Winnipeg beat out six other communities around the world including two Canadian cities on October 28, 2021, to become the world’s Most Intelligent Community of the year chosen by the Intelligent Community Forum.
Winnipeg shone once again on the global stage on February 24th, 2022, when Economic Development Winnipeg (EDW) co-hosted ICF’s virtual conference, “How cities and regions can restore a culture of human connection” and the announcement of the Smart21 Communities for 2022.
What does this all mean and why does it matter?
It’s not just technology that makes a community “intelligent,” it’s how a community works collaboratively, to work smarter and move the needle forward on a number of things; connectivity, engagement, inclusive education and career opportunities, innovation and efforts to make a city more sustainable.
Winnipeg checked all those boxes for the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), backed by thought leaders in business and philanthropy, like Michael Bloomberg, Canada’s Jim Ballsillie, former Cisco and IBM exec Nicola Villa and a global network of cities and regions. Its mission is to help communities in the digital age find a new path to economic development and community growth – one that creates inclusive prosperity, tackles social challenges and enriches the quality of life for everyone in a community.
Here are just 21 reasons Winnipeg won the accolade.
You can’t ‘buy’ this award
This is not an award that a city can ‘buy’--you earn it by emulating the best of the above-stated criteria.
“Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies. We need to champion our city by celebrating and sharing all the things and people that make it so great,” says Economic Development Winnipeg President & CEO, Dayna Spiring.
“We can leverage this to attract businesses and investment here. It’s a jumping-off point where we answer the question, ‘Why don’t you move or expand your business to the Most Intelligent Community in the world?’
Every year ICF chooses 21 communities across the globe striving to embrace these ideals early in the year, then narrows it down to the Top7 communities in the summer, finally choosing a winner in the fall.
See what advice EDW’s President & CEO, Dayna Spiring, had for this year’s contenders for the Most Intelligent Community honour.