The Australian Government's Innovation Report

More information about the ANP can be found at: www.dcita.gov.au/ict/advanced_networks_program
Intelligent Island Programme
The $40 million Intelligent Island Programme is helping to develop an internationally competitive information
and communications technology (ICT) sector in Tasmania. The programme is funded by the Australian Government
from the second part-sale of Telstra and is administered by the Tasmanian Department of Economic Development.
In December 2005, the Australian and Tasmanian governments jointly announced a new direction for the
programme. Intelligent Island will support the establishment of an ICT centre in Tasmania by CSIRO. In addition,
up to $18 million of Intelligent Island Programme funds are now being allocated to a new Market Access and
Partnership Programme (MAPP).
The CSIRO Tasmanian ICT Centre will conduct applied ICT research in the areas of sensor networks, data
management and robotics. Funding for the Centre will be made up of $15 million from the Intelligent Island
Programme with a further $15 million in cash and in-kind contributions provided by CSIRO.
MAPP will provide funding support on a competitive basis to Tasmanian ICT companies to develop and commercialise
their products for interstate and overseas markets. It will support activities such as product development,
access to external markets and management and business skill acquisition. A percentage of MAPP funds (capped
at 10%) will be allocated to activities deemed to be of benefit to the Tasmanian ICT industry. On 24 May 2006,
the Australian and Tasmanian governments launched MAPP and invited expressions of interest for funding.
More information about the Intelligent Island Programme can be found at:
www.development.tas.gov.au/intelligent/index.html
ICT Incubators Programme
The ICT Incubators Programme (ICTIP) is a $36 million programme designed to support better-performing
incubators previously funded under the Building on IT Strengths (BITS) programme.
ICTIP will help these incubators continue to make a significant contribution to the national innovation system by:
• identifying and supporting high potential ICT start-ups;
• facilitating growth in employment, revenue and exports for the ICT start-ups;
• assisting the ICT start-ups to secure financial and other support from third party sources (including
venture capital firms, private investors, other technology firms, universities and government);
• establishing mutually beneficial linkages with other elements of the Australian innovation system; and
• adopting strategies to achieve ongoing financial self-reliance without further Australian Government
support beyond the period of the programme extension.
ICT incubators provide seed capital and business advice and help to raise follow-on capital to accelerate the
growth of start-up ICT companies. Incubators have provided assistance to a number of firms that have gone on
to win major national and international contracts, industry awards and attract considerable co-investment.
In 2004-05, incubators funded under the ICTIP reported:
• 640 applications, bringing the total applications under the BITS incubator programme and ICTIP to 4865;
• 32 ICT companies being accepted into the ICTIP as incubatees bringing the total over both programmes to 376;
• 35 incubatees completing agreed business milestones bringing the total to 223 over both programmes;
• raising over $42 million in private co-investment for their incubatee companies, which brought the
five-year total over both programmes to more than $169 million; and
• winning more than $14 million in government grants, which brought the five-year total over both
programmes to more than $38 million.
Chapter 2 - Initiatives for a dynamic national innovation system 65