Page 1477 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 28 March 2012
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On 15 March I had the pleasure of visiting the Academy of Interactive Entertainment at the Canberra Technology Park in Watson. I take this opportunity to acknowledge the CEO, Mr John De Margheriti, and head of school, Ms Leanne Michael, for their invitation and warm hospitality during my visit. The AIE is a great example of what a successful local Canberra organisation can achieve.
For those of you who may not know, the AIE Canberra campus was established in 1996 as the second oldest games school in the world. Here is a perfect example of a local organisation that has leveraged on our technology expertise, identified a niche market and has grown this into a success—not just locally but also in Sydney and Melbourne and, as of early last year, in the United States. Yet, in spite of this growth and entrance into overseas markets, what impressed me about Mr De Margheriti was his focus on Canberra.
As of October last year the AIE in Canberra could boast the first games business incubator in the world. The 12-month program includes a vocational certificate in entrepreneurship, a $4,000 games conference scholarship and a $6,000 business development scholarship. In addition to this, successful applicants will have access to equipment, software and serviced office space, providing them with all the necessities of a typical start-up company, including mentoring from industry practitioners.
What I found most inspiring about this program is that the wealth and intellectual property generated from student venture projects sits with the graduates. That is a very important point. I think this is a testimony to the academy and to Mr De Margheriti’s commitment to make Canberra our nation’s innovative capital. Those individuals who get to keep that intellectual property could well do very well out of that gesture.
With such initiatives in our city the AIE also gives back to the community and in a big way. Most of you in this chamber will recall that in December last year the academy donated $1.4 million to the public school system. This was one of the largest private donations to public education in the ACT’s history and we certainly welcome that. We welcome that kind of commitment from private individuals here in Canberra, putting money back into our education system and into the good of our community. That is something we should all commend. That is a wonderful thing for Canberra and certainly something we would like to see more of. As co-founder Steve Wang noted:
We decided that we really wanted to put something substantial back into the public education system, so that we can encourage the kids coming through now to be able to tackle their own impossibly wonderful projects and turn them into their future careers.
If even one student, or group of students, start up a micro business that grows into something more, then our investment will have been worth every cent.
In relation to business and innovation, the point needs to be made that the games industry is a very real opportunity for our local economy. It brings together many of the inherent strengths that make our city what it is today—nimble small businesses, world-class research institutions, ICT expertise and creative talent.
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