ICT SERVICES PANEL

The second panel session in the 'Our Future Information and Communications Technology Needs' panels was facilitated by Prof Julian Lowe, Director of the Centre for Regional Innovation and Competitiveness (CRIC) at the University of Ballarat. This event was held between 4 pm and 6 pm on 16 November 2006 at the Conference Room, Greenhill Enterprise Centre on the University of Ballarat Technology Park.

View a map of the location

Background

Ballarat has sought to position itself as a regional centre for the ICT industry in Australia. It has ICT employment a little above the average for similar regional cities but lags behind the larger metropolitan areas in ICT employment and the production of ICT goods and services.

A possible taxonomy of ICT service providers include:

• Software, Hardware, Data, E-Businesses
• Business process consultants
• Maintenance and technical support
• Research, design and development
• Training
• Venture/investment capital
• Sales and vendor support
  • In large, medium, small, public and private organisations

Looking forward to 2030

• What will the national and international ICT industry consist of, in five years, ten, fifteen, and twenty?
• What sorts of aspirations should Ballarat have?
• What sort of industry should it try to attract and sustain in Ballarat?
• What is needed to attract and sustain a growing and innovative ICT industry to Ballarat?
• In which sectors will the best quality jobs be located?
• How can Ballarat compete with?
  • Metropolitan areas
  • Low cost economies
  • High technology locations
• How does your organisation compete now? In ten years?
• What infrastructure and support is most important for Ballarat to build a successful ICT industry?
• How can local firms increase their share of local business? Export business?
• How can the sector become more innovative?
• What is the ONE thing you think needs to happen for Ballarat to become more internationally competitive as an ICT centre over the next 5 years?

Click here to find out more about Panel Members

Click here to read about the Panel Outcomes

Click here to view images from the Services Panel