It would be wonderful if Nova Scotia were designated an “intelligent community” next year. The fact that the province is beginning the process of seeking the designation should result in economic paybacks, say the campaign’s organizers.

 Digital Nova Scotia, the umbrella organization for the provincial IT industry, recently announced that it’s entering the competition for the 2013 designation of the world’s most intelligent community, awarded each year by New York’s Intelligent Community Forum (ICF). The announcement followed Digital Nova Scotia’s second annual Leaders’ Summit, which was held in Halifax in collaboration with I-Canada.

The fact that Nova Scotia is preparing for the designation means that business and government leaders, and the population at large, will have to come together to improve the environment for developing technology. That’s important, because IT is a $1.5-billion industry, employing more people than farming, fishing, and forestry combined and growing faster than almost any other industry. “The real value in the initiative is in its pursuit,” says Digital Nova Scotia chair Jason Powell.

The ICF was founded to encourage communities around the world to adopt broadband technology and celebrate the achievements brought on by the transformation. Its core criteria for an intelligent community are: broadband connectivity; knowledge workforce; innovation; digital inclusion; and marketing and advocacy. Each year it adds an additional criterion, such as health care, so communities don’t focus solely on the standard categories.

In previous years, Fredericton, Saint John, and Moncton have entered the competition and placed in the top 21. Quebec City, Winnipeg, and Stratford, Ont., have made it into the top seven.

Digital Nova Scotia is starting the process by determining what needs to be done by talking to organizers in Fredericton, Windsor, Ont., and Stratford. The association has decided to seek the designation for the entire province rather than just Halifax, so more people will benefit.

I-Canada chair Bill Hutchison sings the praises of developing intelligent communities. Hutchison, whose association is dedicated to making Canada an “intelligent country,” argues that the transformation generates not only economic but also social benefits. For example, he cites the Sweden’s health care system, which allows patients to consult nurses and doctors by video-conferencing from their homes, which is more convenient for the patients and reduces costs. Adapting to technology encourages a more open attitude, creates opportunities for innovation, and fosters a commitment to life-long learning.

The two blue-collar communities in which Hutchison grew up—Hamilton, Ont., and Glasgow, Scotland—suffered badly from the dislocation of manufacturing industries. Glasgow adapted to digital industries, creating 60,000 jobs in the process; in 1990 the city won the European Capital of Culture Award, then it won the Intelligent Community of the Year competition in 2004.

Hamilton, by contrast, has suffered by never fully transforming to the digital economy. Hutchison advises resisting the temptation of trying to effect change simply by lobbying government. “If you think something needs to be done, just go do it,” he says. “Every politician loves a parade. And if you start a parade, a government will join it.” He believes the risk of asking government to do something for your cause is having the government claim ownership of it, which means the mandate could change.

Hutchison says the capacity of semi-conductors doubles every 18 months, which means that during his career in IT, capacity has increased about 50 billion times. If you take that curve out another 30 years, the number spikes to the trillions. The concept of intelligent communities is to develop the process of increasing technical capability and infrastructure in a location and to continue that process in perpetuity. “If we keep working to be smart cities,” says Hutchison, “we will keep moving on up that curve.”