News

Agency cuts lead to tech outsourcing fears

The key agencies tasked with delivering the government’s billion-dollar digital spend are facing staffing and funding cuts, leading to concerns the funding will flow straight to private contractors and...

Labor startup plan gets big tick from industry

Labor’s proposal to spur innovation through loans to young entrepreneurs has received strong backing from the Australian startup community and technology universities, who expect the program would be oversubscribed...

MedTech and pharma grants open in WA

Western Australian developers and manufacturers can now apply for up to $100,000 in matched government funding for medical technology and pharmaceutical manufacturing projects. The funding comes from a new...

Alarm as STEM support gets the cold shoulder

An association representing thousands of engineering, science and IT workers has slammed the government for its failure to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the budget. Professionals Australia,...

Ransomware and phishing drive data breach spike

Phishing and ransomware attacks spiked in the last year leading to a growing number of data breaches, according to analysis of more than 29,000 security incidents. Australian governments and...

Digital Economy: Everything old is new again

The Morrison Government has announced a $1.2 billion package as part of the 2021-22 budget under the strapline ‘Digital Economy Strategy – Delivering a modern and digital economy to...

Govt ramps up plan for US data-sharing deal

The federal government has reignited its efforts to sign an expedited data-sharing deal with the US, with nearly $10 million provided for the scheme over the next four years....

We need an overarching innovation strategy

Tuesday’s budget saw technology elevated to new importance. But it lacked the bold bets and overarching strategy needed to support Australia’s new economies, according to innovation experts, who have...

Labor pitches ‘Startup Year’ in budget response

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has placed the tech sector at the centre of his budget reply, pitching a “Startup Year” which would see graduates accessing university loans to launch...

Budget lacks basic science funding

The story of the past year has been the pandemic: from the first outbreaks in early 2020, the identification of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and methods to detect it, through...

Global talent program has been stuck onshore

Home Affairs has declined to answer questions about the impact of a taskforce established last year to attract “global super talent” to Australia, after it was revealed most of...

Searching the past for a new digital democracy

Ada Lovelace, the daughter of poet Lord Byron and collaborator with mechanical computer pioneer Charles Babbage, is credited with being the world’s first computer programmer. Lawyer and writer Lizzie...

Australia is losing its quantum edge: ASPI

Australia is falling behind in the global quantum technology race despite its history of leadership in the field, according to a new Australian Strategic Policy Institute report, which calls...

Intangible asset depreciation policy is a 2015 reheat

A flagship policy from the federal government’s $1.2 billion digital package around intangible asset depreciation is a rebranded policy from Malcolm Turnbull’s innovation agenda more than five years ago...