Durham Region has been named Intelligent Community of the Year by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), a prestigious global award that recognizes communities using technology and innovation to create real opportunity for their residents, businesses and local economies.
The award is a global stamp of excellence, chosen after a rigorous independent review by international experts. It serves as a worldwide benchmark of how well a community is preparing its people and economy for the future. Durham was ultimately selected ahead of communities in Brazil, Turkey, Spain, Canada and the United States for the 2025 honour, a remarkable achievement for the growing eastern GTA region.
Regional Chair John Henry said the recognition did not come from a single organization or top-down strategy, but emerged from a regionwide commitment to working differently. As a two-tier regional municipality uniting eight unique local municipalities — Ajax, Brock, Clarington, Oshawa, Pickering, Scugog, Uxbridge and Whitby — Durham understood early on that intelligence is about collaboration and a shared vision across all communities.
Local governments, post-secondary institutions, industry leaders and community partners all came together, and that collaboration is one of the key reasons international evaluators took notice of what Durham Region has accomplished over recent years.
Durham was recognized across six categories including talent, connectivity, innovation, sustainability, engagement and inclusion. The region is becoming a place where world-class talent comes to live and learn, with four post-secondary institutions providing strong pathways for students to move from education directly to meaningful work in their chosen fields without having to leave the region.
Experiential learning programs — from clean-energy initiatives to business partnerships and community co-ops — connect students directly to local employers, strengthen local industries and keep talent rooted in the Durham community. This same collaborative approach extends to health care, where innovative partnerships are helping attract family doctors and strengthen front-line care across all Durham Region communities.
Durham is also home to state-of-the-art research and testing facilities supporting AI, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing, alongside startup hubs and accelerators like Business Advisory Centre of Durham, Brilliant Catalyst, Spark Centre and 1855 Accelerator that enable entrepreneurs to move ideas from concept to commercialization, leading to more local jobs and economic growth.
A standout example is Project Arrow, Canada’s first all-Canadian zero-emission concept vehicle, designed and built right here in Durham. The project brought together industry, academia and government, generating new automotive innovations and significant economic impact for Canadian companies. That momentum continues with Project Arrow 2.0 in partnership with Ontario Tech University and more than 80 Canadian suppliers.
Durham generates more than a quarter of Ontario’s electricity, anchored by the Darlington New Nuclear Project — the first grid-scale Small Modular Reactor in the G7 now under construction. Programs like Durham Greener Homes help residents reduce emissions and energy costs at the community level.
This recognition raises Durham’s global profile, but more importantly it affirms what residents already know: Durham Region is a community that thinks ahead, works together and makes local choices with long-term impact for everyone who calls it home.
