Last June, Fairfield was named one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities of 2025 by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), an organization dedicated to helping communities around the world build prosperous, inclusive, innovation‑driven local economies by using digital technology to deepen social connection and cultural vitality.

Pictured above: Nahom Abegaze, Bob Ferguson, Margaret Dwyer, and Seth Miller — the team representing Faifield at the ICF Global Summit

Last December, MIU’s Nahom Abegaze was part of the team representing Fairfield at the ICF Global Summit 2025 in Binh Duong, Vietnam — where one community from those Top 7 was selected as 2025’s most intelligent community.

Abegaze is MIU’s Director of Continuous Improvement, working in the Operational Excellence department.

Joining Fairfield in the Top 7 communities were:

• Assaí, Paraná, Brazil
• Bursa, Türkiye
• Hilliard, Ohio, USA
• Durham Region, Ontario, Canada
• Kingston, Ontario, Canada
• Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain.

These seven cities were the finalists in a long process. Each year, the ICF invites cities around the world to submit nominations. They welcome communities of any size — small, midsize, and large. From this pool — as many as 400 cities — they choose 21 semifinalist cities.

And from those 21, they chose the “Top 7 Intelligent Communities.” This was the result of a year-long process of evaluating how communities leverage the six ICF indicators — connectivity, workforce development, innovation, digital inclusion, sustainability, and community engagement — to create long-term vitality.

Notably, Fairfield was the smallest community selected, standing out among cities with populations in the millions.

Last September, as part of selecting a winner, ICF sent a representative to visit and audit each city in person.

At the ICF Global Summit

The ICF Summit in Vietnam, held December 2–3, brought together communities that are advancing innovation, digital infrastructure, sustainability, and inclusive growth, creating space to share learning, forge partnerships, and benchmark progress. More than 600 urban leaders, technology experts, and investors gathered to discuss smart, sustainable, innovation‑driven community development.

During the Summit, each Top 7 city gave a 15‑minute presentation showcasing its intelligent community achievements, including how they have applied the Community Accelerator Strategy.

Fairfield sent four representatives altogether. Along with Abegaze, they included Bob Ferguson, Fairfield City Councilor At-Large; Margaret Dwyer, a longtime community leader and Executive Committee member of the Sierra Club’s Iowa Chapter; and Seth Miller, President of Advocacy & Administration at Cambridge Investment Research.

The top city was selected through jury voting by international experts. And at the closing ceremony, Canada’s Durham Region was officially named Intelligent Community of the Year, succeeding last year’s winner, Curitiba, Brazil. 

Recognition for MIU

“We may not have come up with the top award,” Abegaze said, “but this was tremendous recognition for Fairfield and MIU. Just making the Top 7 was an amazing achievement.”

“The experience exceeded our expectations,” Abegaze said. “We were blown away by how thoughtfully and thoroughly we were hosted — no detail was missed. It was also inspiring to be among the other Top 7 communities and see the innovative work happening around the world.”

The team hhighlighted MIU as Fairfield’s primary educational institution and a key economic driver, supporting Fairfield’s economic stability, workforce development, and long-term vision. “People saw that MIU’s people, programs, and daily operations are part of what makes Fairfield globally competitive,” Abegaze said.

“What stood out most was the rigor of the evaluation,” he said. “Fairfield was assessed alongside cities of three to four million people using technical, data-driven standards — not just narrative or perception. The judges didn’t stop at the data. One came to Fairfield, walked the city, met with leaders and local organizations, and spoke with residents to confirm that the lived experience matched the numbers.”

Just the beginning

Abegaze found being recognized in this way to be both affirming and motivating.

“It’s meaningful to be acknowledged for what Fairfield has already accomplished, and it’s equally energizing to see this as a beginning, not an endpoint,” he said. “There is so much opportunity ahead to continue improving the quality of life in Fairfield, and this recognition encourages us to aim even higher.”

This recognition is more than a “pat on the back,” he said. “It’s an invitation — to stay engaged, to collaborate, and to recognize the collective impact of the work happening every day at MIU.”

Additional reporting by Nahom Abegaze and Samantha Vento.