Australia: IT Geographics

Home  |  Analysis: Strengths & Weaknesses  |  Domestic IT Market  |  National ICT Policies  |  Telecommunication Infrastructure |  Telecommunication Regulation and Liberalization  |  Computing, Internet Diffusion & Cultural Attitudes  |  ICT Usage by Businesses  |  E-Government  Domestic Production  |  IT Legal Environment  |  IT Workforce  |  IT Geographics  |  IT Financing  |  Sources & Links  |  About the Author

Overview:

With a focus on developing and nurturing ICT business in Australia it is crucial for the Commonwealth to promote the growth of R&D centers such as Incubators, and Technology Parks.  This has been a particularly weak point in past years and has left Australia behind other countries such as the United States, Canada, and Ireland with regards to the overall attractiveness to established technology companies and human capital, which leads to the overall effect of a stagnate R&D environment. 

Incubators:

Business incubators are typically office complexes that support early-stage IT companies and foster their evolution from pre-seed stage to investment-ready businesses. Generally incubator operators will provide financial support (in return for an equity stake in the business), office space, managerial advice, administrative support and introductions to a range of specialized service providers such as accountants, lawyers, marketing advisors and public relations professionals.

Most Australian states have government-supported incubators, generally in association with academic institutions and primarily driven by Commonwealth funding under the BITS program. The latest is the Information Technology & Communications Incubator for the Northern Territory (ITCINT).  In Sydney the Australian Technology Park (ATP), the model for government incubators, spans the range from telecommunications to the biological sciences [5].

Major incubators supporting early-stage IT businesses in Australia:


Information City Melbourne (ICM) is a state government initiative with substantial Commonwealth funding, bringing together various Melbourne incubators and support services. Its ambit includes dot coms, software development, e-commerce applications and photonics. The initiative includes venture capital funding.

MelbourneIT's 'Incubator Centre' as part of the Information City initiative provides advanced ICT facilities, office accommodation and services from Melbourne University-related bodies such as the Melbourne Business School.

I Cubed - the Interactive Information Institute at Melbourne's RMIT - is concerned with interactive media product and service development. Photonics incubator RedCentre is another Information City affiliate.

The Australian Distributed Incubator (ADInc) - promoted as the 'National Virtual Incubator' - delivers 6 month structured business programs to startups. The programs involve mentoring, consulting and online support services.

WA-based eHatch offers financing, technical and legal advice, coaching and support services. Members of the consortium include Imago Multimedia Centre, Zernike (Australia), the Australian Telecommunications Cooperative Research Centre and Software Engineering Australia (WA).

ITem3 is a NSW-based IT incubator offering short-term (2 year) support, including management support, facilities and communications infrastructure. Its members are Iplus Developments, Lateral Concepts International and Software Engineering Australia (NSW).

EPIcorp and the Capital Region Technology Business Centre in Canberra offers "a structured business growth program", including early stage finance, management and specialist services, coaching and mentoring. Members include the Canberra Business Centre, Anutech, CSIRO and University of Canberra.
 

Technology Parks:

Technology parks typically draw together a number of technology-based business and research and development projects on a single campus. They are designed to forge linkages between private sector organizations, research universities and public research agencies.

Technology parks also play an important role in the commercialisation of university based research and development efforts through spin-off businesses, many driven by the researchers themselves. Some provide incubator services and business development facilities to encourage new and emerging companies at the pre-seed funding stage of their development.

The major technologies parks across Australia include: 

The largest of these Parks is the The Australian Technology Park (ATP) is a scientific, research and development precinct located less than five kilometers from the Sydney central business district.  Spread over 13.8 hectares, the ATP occupies the site of the old Eveleigh Railway Workshops.  The ATP is managed by ATP Precinct Management. The Park also has its own conference centre, ATP Conference Centre, which hosts more than 400 events each year.


 

Cooperative research centers:

The cooperative research centre (CRC) program is an Australia Government initiative designed to foster closer linkages between research universities, public sector research agencies and private enterprises. It is designed to build long-term collaborative ties between industry and publicly funded research institutions and to improve Australia’s ‘run rate’ in terms of commercialisation of world-leading research and development.

The key CRCs covering information and communications technologies (ICT) across Australia include: