NICTA, Australia’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Research Centre of Excellence, welcomes $10 million in funding from the Queensland State Government for NICTA’s Queensland Research Laboratory (NICTA QRL). The funding was announced yesterday by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh.
Under the four-year agreement, the Queensland State Government will commit $10 million to supporting ICT research in NICTA QRL including ongoing development of a range of public security technologies for the state and research on human system integration to ensure ICT systems fit human needs.
NICTA QRL will continue to develop technologies to improve threat assessment, emergency planning and communications, disaster warning and information distribution networks. Since it opened in 2005, NICTA QRL has developed a number of important technologies within its key project Smart Applications for Emergencies (SAFE), some of which are already being trialled by a number of Government agencies.
The Laboratory has been working closely with Queensland Transport to develop a new Intelligent Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) security technology to detect unusual and potentially threatening behaviour around key transit centres.
Queensland-based researchers working at NICTA QRL, including contributing researchers from NICTA’s three Queensland partner universities (Queensland University, Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology), have also developed a wireless mesh network technology solution for emergency services requiring high bandwidth in very dynamic situations.
“NICTA welcomes this new investment from the Queensland State Government,” said NICTA QRL Director Dr Chris Scott. “The funding means that NICTA will be able to continue to build on its research successes in the area of safety and security to improve Queensland’s and Australia’s ability to respond to natural disasters and terrorist events.” According to Dr Scott, the research outcomes will provide commercial opportunities for local industry and enable worldwide markets to be addressed in these growing areas of need.
“As a national research organisation, NICTA places a high value on its Queensland laboratory and the successful research projects it has generated,” said NICTA CEO Dr David Skellern. “Over the three years it has been in operation, NICTA QRL has made an outstanding contribution to Australian ICT innovation in the areas of safety and security technologies,” he added.
“The ongoing support from the Queensland Government is critical to the development of world-class, strategic research that puts Australia at the leading-edge of global ICT research,” NICTA Chairman Mr Neville Stevens AO said. The Queensland State Government provided $4 million to help establish NICTA QRL in 2005.
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NICTA Welcomes $10m from QLD Government for Public Security Technology
Contact: Marijana Okanovic
Phone: +61 2 8374 5264
Email: marijana.okanovic@nicta.com.au