Smart Services CRC awarded $30.8 million grant - Next
Generation CRC drives world class innovation and
commercialisation to secure Australia’s future in global
digital services revolution
Sydney, AUSTRALIA, March 20, 2007 – After nearly twelve
months of highly competitive bidding, a two-stage
application process, and negotiations with senior
representatives from an impressive list of investors, the
Smart Services CRC has been awarded a $30.8 million grant
from the Department of Education, Science and Training.
The grant comes under the Australian Government's
Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Programme and is part of
a total $310 million boost for the sector. Only fourteen
CRCs were awarded grants nationally.
A further $68.5 million co-investment will be provided by
Smart Services’ 24 industry, government and research
partners. This will enable the new CRC, an evolution of the
Smart Internet Technology CRC (Smart Internet) to return at
least $250 million to the Australian economy by 2016. It
will deliver this through the commercialisation of high
value mobile and on line services across key media, finance
and government sectors. The Smart Services CRC will be fully
operational by July 1, 2007.
The Smart Services agenda will continue to provide the same
world-class social and technology research as Smart
Internet, tailoring innovation to suit user needs. It will
also aim to ensure Australia remains competitive in the
provision of technology–driven services globally.
Neville Roach, Chair, Smart Internet said: "Services
represent 82.5 per cent of GDP in Australia. This equates to
$685 billion in 2004/2005, yet the sector is currently
seriously under serviced by innovation. As the opportunities
for domestic and export markets increase, Smart Services
CRC, with its excellent calibre of partners, is perfectly
positioned to help Australia seize the moment."
Dean Economou, Director – Media, Smart Internet, said:
"We are especially excited about the Services
Innovation Foundry, a physical and virtual space which will
build a new culture of innovation. The Foundry will combine
the best commercial and research skills in a place designed
for fast prototyping of new services and deeper engagement
with Australian SMEs.”
Mike Game, Director of Emerging Markets, Fairfax Digital
commented: "Australian consumers are well known as
early adopters of technology. The strength and capability of
Smart Services CRC in combining social and technical
research will be invaluable to Fairfax Digital. It will
enable us to understand audience requirements and facilitate
the development of low risk prototypes for new
services."
"Simon McNamara, CIO, Westpac continued: "Westpac
is a current partner of the Smart Internet Technology CRC.
The evolution to Smart Services aligns well with our
business objectives and our focus on innovation.”
Smart Services will continue to focus on the end-user,
employing a strategy of commercialisation by user-led
design. Its aim is to enable services innovation to secure
the economic future of Australia. To achieve this outcome,
six strategic research programs: ’Global Service
Futures’, ‘User Focussed Services’, ‘Aggregated
Services’, ‘Multi-channel Content Delivery’, ‘Trust
and Privacy’ and ‘Immersive Collaborative Service
Interfaces’, will support industry developments in media,
finance and government.
Smart Services CRC Participants:
University - Swinburne University of Technology, University
of New South Wales, University of Sydney, University of
Wollongong, Queensland University of Technology, Royal
Melbourne Institute of Technology
State Government - NSW Department of State and Regional
Development, Qld Department of Public Works, Qld Department
of State Development and Trade.
Industry/Private Sector - AARNet Pty Ltd, Aristocrat Leisure
Limited, Austereo, Austin Health, Australian Bankers’
Association, Fairfax Digital, Infosys Technologies Limited,
Intel Australia/New Zealand, RACQ, SAP, Sensis, Telstra
Business, Telstra Enterprise & Government, Wizard
Information Services, Westpac Banking Corporation
***************************************
Amanda Spink
Research Capacity Building Professor of Information
Technology
School of Information Systems
Faculty of Information Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Gardens Point Campus
2 George St, GPO Box 2434
Brisbane QLD 4000 Australia
http://www.fit.qut.edu.au
Tel: 61-7-3864-9583 Fax: 61-7-3864-2703
Email: ah.spink qut.edu.au
Homepage: http://sky.fit.qu
t.edu.au/~spinkah/
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