Whanganui Mayor Congratulates Top 7

Whanganui Mayor Congratulates Top 7

Whanganui Mayor Annette Main congratulates the seven communities worldwide selected as Top7 Intelligent Communities for 2014 by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).

The Top7 Intelligent Communities were recognised for fusing technology, culture and collaboration in order to achieve economic sustainability.

Whanganui, a district in the North Island of New Zealand, did not make the Top7 list, but was recognised as a Smart21 community in 2013 and 2014. Only communities selected for the Smart21 list were able to apply for the Top7.

The Top7 are: Arlington County, Virginia (United States), Columbus, Ohio (United States), Hsinchu City (Taiwan), Kingston, Ontario (Canada), New Taipei City (Taiwan), Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada).

Mayor Main, who chairs the Whanganui Digital Leaders Forum, says the application process was extremely challenging and the Top7 communities deserve the recognition.

“Whanganui submitted a comprehensive application for the Top7 status. We should be incredibly proud of ourselves for what we have achieved so far and for being recognised as a Smart21 community in both 2013 and 2014. We will continue to try to reach the ICF’s global benchmarks in 2015 and beyond. In the meantime, the Whanganui Digital Leaders Forum is looking at working with the ICF on a community Accelerator programme toward the end of this year.

“This will provide us with tools to improve competitiveness, develop new projects and enhance our community’s ability to adapt in the fastmoving broadband economy.

We will also be able to assess our strengths, weaknesses and opportunities as part of a metrics programme, which will help us to effectively focus on making sustainable progress.”

Mayor Main says the programme will also help educate our community to become advocates and leaders in Whanganui’s growing digital economy.

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