Preparing for Australia's digital future: A strategic plan for information and communication science, engineering and technology

This strategic plan has been a partnership between the Australian Academy of Science’s National Committee for Information and Communication Sciences and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

The strategic plan coincides with Australia broadening from a resources-based economy to one that more deeply embraces services and commercialisation of technologies. Information and communication sciences cover a range of disciplines, including computer science, software engineering, information systems, telecommunications, and networking. Developments in these areas underpin the broad technology area commonly known as information and communication technology, which is the engine room of much of today’s and tomorrow’s economy.

Future advances in areas such as data, the internet of things, virtual reality, e-health, automation and smart cities will provide great opportunities for new and existing businesses in Australia. The strategic plan specifically addresses how researchers in Australia’s information and communication sciences (ICS) can assist in furthering these opportunities.

The strategic plan aims to identify implementable actions that will:

• enable Australia’s education, research, and industry sectors to increase national capacity and performance in all aspects of ICS
• translate this enhanced capacity into increased hardware and software innovation and increased industry participation in the development of new information and communication technology products and services
• develop a shared, sector-wide understanding of the challenges and opportunities for ICS in Australia, and a sector-wide commitment to respond
• encourage greater collaboration in areas that are identified as priorities.

Read the full strategic plan (PDF, 4MB)

Read a summary of the plan (2-page PDF, 1.2MB)

Go to the ‘Preparing for Australia’s digital future’ resource page

Read the Academy's media release

Order printed copy of the strategic plan