Top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2009

[Äike]

Top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2009

Tallinn, Estonia

Three-time Top Seven community Tallinn has risen from post-Soviet economic ruin to become an economic tiger largely on the strength of ICT. Making creative use of people and funding, Tallinn computerized its schools and deployed widespread WiFi as well as nearly 700 public access kiosks. The city also developed a large-scale digital skills training program, extensive e-government, and an award-winning smart ID card. Through partnerships, it developed high-tech parks including Ülemiste City, Tallinn Technology Park and Cooperative Cyber Defence Center. Rated #2 worldwide for economic potential by the Financial Times, Tallinn is home to half of Estonia's companies, which receive 77% of the country's foreign direct investment. Tallinn's leaders are now focusing on attracting and fostering talent, building partnerships, internationalization and even faster innovation.

Not bad for a country that has been independent for 18 years. Without USSR, the Estonians can use their full potential.

Must be genetics, because no other ex-Soviet country has reached the extremely high developed level of Estonia But it must be taken into consideration that not all ex-Soviet states are Nordic/Northern European.

[Inese]

Yes not bad gratulation to Estonia!! 12 points!! ^_^ But the development level of Estonia is not mega bigger than that of our other Baltic nations. We as all 3 countrys at the Balt coast had good rates and a super development. You know they call us " Baltic tiger"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Tiger

You see that annual GDP growth rate of Latvia was higher than rate of Estonia every year starting with 2003. But now the crisis hit hard ---- Estonia has highest " GDP per capita " but we are not far away.

We all can be proud i think!!

[The Lawspeaker]

Eindhoven, Netherlands



Pop. 297,000

The Eindhoven metropolitan area (a 2008 Smart21) – including Eindhoven and Helmond – has long been the industrial heart of the Netherlands. Through a public-private collaboration called Brainport, the region is ramping up its knowledge economy to maintain and accelerate growth in a hyper-competitive global market, while at the same time coping with an aging population and shrinking workforce. Among more than 40 public-private projects are an award-winning coop that has brought FTTP and a broadband culture of use to the suburb of Neunen; the SKOOL outsourced IT management system for public schools; the remote home health care program Viedome; and the Technific campaign, which promotes technology and tech education. Links:

• Brainport - http://www.brainport.nl/
• Eindhoven - http://www.eindhoven.eu/
• Digital City Eindhoven - http://www.dse.nl/

The Netherlands aren't doing bad either. I can remember that it also also seems to be the region with the highest incident of autism in the Netherlands. Could it be that the technical and IT business has... biological repercussions ?