Page 2717 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 15 August 2017
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The piece of planning reform work we completed with the University of Canberra in 2015 will underpin UC’s development strategy over the next decade and deliver similar, far-reaching benefits for communities in north Canberra and indeed more broadly. Our funding for Data61 has led to hundreds of PhD computing graduates applying their skills in new businesses and giving real meaning to Canberra’s brand as a place where big, technical issues are researched and solved.
The establishment of the CBR Innovation Network as a partnership between ANU, University of Canberra, UNSW Canberra, CSIRO, CIT and Data61 has provided the education and research institutions with an opportunity to partner with the ACT government to develop the innovation ecosystem necessary for them to successfully commercialise knowledge.
The key learning from our work to date is the premium of collaboration, working with the sector to explore what is possible with a joined-up effort, and achieving national and international impact through collective scales and collective approaches that are mostly beyond us all individually. We work with the sector to maximise economic development outcomes but always in a way that supports our goals for our city and community over the longer term.
For example, how can the strengths of ANU and UNSW Canberra in areas such as cybersecurity and space technologies contribute to our goal of diversifying Canberra’s economy? How can the development of the new UCPH at University of Canberra and its strengths in the areas of allied medicine and sports technology contribute to our goal of a healthier Canberra population? As UC grows, how does that growth translate into a more connected Canberra? And as CIT continues its physical and operational transformation, how can we ensure that it is providing educational pathways that meet the needs of Canberra’s diversifying economy as well as servicing the critical trades skills that all economies need?
As a key driver of our diversification strategy, the higher education sector is an important part of our overall economic development agenda. As a result, I will work closely with the Chief Minister, as economic development minister, to ensure that we deliver on our commitments. A key instrument for our engagement with the sector is through the Vice-Chancellors Forum. Chaired by the Chief Minister, it provides high level oversight by the leaders of the ACT’s premier higher education institutions in coordinating programs that create jobs, new companies and attract investment. The members of the forum all know that a vibrant Canberra will help support their institutions to reach new heights, and an engaged Canberra will be a fertile ground for students and would-be entrepreneurs and a great place for their staff and families. At the last Vice-Chancellors Forum, members agreed to support the implementation of a fresh approach to investment attraction; that is, how we attract new investment into our city. A number of capability areas were identified that present major opportunities for attracting investment—researchers, businesses and institutions—to Canberra.
In the next six to 12 months we will continue to work with the sector to progress opportunities in cybersecurity, space technologies and renewable energy. Further to this, there will also be several opportunities over the next three to five years to
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