The Gold Coast has been named in the world's top 21 Intelligent Cities by leading think tank, Intelligent Community Forum
Gold Coast City was the only Australian city named on the prestigious list and one of only three in the southern hemisphere. Successful applicants are assessed across a number of key intelligent community indicators including broadband connectivity, knowledge workforce, digital inclusion, innovation and marketing.
Andrew Loch, CEO of the Gold Coast Innovation Centre, who partnered with Gold Coast City Council to complete the submission, said it was the second year running that Gold Coast City has been judged in the top 21 list.
"This continued success is testament to the strategies that have been implemented to both improve the availability, speed and quality of broadband connections and to make it easier for technology based businesses to prosper," he said.
"In conjunction with BusinessGC, the Gold Coast Innovation Centre has been working hard to support the development of knowledge based companies to the Gold Coast in an effort to position the city as a vibrant and innovative knowledge economy."
The Intelligent Community Forum identified a number of Gold Coast projects which contributed to the successful submission. These included:
- The Broadening Broadband project which succeeded in extending ADSL service to 80 percent of the city.
- The establishment of the Gold Coast's Pacific Innovation Corridor program which seeks to build globally competitive businesses throughout the city.
- The formation of the Gold Coast Innovation Centre which incubates technology start-ups.
- The Gold Coast Knowledge Precinct which is being developed to create, attract and support knowledge-based businesses throughout a 200-hectare area surrounding Griffith University.
In a thorough selection process, researchers at Canada's Laurentian University will now analyse the 21 cities' submissions to determine the Top Seven, which is due to be announced at a conference in Hawaii on the 18 January 2009.