The implementation of Taipei’s CyberCity initiative under Mayor Ma’s leadership has won international recognition once again on June 9 (US Time) at the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) 2006 in New York. The World Teleport Association (WTA) named Taipei as the 2006 Intelligent Community of the Year.

Taipei’s Deputy Mayor King Pu-tsung attended the conference held at Brooklyn’s Marriott Hotel, and accepted the award from ICF Chairman John Jung on behalf of the city.

The Intelligent Community of the Year was selected based on in-depth research and analysis. In addition, the decision was also based on the votes of an independent jury which is comprised of 36 experts.

Taipei also scored well in each of the six categories of the awards program, which included ICF’s five Intelligent Community Indicators as well as an annual theme: sustainability.

There were seven finalists in the 2006 award process: Cleveland, United States; Gangnam District, Seoul, South Korea; Ichikawa, Japan; Manchester, United Kingdom; Taipei, Taiwan; Tianjin, China; and Waterloo, Canada.

Among the achievements cited by ICF were Taipei’s 88 technology incubators, which continue to produce new businesses, products, and technologies for the global market, as well as stimulate small business and entrepreneurial growth. Over 2,000 new businesses have been launched. In addition, the community has 45 R&D centers, including the Nangang Software Park, where over 2,000 firms generate US$47 billion in sales.

The ICF noted that Taipei attracts investment and new business through a strategy that combines low-cost communications, highly-skilled knowledge workers who produce digital products efficiently, and growing capability for ubiquitous broadband.

ICF further cited the way Taipei has reached across the digital divide and into the area of humanitarian relief. It is providing free Internet training and service to 2,000 students affected by the Tsunami disaster. And as prosperity has taken root, with the support of broadband policies, what ICF calls “Digital Democracy” has continued to emerge. The “Mayor’s Mailbox,” provides citizens with a direct voice to their government. Nearly 5,000 cases are handled on-line each month.

During a press conference organized by the Department of Information on the morning of June 10 (Taiwan time), Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou noted this is the second time where ICF acknowledged the city’s effort in promoting digital and information technology in everyday life. Taipei was chosen as one of the finalist on ICF’s Top Seven Intelligent Communities list in 2003.

The ICF is a global think tank, formed by the WTA in 2000, that focuses on the use of broadband and information technology for economic development by communities large and small.