summit, held virtually this year.

To achieve this standing, Markham progressed through a list of Smart21 Communities across the world to make it into the Top7. The ICF award recognizes Markham’s leadership and vision in leveraging information and communications technology to build an inclusive, prosperous and healthy community.

“The City of Markham has much to celebrate in achieving Top7 Intelligent Community status, recognizing our deep commitment to municipal innovation, sustainability and service excellence in our first ever pursuit of the ICF Intelligent Community of 2020 award,” said Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “Cities are at the core of global transformation and have the opportunity to shape a better, more inclusive and sustainable world. It was an honour to be recognized among leading global cities, and to learn from our peers on a similar journey of growth as intelligent, livable and vibrant communities. I would like to congratulate Tallinn for winning 2020 Intelligent Community of the Year, and all participating cities for putting their name forward for recognition.”

“We are honoured to be listed in the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2020,” said Trinela Cane, Commissioner of Corporate Services at the City of Markham. “Markham’s participation in assessments such as the Intelligent Communities Forum helps us benchmark ourselves against other municipalities around the world. It also helps gauge our progress to become a more connected and intelligent community. Being in the Top7 speaks to the incredible and innovative achievements Markham has made so far, and we’ll continue to raise the bar to ensure Markham remains a leader on the world stage.”

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) is a global network and think tank connecting hundreds of cities and regions. It promotes research and collaboration on economic development and the exchange of expertise and information that drives excellence and progress in the digital age. Each year ICF’s annual Intelligent Community Awards evaluates and ranks communities from around the world on their progress in 6 indicator areas which determine a community's competitiveness and successes in the digital economy. These indicators are Connectivity, Knowledge Workforce, Digital Inclusion, Sustainability, Engagement (Engage) and Innovation.

Markham’s ICF submission highlighted the achievements and contributions of the City, together with key ecosystem partners, from education and industry leaders to accelerator hubs and business incubators, in support of our intelligent community journey.

Chief among these is the Digital Markham Strategy, which defines the vision of a “Frictionless City” where services are delivered seamlessly, the community is engaged, staff have the necessary digital tools and innovation is key, provides the foundation for our work as an intelligent City.

More information about ICF and Markham’s submission can be found at https://www.intelligentcommunity.org/markham_ontario 

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office: 
Bryan Frois, Chief of Staff at bfrois@markham.ca or 416.567.1177. 
 

All other media inquiries / interview requests for the City of Markham: 
Jennifer Yap, Coordinator, Communications and Media Relations at jyap@markham.ca or 437.229.2450. 

 

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About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with more than 350,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 headquartered companies and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 234 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy.

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