A new Information Technology Industry Innovation Council will be established to support Australia's $98 billion information technology (IT) industry, employing over 400,000 Australians.
The council will be chaired by Mr John Grant, Managing Director, Data#3 Pty Ltd. It will promote the IT sector in its own right and as an enabler of innovation, productivity and sustainable development for the economy as a whole.
Innovation Minister, Senator Kim Carr, said the new IT council, the fourth Industry Innovation Council established by the Rudd Government, will champion IT-enabled innovation for economic, social and environmental benefits.
"The IT revolution has fuelled our nation's productivity and will make an even greater impact in the years ahead," Senator Carr said.
"IT is a pervasive enabling and transforming technology for all industries.
"IT underpins logistics chains and is increasingly embedded in goods such as cars and home appliances. IT supplies enterprise software, has applications in medical, spatial, transactional and other spheres, and is fundamental to data management.
"As with the other Industry Innovation Councils, the IT council will create links with stakeholders to identify opportunities for innovation, wealth creation, IT capability and entrepreneurialism.
"The council will mobilise talented industry, education and research representatives to advise the Government on innovation issues and will be a champion of IT innovation in the wider community.
"It will work closely across Government on issues of common interest to ensure we realise the benefits that will flow from Australia's new National Broadband Network."
Council members will be appointed from a broad and highly talented group of candidates across business, unions and government, and will meet for the first time before the end of the financial year.
Further information on Innovation Industry Councils is available at www.innovation.gov.au
Media contacts: Patrick Pantano, Minister's Office, 0417 181 936
Mike Lawson, Department, 02 6213 6490 or 0419 416 816
BIOGRAPHY – Mr John Grant – Managing Director, Data#3 Pty Ltd
John was a director of Data#3 from its foundation in 1984 and then Managing Director from 1996. He stepped down from the board as a director in November 2000 along with all other executive directors and took the position of Chief Executive Officer. He was reappointed as Managing Director in July 2004. From 1980 until he joined Data#3 in 1982, John worked with IBM in sales. John has a degree in Engineering with Honours from the University of Queensland and worked as a civil engineer with the Brisbane City Council from 1970 until 1980. John is Chairman of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA), the ICT industry's peak representative body; a member of the Queensland Government's Ministerial Advisory Group whose charter is to provide advice to the Minister for Tourism, Regional Development & Industry on Queensland ICT industry development policy; a member of the Queensland Government's Smart State Council and a member of Hewlett Packard's Asia Pacific Partner Advisory board whose charter is to provide advice and input to HP on its relationship with its distribution and reseller partners in Asia Pacific.