[LINK] new IT council

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Innovation Minister > Senator the Hon Kim 

<http://minister.innovation.gov.au/Carr/Pages/INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGYINDUSTR
YINNOVATIONCOUNCILESTABLISHED.aspx>

Media Release 05 May 2009

Senator the Hon Kim Carr

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY INNOVATION COUNCIL ESTABLISHED
 
A new Information Technology Industry Innovation Council will be 
established to support Australia's $98 billion information technology 
(IT) industry, employing over 400,000 Australians. 

The council will be chaired by Mr John Grant, Managing Director, Data#3 
Pty Ltd. It will promote the IT sector in its own right and as an enabler 
of innovation, productivity and sustainable development for the economy 
as a whole.

Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, said the new IT council, the 
fourth Industry Innovation Council established by the Rudd Government, 
will champion IT-enabled innovation for economic, social and 
environmental benefits.

"The IT revolution has fuelled our nation's productivity and will make an 
even greater impact in the years ahead," Senator Carr said. 

"IT is a pervasive enabling and transforming technology for all 
industries. 

"IT underpins logistics chains and is increasingly embedded in goods such 
as cars and home appliances. IT supplies enterprise software, has 
applications in medical, spatial, transactional and other spheres, and is 
fundamental to data management.

"As with the other Industry Innovation Councils, the IT council  will 
create links with stakeholders to identify opportunities for innovation, 
wealth creation, IT capability and entrepreneurialism.  

"The council will mobilise talented industry, education and research 
representatives to advise the Government on innovation issues and will be 
a champion of IT innovation in the wider community.  

"It will work closely across Government on issues of common interest to 
ensure we realise the benefits that will flow from Australia's new 
National Broadband Network."

Council members will be appointed from a broad and highly talented group 
of candidates across business, unions and government, and will meet for 
the first time before the end of the financial year. 

Further information on Innovation Industry Councils is available at 
www.innovation.gov.au 

Media contacts:  
Patrick Pantano, Minister's Office, 0417 181 936
Mike Lawson, Department, 02 6213 6490 or 0419 416 816


BIOGRAPHY – Mr John Grant – Managing Director, Data#3 Pty Ltd

John was a director of Data#3 from its foundation in 1984 and then 
Managing Director from 1996. He stepped down from the board as a director 
in November 2000 along with all other executive directors and took the 
position of Chief Executive Officer. He was reappointed as Managing 
Director in July 2004. From 1980 until he joined Data#3 in 1982, John 
worked with IBM in sales. John has a degree in Engineering with Honours 
from the University of Queensland and worked as a civil engineer with the 
Brisbane City Council from 1970 until 1980. John is Chairman of the 
Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), the ICT industry's 
peak representative body; a member of the Queensland Government's 
Ministerial Advisory Group whose charter is to provide advice to the 
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development & Industry on Queensland ICT 
industry development policy; a member of the Queensland Government's 
Smart State Council and a member  of Hewlett Packard's Asia Pacific 
Partner Advisory board whose charter is to provide advice and input to HP 
on its relationship with its distribution and reseller partners in Asia 
Pacific.

--

Cheers,
Stephen