ICT Industry Alliance Calls for Initiatives to Develop Australia's ICT Industries

Monday 22 October 2001 - The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Industry Alliance has called for urgent action by all political parties to strengthen Australia's ICT capabilities and develop market opportunities in ICT products and services.

Australia has established a reputation as an advanced user of ICT technology, with attendant productivity gains that were highlighted in the recent Productivity Commission Report. However, the Alliance wants Australia to be as successful in developing the domestic ICT industry as we are in applying the technologies and reaping the productivity benefits.

The ICT Trade Update 2001, released this week by the Australian Computer Society (ACS), has revealed that Australia's ICT trade deficit reached almost $16 billion in 2000-01, despite a one-off $1 billion boost from the Sydney Olympic Games ICT component.

This report focuses attention on the need to develop programs that stimulate capital injection, R&D and skills support, as well as encouragement of alliances between local and international companies to grow Australia's ICT industrial base and export performance.

While Australia's track record as an ICT innovator is already proven, the Alliance believes on-going support and incentives are needed to ensure that Australia's ICT industry keeps pace with global market development. Local ICT hardware manufacturing initiatives by multinational companies have been wound back in the last few years, creating greater urgency for governments to support new domestic initiatives capable of generating market leadership and export success for Australian-based companies.

The ICT Industry Alliance is a forum where Australia's leading ICT industry and professional bodies meet to consider issues of importance to the national interest and the interests of their members. The Alliance was formed in January 2001 to provide a unified voice for the ICT industry in lobbying Government.

Regardless of which political party wins the federal election, the ICT Industry Alliance believes the next Australian Government must make ICT a top national priority and take urgent steps to address the five key areas it has identified as being critical to the industry's future growth:

• Significantly increased funding for public sector research, especially in collaboration with industry;
• Skills, especially in the key areas of research and higher education;
• Personal incentives to attract and retain the best people in our industry;
• Improved financial incentives for private sector research and development; and
• Programs to facilitate stronger industry and research sector linkages.

An Executive Summary of the ICT Trade Update 2001 is attached or you can order a copy of the full report at http://www.cfses.com/ict2001.htm

Media wishing to receive a complimentary copy of the full report can request one from Caroline New.

This media release is available on the ACS Web site at http://www.acs.org.au/news/22a1001.htm

ENDS

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