AIIA calls on Turnbull govt to support digital economy

The Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has called on the new Turnbull-led government to accelerate the transformation of Australia to a digital economy.

Immediate action is necessary to ensure Australia remains globally competitive in the digital era, according to AIIA CEO Rob Fitzpatrick.

“The AIIA looks forward to working with this new government, along with elected officials across all party lines, to help lift Australia’s prosperity and growth as a matter of priority,” he said.

He said rapid advances in digital technology will have a transformation impact on the management of cities, crops, cattle, mines, disease research and other areas critical to the Australian economy.

“Without a doubt, digital technology will underpin our entire economy. Given the world is rapidly changing, we must move fast to set our course or risk being left behind,” he said.

“Australia’s prosperity hinges on our ability to innovate, which in turn will drive jobs, growth and importantly, our global competitiveness. And to innovate, we need the right environment with the right infrastructure in place.”

The AIIA is urging the Turnbull government to prioritise four areas, including development of Australia’s digital talent and skills base.

This will be vital considering research indicating that 45% of the jobs of today will disappear in the next 15 years and that 75% of the jobs replacing these will require STEM skills, the AIIA said.

Another area of focus should be business adoption of digital technology. The association has called on the government to help ensure that not just large companies but SMEs are prepared for the digital revolution, noting that SMEs in particular have been underinvesting in technology.

Australia’s future economic growth will also be dependent on the development of high-performance digital infrastructure, including fast affordable broadband and 5G wireless networks.

Finally, the AIIA has argued that as the largest spender on ICT services, the government should act as the exemplar of the digital push by accelerating the digital transformation of government.