New Taipei Makes Smart21 Communities of 2012, Announced ICF

TAIPEI, Taiwan, Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) announced its list of the Smart21 Intelligent Communities of 2012 at an event hosted in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, on October 22nd (GMT+8, Taiwan time). At a first nomination, New Taipei won the recognition from the international think tank as one of the 21 intelligent communities around the world.

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Making the Smart21 list indicates an acknowledgment of New Taipei's endeavors and ambitions to carry out the objective of becoming an intelligent community. More importantly, semi-finalist status, "increases New Taipei's visibility in the international community as a metropolis of innovation, development and quality life," said Eric Liluan Chu, Mayor of New Taipei. Since the city's upgrade, Mayor Chu has outlined a vision of lifting the standard of life and creating business advantages for the city through technology, which contributes significantly in transforming New Taipei into an intelligent community. The city included current results of its efforts to create and develop intelligent life, intelligent industries and intelligent government in the nomination and made its way to becoming one of the 21 honorees. In the following phase of the award cycle, New Taipei will compete with the other 20 honorees in the quest to be named the Top Seven.

An international organization with 26 years of history, ICF selects the Intelligent Community of the Year from more than 400 nominations worldwide every year, using broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, digital inclusion, innovation, and marketing and advocacy as 5 critical indicators. With the nomination this year, New Taipei shares positive results of multiple city projects, including Free Wireless Access in Public Facilities, Taipei Far Eastern Telecom Park, Greater Xizhi Trade Park, Golden Corridor of Industries, Free Computer Training and Mobile Classes, Hand-held Government, Huachung Intelligent Community, Mobile Heads of Neighborhood, Tech-guarded City, e-Counter, etc. New Taipei scored well on all 5 indicators, earning it an honoree status in the Smart21 list.

In the process of building an intelligent city, close collaboration among the industry, government and academia is necessary and will therefore be enhanced. New Taipei will continue to learn from past experience and best practice of intelligent communities around the world in creating a platform for innovation based on collective intelligence, according to Mayor Chu. The ultimate goal of this process is to create a better environment and more opportunities for both the people and the businesses. Another part of the process is to release to the public more information on traffic, road conditions, disaster prevention and other intelligence of people's concern for their benefit. The city expects to bring about more comfort and convenience to people's lives by encouraging private sectors to provide a wider range of value-added services, and to take intelligent industries to a new level by facilitating business-academia partnerships.

Mayor Chu has announced that, as an additional effort made by New Taipei to seek advice on building intelligent communities, the city is set to organize the 2011 Intelligent Cities Forum on November 15th. While the theme of the forum is "Innovation and Wonderful Life", speakers and participants from prominent worldly intelligent cities and businesses are bound to exchange experiences and views on topics related to the theme.

For more information: please contact:

Li, Jun-yi, Information Center
Call from local area: 1999; or +886-2960-3456 ext 8517

News contact:

Yang, Ji-wen, Information Center
Call from local area: 1999; or +886-2960-3456 ext 8511

SOURCE The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF)