Tech Stream

CeBIT: Investing in Innovation

14 May 2009

Listen and download: MP3

One of the announcements in the Australian Government’s 2009 budget on Tuesday night was an extension to the funding for NICTA, Australia’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Research Centre of Excellence. They have five laboratories around Australia and will receive AU$185million for 4 years from 2011. The CEO of NICTA, Dr David Skellern, was the moderator for a session at CeBIT Australia 2009 called Implementing Innovation and took part in a panel on how best to grow and nurture the digital economy in Australia. I spoke with him about NICTA’s presence at CeBIT, about the ideas being discussed at the conference including the future of wireless and mobile, and his reaction to the increase in NICTA’s funding. You can hear our interview via the MP3 link at the top of this story.