Ballarat is committed to extending the City's focus for ICT from 2010 to 2030. While significant advances in technology have occurred since 1994, what has not changed is Ballarat's commitment to being a leading regional centre for ICT.
The aim of a strategy is to identify how an organisation or community can organise and allocate resources to generate successful and sustainable performance through offering value to clients and stakeholders in ways that are superior to its competitors. A good strategy needs to be forward looking, flexible and dynamic with clearly identified pathways for implementation.
In the context of the ICT 2030 strategy, it is about identifying and creating sources of differentiation and distinctiveness that provide value to potential investors, citizens, entrepreneurs and researchers. In a competitive environment where many regions compete for the ICT dollar, Ballarat needs to find ways that give it a distinct competitive advantage, attract scarce talent, provide a compelling reason for new companies to invest and existing ones to grow, so that Ballarat becomes a preferred location for producers and users of ICT in business and the community.
If ICT is a primary driver of economic growth, employment creation and social development, then it is imperative that it is at the centre of the City's innovation and industrial policies. To ensure continuity, the ICT strategy should link into the overall strategic plan for the local economy and community, but it also needs to be flexible and ambitious enough to take advantage of new opportunities and if necessary help instigate systemic change - change that may affect the City's overall strategic direction and focus.
Building on its achievements and reputation, Ballarat ICT 2030 proposes a strategy that aims to:
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Establish Ballarat as a globally competitive ICT centre.
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Provide an ICT and associated infrastructure that facilitates the development, adoption and use of ICT to achieve productivity gains, innovation and differentiation of products and services.
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Increase the competitiveness of the local economy by developing appropriate linkages between the ICT cluster and other industries.
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Facilitate the growth of existing ICT businesses and support the start-up of new ICT businesses.
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Actively attract new ICT and ancillary businesses that will help develop and grow the ICT industry and cluster.
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Attract and retain ICT talent in Ballarat and facilitate funding and collaboration to enhance research capability.
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Acknowledge the diversity in the community and provide opportunities for citizens from all backgrounds to participate and develop in the digital community.
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