Hey, Hammer, we be intelligent
Give yourself a pat on the brain, Hamilton.
You’ve been named one of the seven most “intelligent” communities on the planet by the Intelligent Community Forum.
In our humble way, we tried to clarify the situation.
“Thanks, ICF, but maybe you meant this for ‘Hamilton,’ the hit Broadway show. It’s pretty smart. Tickets are worth more than Dundurn Castle. We’re Hamilton, the city. The one that circles nervously around a billion dollars for a light rapid transit system like the apes around the monolith in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey.’ ”
But, no, they mean us. Well, we do have part of Einstein’s brain at McMaster University. And the crossing guard in my neighbourhood can recite pi to 4,000 digits. So maybe they’re on to something.
But I don’t think it was quite that kind of measuring stick the ICF was using when it announced the top “intelli-palities” of the world in front of a global audience in London, England, on Wednesday.
The list of municipalities competing started at nearly 400 in September 2017, then the field was narrowed to the “Smart 21,” then the “Top 7” over the past several months
Espoo, Finland, was singled out as the No. 1 Most Intelligent Community. It is a headquarters for Nokia, the famous Finland-based international technology company.
But Hamilton was included among the other cities in the coveted Top 7, which are: Ipswich, Australia; Tainan City, Taiwan; Winnipeg; Chiayi City, Taiwan; Taoyuan, Taiwan. (Wow, what’s with Taiwan, three in the top seven?)
“A top-seven ranking is quite remarkable and the work of Espoo has given us greater guidance as to what we will be working to achieve again next year,” said Mayor Fred Eisenberger.
In 2016, Hamilton made the Smart 21. Past winners have included Melbourne, Australia; Stockholm, Sweden; and, ooh, Toronto in 2014.
Candidates for the Intelligent Community Forum are evaluated on the basis of criteria like knowledgable workforce, innovation, digital equality and sustainability.
As part of Hamilton’s submission, Hamilton highlighted collaborations with the Hamilton Anchor Institution Leadership Group, the Mayor’s Intelligent Community Task Force, as well as Mohawk College’s City School and Industry Education Council’s Code Clubs.
Partners in the bid included, McMaster University, Mohawk College, Hamilton Health Sciences, Clearcable Networks and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, among many more in the greater community.