need the sort of support that agriculture and medical research receives
<
>
Recommendations
Recommendation 16: ...Federal Government portfolio responsibilities for the information industries covering telecommunications, information technology and the media should be brought under one minister.
| Topic |
Recommendations |
| Australian Government Funded Research |
1 to 5 |
| Australian Industrial IT R&D |
6 to 11 |
| Australian IT Research Education |
12 to 15 |
| National Focus on Information Technology |
16 to 17 |
<
>
Why was the Report Ignored?
Transfer of knowledge to
industry comes more from personal contacts and movement of personnel than
it does from published information. Industry gains more benefit by employing
highly trained individuals to carry out research and development than it
does by reading the research literature.
Given such an important topic and well reasoned arguments, why has the report had so little impact?
<
>
"The Cambridge Phenomenon"
- Report by Segal Quince & Partners in 1985
- argues growth of high technology industries around Cambridge from:
- informal contacts,
- modest locally arranged financing
- organic growth from existing small independent companies.
- Suggested by Sir Peter Swinnerton-Dyer, Chair of the IT Committee, University of
Cambridge
<
>
"The Cambridge Phenomenon 2"
The report argues start-up companies helped by:
*
- An ethos of self confidence of the University
- Ability of University people to retain intellectual property rights
- Cambridge Science Park: low cost short term facilities to already established small companies
<
>
Australian governments approach
Cargo Cult approach:
- high technology investment & know-how must be attracted
from elsewhere
- attract branches of large, established organisations
- use marketing and financial packages targeted at CEOs
- Assumed economic development from employing local staff & technology transfer to locals
Not supported by Cambridge experience.
<
>
Examples of successful IT R&D at Cambridge
From a visit in 1996:
With the growth of the Internet, Australia's information industry can compete
<
>
Marketing Australia for IT R&D
Australia could cultivate what Cambridge has naturally, in a few years:
- Use the local market to develop products and sustain operations
- Market to the world, using major cultural institutions
- Create an reputation as a cultural and innovation centre.
- On-line marketing via The Internet
- Make Australian sites world famous on-line, in months, rather than centuries.
The Australian IT R&D report failed by addressing only the R&D community in the dry language of science
<
>
Australian Technology Park and Eveleigh Railway Workshops
An example of an Australian centre combining culture and technology:
1
2
3
4
<
>
ATP Technology Park - 2
1
2
3
<
>
Conclusion: Et in Arcadia ego
The Roman writer Cicero termed what we would call the cultural
landscape a second nature (alteram naturam). This was a landscape
of bridges, roads, harbours, fields - in short, all the elements which
men and women introduce into the physical world to make it more habitable,
to make it serve their purposes. (Hunt 1992)
Build the mystique & reality of a high technology Arcadia, here in Australia
Economic development in IT comes from growth of local companies & technology transfer to multi-national companies
<
>
See also
<
>
*
1
2
3
4
1
2
3