Fujitsu Australia has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the State Government of Victoria to become the "anchor tenant" in the development of a new technology Precinct in Morwell, Victoria.
The partnership provides a framework in establishing a service centre operation at the precinct and will help drive the implementation of what Fujitsu calls an "open innovation concept" in Gippsland.
The precinct is planned to be based at the Federation Training site in Morwell and supported by an investment of up to $17 million from the Victorian Government. The partnership also includes the new Morwell Tech School, Federation University and Federation Training.
The purpose-built precinct is expected to promote innovation, productivity, and job creation, with a focus on industry sectors central to the future of Gippsland. This includes areas such as health, new energy, food and fibre, and professional services, potentially leading to the development of some Government contracts.
Fujitsu has flagged for discussion the creation of a service centre operation in Gippsland as well as continuing discussions around an open innovation concept, which includes high-performance computing solutions, the construction and operation of a datacentre, and IT service centre facilities.
The proposed approach will also take the form of an open innovation laboratory where Gippsland’s research, business and education communities can make use of Fujitsu’s computing and data analytics capabilities to enhance their productivity and competitiveness.
Fujitsu A/NZ sales vice-president, Glen Grant, said the community can also choose to share their raw data and subsequent research in a bid to strengthen the collective efforts of the region improving business success and global competitiveness.
“We are very excited to be working with the Victorian Government on this initiative, which will provide employment opportunities in the community while facilitating digital transformation and innovation.
“This project will be one of the first of its kind in Australia, and has the potential to accelerate business, research and education success in the Gippsland region,” he said.
The progression of the partnership will depend on a business case, to be presented in May 2017.
