Ballarat Technology Park marks 25 years of digital innovation

Victorian Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford has marked the 25th anniversary of the IBM Ballarat Regional Delivery Centre and Ballarat Technology Park.

The IBM Ballarat Centre now employs around 500 people and plans to create 100 new jobs in the coming year, while the Technology Park has more than 2200 employees and 62 enterprises, generating $6 million in turnover and accounting for nearly 9% of jobs in Ballarat.

Ballarat Technology Park was conceived 25 years ago, when the Victorian Government partnered with IBM and Federation University to address the emerging skills shortage and pioneered the ‘earn as you learn’ concept, thereby creating job-ready graduates.

“Congratulations to IBM and Federation University — it’s wonderful to see how the Ballarat Technology Park has evolved and how it continues to drive innovation and new opportunities for the region and the state,” said Pulford.

The IBM–Federation University partnership has facilitated research projects that have solved real-world challenges and delivered hands-on experience for students, driving innovation and research. Significant achievements include Qantas’s self-check-in kiosks, which were designed and built at IBM’s Ballarat facility.

“Innovative and collaborative partnerships like this one are central to ensuring Victoria’s place in the global digital economy — generating high-skill, high-value jobs and growth for all Victorians,” said Pulford.

The Victorian Budget for 2020–21 has invested $64 million in the Digital Skills and Jobs Program, to help get Victorians into sought-after digital roles. The program will fund short courses and up to 5000 industry internships to help jobseekers become job ready.

The Victorian Government will also establish a $12 million flagship digital hub in Cremorne in inner-city Melbourne to drive job creation, innovation and technology adoption, much like the Ballarat Technology Park.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/metamorworks