The government is now operating in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions, pending the outcome of the 2025 federal election.
Microsoft has launched a multimillion-dollar Innovation Hub in Sydney.
The facility will allow local customers and Microsoft experts to collaborate and realise the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies.
The Sydney facility is part of Microsoft’s larger commitment to support Australian business, as a wide range of industries increasingly integrate AI-based tools into their operations.
In July 2024, Microsoft announced it was investing A$5 billion over the next 2 years to expand its hyperscale cloud computing and AI infrastructure in Australia. The investment is the largest in Microsoft’s 40-year history in Australia.
At the Innovation Hub, customers can work with Microsoft’s senior technology architects and experts to:
- identify opportunities
- envision solutions
- design custom architecture
- prototype and refine solutions.
‘This facility is not just about showcasing Microsoft’s latest technologies, it’s about co-creating solutions with our customers that deliver real business value,’ says Steve Worrall, Managing Director at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand.
The healthcare experience at the Microsoft Innovation Hub features a real hospital bed that measures patient vitals and can be used for teaching demonstrations.
Australia’s AI capabilities
Australia’s AI ecosystem is growing fast. There are 544 AI companies in Australia, 204 of which are less than 5 years old. The majority of these companies provide data services that develop and optimise AI capabilities, including data analysis and management.
But the impact goes beyond AI companies themselves. Microsoft has forecast that adoption of AI across industries could drive over $100 billion of additional economic activity in Australia by 2030 (Microsoft, Australia’s opportunity in the new AI economy, November 2024). The Tech Council of Australia expects AI to support 200,000 local jobs by that time (Tech Council of Australia, Meeting the AI skills boom, July 2024).
Learn more about Australia’s AI capabilities in the National Artificial Intelligence Centre’s 2023 AI ecosystem report. The report delves into the current landscape of Australia’s AI companies and research institutes.
How Austrade helped
Austrade has supported Microsoft since 2017 to deliver its data centre expansion, including site selection in collaboration with state governments, visa facilitation, and connections across industry.
Austrade has also supported engagement between Microsoft, Australian government departments and the Australian Embassy in Washington DC on policy issues regarding AI investment, cyber security and data centre collaboration opportunities.
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