New Zealand fintech startups have already had a major impact in Australia, from Xero to more recent arrivals such as Hnry. In a sign that the Kiwi onslaught is set to gather pace, NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, crossed The Ditch this week, leading a trade mission to Melbourne and Sydney. Having just returned from Europe with… Read more »
The government mishandled $163 million worth of contracts for the Entrepreneurs’ Programme by favouring incumbents, not measuring tender applicants against the stated criteria, and failing to mitigate against conflicts of interest, a report from the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has found. In 2019, the Department of Industry, Science, Energy, and Resources (DISER) put service provision… Read more »
Government-owned Breakthrough Victoria is tipping $100 million in pre-seed funding into startups at the state’s universities looking to commercialise research. Premier Dan Andrews and treasurer Tim Pallas set up the $2 billion Breakthrough Victoria fund, chaired by former premier John Bracks, as an independent investment fund manager investing in commercial innovations in health, technology, manufacturing,… Read more »
The NSW government is establishing a collaboration between leading Sydney universities and the CSIRO to improve the state’s sovereign semiconductor capability to support critical local industries including health, defence and telecommunications. The Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau (S3B) brings together leading experts from the University of Sydney, Macquarie University, UNSW Sydney, Australia’s national science agency CSIRO and the… Read more »
The NSW government is establishing a new $703 million investment fund to back fast-growing local companies in the medtech, digital tech and clean economy spaces. Treasurer Matt Kean announced the Future Economy Fund in Tuesday’s state budget as “a once-in-a-generation chance” aimed at the full life cycle of innovative, high-growth business in priority sectors and… Read more »
NSW Treasurer and energy minister Matt Kean has announced another $38 million in charging infrastructure for electric vehicles on the eve of the state budget. With Kean handing down the 2022-23 NSW Budget on Tuesday, June 21, the pro-EV Treasurer announced the extra funds, taking the state’s EV investment to $633 million under its NSW… Read more »
The new federal financial services minister Stephen Jones says the Labor government will regulate cryptocurrency exchanges, as well as applying credit laws to the buy now, pay later (BNPL) sector. Speaking to the Guardian Australia, Jones vowed to continue the roadmap drawn up by the previous government and former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, consulting with the… Read more »
The first thing I want to say to you all, and it’s something we do not do enough, in terms of the parliamentary side of this equation tonight, I think either within our realm, or more generally, we do not say to you all, thank you. We don’t say it enough. Thank you very much… Read more »
Labor’s key point guard on tech, Ed Husic is the nation’s new industry and science minister at Cabinet-level in the new federal government. Prime minister Anthony Albanese unveiled his new ministry on Tuesday and they were sworn in on Wednesday morning. Husic was appointed shadow industry minister in early 2021, and his appointment has been… Read more »
The Big Sausage Sizzle on Saturday changed the government, with Labor under Antony Albanese heading towards a majority in the lower house, or at least taking people with support from an expanded crossbench. The result has been widely welcomed by the tech and startup sectors, with Labor’s Ed Husic expected to continue in the innovation… Read more »
The rout of Scott Morrison goes beyond the defeat of his government. It has left behind a Liberal party that is now a flightless bird. The parliamentary party has had one wing torn asunder, and its path to recovery will be difficult and painful. It has lost a clutch of moderates, and with them the… Read more »
Peak industry body Science & Technology Australia has asked the political parties and independents standing in this Saturday’s federal ballot for their positions on 10 election priorities for the sector. The sector’s priorities identify major science and technology policy settings and investments needed for Australia to seize crucial opportunities. Whether the pledges of current and… Read more »
Australia has no clear strategy to decarbonise transport. That’s a problem, because without a plan, our take-up of clean technologies like electric cars, trucks and buses is slow. It’s stopping us from meeting our climate commitments. And it leaves us paying exorbitant prices for imported oil at the fuel pump, as well as in the… Read more »
With research and development investment lagging Victoria and the OECD, New South Wales is doubling down on its competitive advantages in areas like AI, quantum computing, and nanotechnology, the state’s head scientist revealed in launching the state’s new 20-year R&D strategy. The NSW 20-Year R&D Roadmap – whose creation was recommended as part of the state government’s… Read more »
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has pledged to double the government’s $250 million Future Fuels Fund to $500 million to boost electric vehicle uptake and infrastructure if it wins the federal election on May 21. The ALP’s ‘Driving the Nation’ policy also embraces hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure, and hopes to make EVs more affordable and easier to charge, as… Read more »
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