THE Federal Government has announced new funding for a Cooperative Research Centre targeting the digital services sector totalling more than $30 million up to 2014.

Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Minister Kim Carr said the Smart Research CRC would develop the work of of its predecessor Smarket Internet Technology CRC.

The funding round comes despite growing criticism of CRCs from the IT community as being ineffective. Although the funding is nominal, it shows Minister Carr is philosophically attached to the scheme, although this may change if the results of the review of the National Innovation System point to a different way forward.

The Smart Services CRC will work in six strategic areas: global services futures, user-focused services, service aggregation, multi-channel content delivery, trust and privacy issues, and collaborative service interfaces.

“The Smart Services CRC will focus its research in three sectors – finance, media, and government – to develop high-value, sophisticated digital services delivered over internet and mobile platforms,” Senator Carr said.
“In an advanced knowledge intensive country like Australia, a strong and competitive services sector is fundamental to our well being.”

Senator Carr said the Smart Internet Technology CRC had resulted in the Collaborative Services Network technology that had operability across multiple service economy sectors.

This would be used by the Smart Services CRC in trials involving health services and other government and finance service delivery areas.

“The new business models will result in new ways of doing business and will enable Australian service industries to increase the export of digital services by capturing and utilising the knowledge of their highly skilled workers,” Senator Carr said.

“Smart digital services will enable service providers to use their human resources more productively, delivering larger volumes of service and higher profitability.”

THE Federal Government has announced new funding for a Cooperative Research Centre targeting the digital services sector totalling more than $30 million up to 2014.

Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Minister Kim Carr said the Smart Research CRC would develop the work of of its predecessor Smarket Internet Technology CRC.

The funding round comes despite growing criticism of CRCs from the IT community as being ineffective. Although the funding is nominal, it shows Minister Carr is philosophically attached to the scheme, although this may change if the results of the review of the National Innovation System point to a different way forward.

The Smart Services CRC will work in six strategic areas: global services futures, user-focused services, service aggregation, multi-channel content delivery, trust and privacy issues, and collaborative service interfaces.

“The Smart Services CRC will focus its research in three sectors – finance, media, and government – to develop high-value, sophisticated digital services delivered over internet and mobile platforms,” Senator Carr said.
“In an advanced knowledge intensive country like Australia, a strong and competitive services sector is fundamental to our well being.”

Senator Carr said the Smart Internet Technology CRC had resulted in the Collaborative Services Network technology that had operability across multiple service economy sectors.

This would be used by the Smart Services CRC in trials involving health services and other government and finance service delivery areas.

“The new business models will result in new ways of doing business and will enable Australian service industries to increase the export of digital services by capturing and utilising the knowledge of their highly skilled workers,” Senator Carr said.

“Smart digital services will enable service providers to use their human resources more productively, delivering larger volumes of service and higher profitability.”