Markham recognized as a global Smart21 Community for second consecutive year

Markhamstaffnews.ca
March 10, 2021

The City of Markham has been named one of the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2021 by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF). Markham joins cities and regions from around the world that leverage technology to become more connected, enhance economic opportunities, sustainability and social inclusion that improve quality of life, and serve residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The City of Markham is proud to once again be recognized for its commitment to innovation and we were honoured to be a finalist in 2020 for Intelligent Community of the Year," said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. "Our city offers the connectivity, diversity and quality of life that our community and global technology companies value, and we invite them to choose Markham as we continue on our digital journey.”

The Smart21 list recognizes Markham’s leadership and vision in leveraging information and communications technology to build an inclusive, prosperous and healthy community. It allows Markham to showcase and share its knowledge about online voting, supporting accelerator hubs, building partnerships with technology leaders, and delivering digital services - including in a Canadian first, the use of the artificial intelligence-driven virtual agent “IBM Watson Assistant for Citizens” to offer 24-hour customer service for residents looking for COVID-19 information, anytime, anywhere and on any device.

The Smart21 communities are selected by ICF based on quantitative and qualitative data related to the ICF Method, which provides the conceptual framework for understanding the factors that determine a community’s competitiveness in economic, social and cultural terms. These indicators are Connectivity, Knowledge Workforce, Digital Inclusion, Sustainability, Engagement (Engage) and Innovation.

Evaluations are made by a global team of analysts led by Columbia professor, former Cisco executive and former Westchester County (New York) CIO, Dr. Norman Jacknis, who also serves as a Senior Fellow on the Intelligent Community Forum.