New centre builds WA’s data science capability

Premier and Science Minister Colin Barnett launched the Western Australian hub of Cisco’s Internet of Everything Innovation Centre, Australia, located at Curtin University’s Bentley campus on 2 July 2015.

The Premier said the new centre was one of the many exciting projects that were adding to Western Australia’s emerging capability in data science. He said “This centre will be an incubator for new technologies and new entrepreneurs with solutions in digital transformation, predictive data science and enhanced cognition. Supporting multiple markets, the centre will share solutions between astronomy and radio physics, oil and gas, finance, transport and government.”

Mr Barnett said currently only two per cent of all things that could be connected were connected. This represents 13 billion devices, and this number is expected to grow to 50 billion by 2020. “With all these devices producing information, finding innovative solutions to create meaning from and extracting value from them will be a competitive advantage,” he said.

The Centre will include a state-of-the-art laboratory, a technological collaboration area, and a dedicated space to show IoE in action. A focus of the centre will be to create a state-of-the-art ‘connected community’, bringing teams together in a collaborative space where customers, start-ups, open communities, researchers, entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts can work together and brainstorm new ideas and technologies.

“WA has a great opportunity to continue building on its emerging capability in data intensive science through our involvement in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project,” the Premier said.

“Another great opportunity for WA lies in our remoteness. We are a vast State, with major economic activity occurring in some of the most remote areas. Connectivity, support and service delivery, all critical to the SKA project, are also critical to other WA economic sectors, from resources projects through to the delivery of Government services.”

The Premier complimented Cisco and foundation partners Curtin University and Woodside for their foresight and action in delivering the centre. “The centre is a great example of industry and the research community coming together to create genuine partnerships, with the aim of solving real world problems,” he said.

“Collaboration at the State and national level is crucial if we are to remain competitive and to attract the research and development investment necessary to develop a knowledge-based economy that will deliver highly-skilled jobs.”

The centre will also play an important role in engaging WA-based small and medium enterprises with large company problems, including access for their ideas, developments and solutions.

The centre in Australia is one of eight Cisco Internet of Everything Innovation Centres throughout the world. It will connect with other global centres, building value through a cutting-edge research community

Photo: Woodside CEO Peter Coleman, WA Premier the Hon. Colin Barnett, Curtin Vice Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry and Senior Vice President of Cisco Asia Pacific, Mr Irving Tan at the CIIC launch.