21 January 2010

Dundee selected again among top seven 'Intelligent communities'

Dundee has been selected for the third year in four as the one of the seven most intelligent communities around the world by an influential US think tank.

The non-profit Intelligent Community Forum has pitted the city against two conurbations in the USA and one each from Canada, South Korea, Estonia and the Netherlands for the overall winner to be picked in May.

Convener of Dundee City Council's city development committee Will Dawson welcomed the honour, which highlights the city's on-going success in moving away from a manufacturing based economy to one which uses what people know to generate wealth.

He said: 'The work that we have done this year focuses on ensuring that we have the right people with the right education, training and qualifications to be able to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the new economy.'

'Successful projects like Dare to be Digital, Dare Schools Challenge and a major investment in upgrading information technology in schools have helped the ICF come to their decision.'

ICF co-founder Louis Zacharilla who unveiled the shortlist said: 'The Top Seven of 2010 have demonstrated ingenuity through innovative broadband applications and dedication to education.'

'Each of the communities has been affected by recession, yet they pushed forward with their commitment to broadband, innovation and a knowledge-based economy through investments in research and development facilities, the creation and aggressive support of small business and 'clusters' of industries that continued to produce new jobs.'

Dundee did not enter the competition last year because many of the projects that helped the city become one of the world's seven most intelligent communities two years in a row needed time to develop and produce the expected positive results.

Last year Sweden's capital Stockholm was top of a list of role models for the world’s cities to aspire to.

This year's winner will be announced by the ICF at a ceremony in New York in May.

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