The Vision and Strategic Intent

Note

Ballarat will become acknowledged internationally for the strength and innovativeness of its ICT industry, the strategic use of ICT by lead users in the region, and the rapid diffusion and effective use of new technologies by its community.

The overriding strategic intent underpinning ICT 2030 is to create a business, research, training and community environment that encourages new investment, fosters business start-ups, encourages leading edge research and supports the rapid adoption and effective use of ICT technologies across all sectors of business and the wider community. In the next five years, Ballarat will consolidate its position as a leading regional ICT centre through strengthening and upgrading its cluster. In the long term - up to 2030 - Ballarat will develop niche positions in ICT around the interaction of lead users and responsive and innovative producers. Through linkages between its ICT companies, tertiary institutions and international clusters, Ballarat will become a leader in the use of emerging technologies, a centre for their application in specific industries, and an innovator in using new technology to address issues of diversity and social justice.

We will know if the vision is achieved if:

Organic growth has created 100 new firms by 2012, and 200 by 2020. Thirty per thousand (i.e. 3 percent) of Ballarat's workforce are employed in ICT occupations, increasing to 40 per thousand by 2020 and 50 per thousand in 2030 (refer Figure 14). Twenty percent of local ICT companies will be internationally recognised, the remaining firms will all serve national as well as local markets. Manufacturing, services and agriculture industries in Ballarat are competitive in export markets because of their use of ICT in ways that reduce costs and increase customer value through improved reliability, logistics and innovation. The University of Ballarat and associated training organisations are key providers of ICT training, particularly in applications, social network technologies and web technologies.
Ballarat is recognised by governments, industry and the research community as a leading centre for ICT in the Asia-Pacific. Local firms are linked to high profile partners in other international centres, and the ICT related activity in Ballarat, specifically in its application to health, education, agriculture and food industries, is recognised as world class.
Ballarat is recognised for high levels of ICT adoption among the broader community and for achievements in areas such as e-enabled community networks,e-government and the effective application of ICT across a range of community activities and contexts.

Figure 14 - Achieving the vision: Ballarat's projected ICT employment levels