ACS calls for national cooperation to develop ICT

Stan Beer
Monday, 03 October 2005 11:00

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has called for greater cooperation and a concerted national focus on the development of the ICT sector in Australia.

Speaking at the closing of the South East Asian Regional Computer Confederation 2005 Conference (SEARCC 2005) hosted by the ACS in Sydney this week, conference chairman Kumar Parakala invited state and federal ministers and department heads to join industry leaders in working to develop new policies and incentives that will make the Australian ICT sector more competitive in the global marketplace.

“There is a clear need for enhanced professional practices, more proactive skill development, and a concerted international marketing effort to sell Australian ICT services in the global marketplace,” said Parakala. “We were delighted that the political leaders who participated in the State Ministers Panel session of SEARCC 2005 recognised the need for a new approach, and the benefits to Australia of getting it right. Now we need to build on this consensus by bringing together policy-makers, business leaders, academics and technical experts to focus on the ways and means of achieving this goal.”

At the conference, the State Ministers Panel discussion brought together a number key policy makers from three states, including:

· NSW Special Minister of State, Minister for Commerce, Industrial Relations, Ageing, Disability Services, Assistant Treasurer and Vice President of the Executive Council, John Della Bosca;

· South Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Emergency Services, Patrick Conlon, and the new CIO of South Australia, Grantly Mailes; and

· Tasmanian Minister for State Development and the Arts, Lara Giddings.

The panel discussion among the Labor State Ministers included attacks on the Federal Government’s alleged lack of support for universities, support for a more pro-active role by governments in developing and attracting skills, and recognition of the need for more cooperation in promoting the Australian ICT industry internationally. The panellists also agreed on the need for state governments to take a broader approach to procuring and deploying technology under the guidance of CIOs, rather than relying on the more fragmented approaches of the past. 

SEARCC 2005 attracted more than 500 delegates from 18 countries, including almost 70 local and international speakers. Their topics spanned management and leadership in the technology sector, governance, innovation, project management,

logistics, research and development and data security, in addition to discussions of specific technologies. The program also included a software development competition for high school students that attracted teams from Australia, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Hong Kong. The competition was won by the New Zealand team and the Australian team was the runner up.

The conference concluded with formal handover of the SEARCC presidency from Dr Raja Malik of Malaysia to Australian Richard Hogg, the immediate past president of the Australian Computer Society. He will head up the regional body until the next SEARCC conference held in Sri Lanka in 2006.