The Sunshine Coast made history today, putting the spotlight on our innovative, healthy, smart and creative region on the world stage in New York.
Mayor Mark Jamieson joined representatives from around the globe on stage as one of the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2019, as rated by the global Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).
Achieving this award from a pool of hundreds of submissions, the Sunshine Coast was the only Australian city – and the only location in the southern hemisphere – named in this year's Top7 and shared the global spotlight with communities from Canada, Taiwan and the United States of America, including Chicago.
While Taoyuan, Taiwan took out the top position, Mayor Jamieson said it was an amazing accolade for the Sunshine Coast to be recognised as one of the world's top 7 intelligent communities.
"Congratulations to Taoyuan. We wish them the very best in the future," Mayor Jamieson said.
"The competition was very strong, and it really demonstrated the efforts that cities and their administrations around the globe are making to ensure their residents are better placed to take advantage of, and benefit from, the digital age as part of their economic, social and environmental agendas.
"I certainly feel that the Sunshine Coast performed brilliantly and at the end of the day, as the founder of the ICF has indicated to me, being in the Top7 is an absolute achievement and a winning position in itself.
"This recognition is due to the efforts of many people from across our region and highlights the importance of having clear, achievable plans in place for our economic prosperity, community wellbeing and environment and liveability and the right policy settings that enable entrepreneurs to do what they do best – innovate, create, collaborate and generate new ideas," Mayor Jamieson said from New York.
"Our Council has set an aspiration for the Sunshine Coast to be Australia's most sustainable region – healthy, smart, creative.
"That aspiration is rapidly becoming a reality as our region seeks to position its economy and our community in the context of the rapidly evolving demands of the 21st century.
"We are an incredibly dynamic and diverse community and this international recognition of the Sunshine Coast as a world leader in intelligent communities rightly acknowledges the energy, passion and ideas that we know thrive in our region.
"Our region is demonstrating that we are an Intelligent Community at a practical level and I have taken the opportunity whilst we have been here at the Intelligent Communities Forum to showcase all that our Sunshine Coast has to offer.
"The forum delegates, including representatives of the other cities included in the Top7, have been particularly impressed by our region-shaping initiatives - like the international broadband submarine network and our solar farm - and through the efforts of our community and local business and industry on a wide range of activities which build and evolve our innovation ecosystem.
"The response I received from the Forum when presenting the Sunshine Coast's credentials, ably assisted by Sandra Arico from Helimods and Mark Paddenburg from the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast, was incredibly inspiring and I have no doubt we will feature strongly in the Top7 again in future years."
Mayor Jamieson said being nominated in the Top7 2019 world's most Intelligent Community demonstrates the Sunshine Coast is being recognised as an international leader in innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity and sustainable energy solutions.
