When it comes to communities leveraging technology, Grey County is counted among the best in the world.
The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has named Grey County among the world’s Smart21 communities of the year for the third time.
The top Smart Cities and Intelligent Communities who use technology to gain economic, social, and cultural growth were named at a conference in Taipei, Taiwan last week.
The ICF looks at things like broadband availability, knowledge workforce, innovation, digital equality, sustainability and advocacy.
“We’re thrilled to once again be featured on a global stage for the work our communities are doing to leverage technology to make our Grey County a great place to call home,” said Grey County Warden Brian Milne. “Being named a Top21 community for a second straight year is proof we’re not just talking the talk; we’re walking the walk.”
Grey County was first named to the Top21 intelligent communities in 2016 and went on to achieve a Top7 designation in February 2017. Grey County reapplied to the forum in 2023 and was again named to the Top21 communities for that year.
For the next step, Grey County will work with the ICF to provide more detailed information about the community. From this data, ICF will select seven communities to be named in June to the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2024.
“Becoming an intelligent community can’t happen in a vacuum. It takes collaboration. Grey County can show leadership and make investments, but we need partners coming together with shared goals if we are to be successful in moving our region forward, creating more opportunities without leaving people behind,” said Grey County’s director of economic development, Savanna Myers. “Being named to the Top21 isn’t just an achievement for Grey County, it’s an achievement for all the people, businesses, institutions and volunteers who are committed to making our region a more prosperous place.”
Top7 communities will welcome the ICF for a tour and compete for the title of Intelligent Community of the Year at the 2024 ICF Global Summit in November.
Grey County’s submission included its work with Sydenham Campus and partnerships with Georgian College. Sydenham Campus is an entrepreneurial and innovation hub supporting workforce development. Georgian College offers a broad and expanding number of programs, many of which target specific needs in the region, such as growing apprenticeship programs, the expanded nursing wing and newly offered RPN-to-RN nursing degree program.
Other organizations and programs supporting Grey County as an intelligent community include the Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership, the YMCA, Nuclear Innovation Institute, Supportive Outreach Services and more.
The Smart21 Communities of 2024 include communities from around the globe:
Assaí, Paraná, Brazil
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Coral Gables, Florida, USA
Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
Defiance, Ohio, USA
Doral, Florida, USA
Durham Region, Ontario, Canada
Fairfield/Jefferson County, Iowa, USA
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Greater Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Grey County, Ontario, Canada
Hilliard, Ohio, USA
Izmir, Turkey
Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
Markham, Ontario, Canada
Pingtung County, Taiwan
Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil
Taitung County, Taiwan
Warner Robins, Georgia, USA
Woodstock, Georgia, USA
Yunlin County, Taiwan