Support for the expanding fields of cybersecurity and data science is set to continue across the State, with the McGowan Government committing a total of $2.4 million to the Western Australian AustCyber Innovation Hub and the WA Data Science Innovation Hub.
Funded through the State Government’s $16.7 million New Industries Fund, each hub will receive $300,000 per year for the next four years to drive further growth in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The New Industries Fund supports and accelerates WA’s innovative start-ups, emerging businesses and SMEs to diversify local and regional economies and create jobs. Provisions to continue the fund until 2025 were made in the 2021-22 State Budget.
The WA AustCyber Innovation Hub was established to address cybersecurity, with a focus on critical infrastructure, cybercrime and big data. The hub is a successful collaboration between the WA Government, Edith Cowan University, the national industry growth centre AustCyber and the City of Joondalup.
It delivers expert services to actively support the growth of innovative cybersecurity businesses from inception and development to commercialisation.
The WA Data Science Innovation Hub focuses on helping WA build a data-driven ecosystem and culture that fosters collaboration, promotes expertise and advocates for data literacy in a partnership between Curtin University and the WA Government.
The hub helps to ensure WA remains at the forefront of the digital revolution by building capability and capacity through the use of stored and collected data.
First established in 2018, both the WA AustCyber Innovation Hub and the WA Data Science Innovation Hub operate a range of programs in regional areas and the renewed funding will ensure those programs can continue.
The Innovation and ICT Minister of WA stated that the ability to take innovations successfully to market is essential to diversifying our economy, and creating more jobs for Western Australians. He added that over the past three years, both the WA AustCyber Innovation Hub and the WA Data Science Innovation Hub have helped create an environment for the State’s start-ups to succeed and for existing businesses to expand further.
The Government’s commitment to continuing funding both hubs will enable them to expand their existing strong metropolitan and regional support so more emerging businesses and SMEs can benefit from expert guidance with developing and commercialising their products and services.
About the New Industries Fund
Industries Fund (NIF) is a $16.7 million commitment over four years (2021-2025) that supports the acceleration of new and emerging businesses in Western Australia, through innovation, to diversify the economy and create new jobs and industries.
Western Australia is a diverse state, seen through our people, our land and our knowledge. Diversity is essential in innovation. Innovation needs all genders, young and mature, and people from all backgrounds and experiences.
The Government has committed to a range of initiatives to support and accelerate new and emerging businesses and encourage innovation to thrive.
Western Australia aims to be at the forefront of digital change globally. The Digital Strategy for the Western Australian Government 2021-2025 (the Digital Strategy) aims to change the way the local community interacts with the government. It puts Western Australian people, businesses and communities at its centre and sets the vision for a government that provides convenient and secure online services informed by quality data insights. It also recognises that as government delivers more services online and better leverages data to inform its operations, excellent cyber security capabilities are more important than ever.
To successfully deliver the Digital Strategy, the WA Government will work to ensure that no one is left behind. All Western Australians should be able to enjoy the benefits of digital technologies and services in their everyday lives.
