[LINK] CSIRO: Digital Productivity and Services Flagship

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

New national research push to create A$4 billion a year in digital 
services by 2025.

<www.csiro.au/en/Portals/Media/CSIRO-gives-digital-economy-a-boost.aspx>

 28th January 2013  

The CSIRO will today launch Australia's largest publically-funded 
research initiative focused on the digital economy.

The Digital Productivity and Services Flagship, CSIRO's tenth National 
Research Flagship, is a A$40 million research initiative focusing on the 
services sector and optimising the full value of national broadband 
infrastructure. 

The Director of the Flagship Dr Ian Oppermann says the new Flagship is 
focused on helping Australia transition from being a predominantly 
resource-focused nation by developing and delivering more efficient and 
innovative digitally-enhanced services.

"Australia is faced with the challenge of maintaining a competitive 
economic edge in an increasingly complex and resource-limited world," Dr 
Oppermann says.

"Our labour productivity has declined from around 92 per cent relative to 
the US in 1998 to around 84 per cent in 2010, meaning Australia's 
economic prospects beyond the current resources boom will deteriorate 
significantly if the decline in our productivity growth performance is 
not reversed.

"A successful digital economy is essential for Australia's economic 
growth and to maintain our international standing.  The services sector 
represents about 80 per cent of Australia's GDP, so if we are to help 
Australia grow, we must help businesses and government deliver services 
in new, faster and better ways.

"CSIRO's expertise in cybersecurity, broadband technologies and services 
science positions us as the key organisation to take on this research. 
While some of our work will be in labs, most of it will happen out in 
businesses and departments across Australia; finding ways to apply 
technology to improve the way they deliver their services."

Dr Oppermann says the Flagship has the potential to transform a range of 
areas – from the way health services are delivered to the way banks 
manage their funds. 

"For example, we are working to reduce hospital waiting times and 
identify bottlenecks in Queensland hospitals by predicting how many 
patients will turn up in emergency departments, and when.

"By investing in our services sector we aim to help Australia remain 
competitive in the global economy, now and into the future. We are 
looking forward to working with our government and industry partners to 
help Australia grow through the digital economy."

The Flagship builds on CSIRO's successful track record in health service 
delivery, logistics, finance and communications. The Flagship will 
initially focus on four key research areas: 

Government Services – develop efficient and effective information use, 
government services and systems through improved decisions, coordination 
and customer centricity. 

Commercial Services – with a strong focus on financial services, develop 
efficient and effective commercial services and systems through better 
use of capital and improved service delivery models and processes across 
supply chains. 

Smart, Secure Infrastructure – extending and securing Australia's 
physical and cyber infrastructure, including the extension of wireless 
broadband services. 

Health Services – improving the safety, quality and efficiency of health 
services for all Australians by delivering technology in partnership with 
all State Health Departments.

The Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation (ACBI) is also a key 
platform for facilitating new research projects within the Flagship. The 
goal of ACBI is to develop and test innovative broadband-enabled 
services, applications and technologies and their use in real world 
situations.

Senator the Hon. Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications 
and the Digital Economy, will officially launch the Flagship with guests 
from industry, government and innovation sector, at an event in Sydney 
today. This will also feature a key-note presentation by Sir Tim Berners-
Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, in his first public appearance in 
Australia in 15 years.

For more information, please visit Digital Productivity & Services.  

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Cheers,
Stephen