NEC and UOW deliver regional ICT jobs growth

NEC Australia has opened a new corporate office in Wollongong, creating more than 130 new technology jobs in regional Australia.

The office, which is based at the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) Innovation Campus, is part of a $25 million investment in the region that will support major customers of NEC across the country.

NEC’s partnership with UOW is aimed at encouraging new employment opportunities in the ICT sector in regional NSW. It also expands NEC’s global ambition to capitalise on technology to address pressing social issues, including ageing populations, the environment, security and impacts to industry from next-generation technologies. In addition, it includes NEC Australia’s 2017 graduate program, which offers graduates an opportunity to begin their career alongside some of Australia’s top technology executives in Australia.

Stuart Ayres, NSW State Minister for Trade, Tourism and Sport, Gareth Ward, Parliamentary Secretary to the NSW Premier, and Damien Israel, chief finance officer at UOW, will join NEC Australia’s chief operating officer, Mike Barber, at the commemoration.

Ayres said that NEC’s decision to launch a base in Wollongong is testament to the area’s reputation for innovation.

“The Wollongong University Innovation Campus is truly cutting edge and it’s fantastic to see NEC Australia launching their new operations here. More than 130 smart jobs in ICT for regional NSW — a great win for Wollongong and a demonstration of how investment is crucial to drive job growth for our state,” he said.

The corporate office also provides NEC with opportunities to collaborate with researchers who specialise in fields that align with the company’s global focus on technologies and solutions.

Mike Barber, COO at NEC, said, “We’re committed not just to driving jobs growth in regional Australia but also providing the resources to help our customers serve their communities.”

UOW Acting Vice-Chancellor Professor Judy Raper said, “We’re particularly excited at the possibility for graduates in information and communications technology to be able to work with a global leader right here in Wollongong as well as collaborating with NEC in a range of ICT research areas, in particular in cybersecurity.

“The partnership with NEC demonstrates the value of clusters of innovation, where education, incubation of new ideas and world-leading research create a setting where new and existing enterprises can flourish and find the edge to succeed,” she said.

Leveraging NEC’s Smart Cities capabilities in a newly signed MoU with the university, UOW is bringing together a multidisciplinary group, with industry and government partners, to develop research projects within its ‘Smart Campus’ concept. This is to build expertise in innovative solutions that create sustainable living and vibrant infrastructures for both communities and enterprises.

NEC will also support the UOW Innovation Campus in finding solutions to address Australia’s challenges in managing an ageing population, coping with industrial transformation and sustaining coastal environments.

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