The ACT Government will partner with the University of Canberra (UC) and NetApp to establish Canberra as a national and international leader in open source technology.
The ACT Government will invest $500,000 over two years in the Open Source Institute (OpenSI) at UC, an innovation hub that will advance research, foster collaboration and promote innovation in open source technologies.
Global competition for talent and investment is growing and this partnership will help to attract investment and retain skills and talent within Canberra’s tech industry.
OpenSI will provide access to expertise, practical skills and academic oversight, giving students a competitive edge when they enter the workforce.
It will also help to attract people, start-ups and global technology companies from the open source community to our city.
This is a great example of how collaboration between our education institutions and industry can create jobs and deliver economic benefits for our city.
As the knowledge capital, Canberra is well placed to leverage the growth in open source technology to create more jobs.
This is one of the ways we are developing our skilled workforce and helping to grow the number of jobs in Canberra to 300,000 by 2030.
Quotes attributed to Professor Lucy Johnston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Enterprise, University of Canberra:
“The Open Source Institute will further the University of Canberra’s research capacity in open source technologies and translate industry-leading thinking and experience into the University’s undergraduate courses.
“I am thrilled that the University of Canberra has partnered with the ACT Government and NetApp to advance the open source sector in the ACT through an industry focussed, collaborative approach to research and education.
“The research to be undertaken by OpenSI will be practical and industry-driven and should maximise our impact in the fields of big data, cyber security, privacy, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and for companies operating on open source business models.
“Our undergraduate IT students will benefit from the practical knowledge and experience embedded in the courses that will flow from OpenSI, as well as the work experience and internship opportunities at NetApp that will further contribute to their study outcomes and employability.”
Quote attributable to Peter Lilley, VP and General Manager, NetApp:
“NetApp is proud to be partnering with the University of Canberra and the ACT Government to establish the Open Source Institute (“OpenSI”) to enable Canberra to remain a world class innovation hub that supports all varieties of technological innovation including open source technology.
“With NetApp’s 22 years of commitment to supporting the Australian Capital tech sector, we are excited to have OpenSI serve as the jumping off point for the next generation of technology development as well as to drive additional tech investment and skills development within Canberra’s entrepreneurial community.”
