What do ICF members gain from engaging with the ICF network of communities and companies?
Identify communities facing similar challenges and start a dialogue exploring the solutions you have developed. This informal exchange of ideas and experiences can accelerate your community’s progress and help you avoid missteps and problems.
Partner on economic development and investment attraction. Communities in the network have sought each other’s counsel on projects including mixed-use development, broadband deployment and digital adoption by small-to-midsize businesses. They have exchanged trade missions – in-person and online – focused on areas of opportunity from 5G to green technologies. They have created mutual “soft landing” programs that help each other’s companies expand into new territories.
Develop commercial relationships. Companies seeking local government customers or opportunities to pilot new technologies use the network to identify the right potential community partners. Local governments seeking the best technology solutions turn to communities and companies in the network for advice and recommendations.
Launch an ICF Institute or Nation. Institutes are ICF-licensed centers of excellence in one or more of the Factors that drive the success of Intelligent Communities. They may reside in a community, a university or research facility, and we encourage them to connect with Intelligent Communities in their region to increase support and expand their range. In countries where Intelligent Communities cluster, ICF offers the opportunity to license an ICF Nation to connect the communities and pursue goals relevant in the national context.
Get started with our team
If you are already a member, your first step is to connect with the ICF team to explain your interest and needs. We can advise you on the most likely contacts in the network and make a personal introduction to get you started. If you wish to explore membership, see the Membership pages of this site for details and send us a message on the Contact Us page.