MEDIA RELEASE

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ACS Welcomes New Research Strategy to Grow Australia

New Call for Political Parties to Commit Funds to IT Research

Friday 18 September 1998 - The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has urged all political parties to adopt the recommendations of a major new research strategy report, released today by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

ACS President, Prins Ralston, said the 100-page report, "Sink or Swim - Discipline Research Strategy on Information Technology", includes important strategies to develop Australia's information economy for the next century.

"This report has been two years in the making and represents the best wisdom and expertise of specialists from government, industry, the profession and academic circles. In the wake of its release, we're urging the major political parties to respond to its recommendations by committing substantial funding for IT research in their election policy statements," he said.

The Report was funded by the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, with financial support and expertise from the ACS. The Society's immediate past president, Tom Worthington, was a member of the project steering committee for the project while Dr Bernard Robertson-Dunn acted as the ACS expert on the working party.

Mr Ralston pointed out that IT research is not something which can be done suddenly or cheaply, claiming the lack of support for research for Australia's information industries has been a feature of both Labor and Liberal governments.

"In this campaign, both parties claim to be planning agenda-setting policies which feature the ability of IT to boost jobs growth.

"The raw materials of the IT industry are innovative ideas and expert people. Our research sector will be the source of the ideas and the people upon which the Australian economy will depend in the next century," he said.

Further policy options for the emerging "information economy" will be explored at the 1998 Information Industry Outlook Conference in Canberra in November.

Hosted by the ACS in co-operation with the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism, the conference will make all papers available on the web for immediate use in formulating industry policy.

See: http://www.acs.org.au/president/1998/past/io98/

Sink or Swim is available at: http://www2.atse.org.au/www/

This media release is located on the Web at http://www.acs.org.au/news/elect985.htm

ENDS

Media Enquiries:

Prins Ralston, ACS President, Tel: (0411) 755 069, Email: P_Ralston@ntu.edu.au

Dr Bernard Robertson-Dunn, ACS Working Party Representative, Tel: (0411) 157 113, Email: brd@dynamite.com.au

Tom Worthington, ACS Immediate Past President, Tel: (0419) 496 150, Email: tomw@acslink.net.au

Caroline New, Caroline New PR, Tel: (02) 9980 8060 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au