- Centre will pursue solutions for real world challenges
- Students to work with industry leaders to achieve social impact
- Intelligent data-driven health systems to improve support for patients
Swinburne University of Technology has announced the launch of the Data for Social Good Cloud Innovation Centre (CIC), powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The Centre will leverage Swinburne’s expertise to focus on research outcomes in health, social innovation, and smart cities.
Through the CIC, Swinburne plans to harness the power of big data and analytics for good. It is expected Swinburne’s researchers will develop intelligent data-based digital health programs and support solutions for people living with chronic illnesses. In turn, reducing the burden on patients and service providers.
In partnership with public sector, education and not-for-profit organisations, the CIC will identify innovative solutions for new, and changing citizen services, and work to improve the health, wellbeing and social inclusiveness of society.
Professor Aleksandar Subic, Swinburne’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Development said the university is excited to work with AWS to leverage the organisation’s innovation to increase the capabilities of its Data Science Research Institute.
“Swinburne is already committed to pursuing real-world challenges through research. Through our Health Innovation Research Institute, we are developing data-driven digital health systems for improved health care, and seek to improve health literacy and patient-centric support through personalised health care solutions.”
The CIC also intends to work with Swinburne’s Social Innovation Research Institute, which is helping the community, social, and government sectors to prepare for the challenges emerging from increased digitisation and automation.
Vincent Quah, APAC Regional Head for Education, Research, and Not-For-Profit at Amazon Web Services, Worldwide Public Sector said the implementation of AWS technology would allow Swinburne to address some of Australia’s biggest social challenges
“It will pave the way for Australian organisations to work with leading education institutions like Swinburne to leverage data to create economic and social impact, transforming how the industry works to solve critical issues,” Quah said.
The CIC will be located at Swinburne’s Innovation Precinct in Hawthorn. Professor Subic explained the CIC. It will be the latest addition to a global network of Centres powered by AWS.
Professor Subic hopes the ability to share relevant and timely data will improve the decision-making process around access to local services. He envisions having access to data at a neighbourhood level could add a layer of transparency to decisions
“By providing a means of sharing relevant and timely data regarding issues that are of local importance, such as transport, employment, human services, and child welfare, communities can make consensus decisions and monitor the outcomes. This enables residents to be more engaged in improving their neighbourhoods. We are trialling such solutions with our partners involving data-based mapping of urban environments, which can also be used to make strategic decisions about improvements in business innovation, education, and health services,” Subic said.
The CIC joins other initiatives worldwide including the California Polytechnic University Digital Transformation Hub; the Busan-Amazon CIC in Busan, Korea; SciencesPo Public Innovation Lab in Paris, France; the Arizona State University Smart City CIC, and the recently launched Munich University of Applied Sciences (MUAS) Digital Transformation Lab and CODE University of Applied Sciences Better Future Lab in Berlin, Germany.
Find out more, or submit an innovation challenge at the Data for Social Good CIC website.
* This story first appeared on Kochie’s Business Builders. You can read the original here.
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