$4.8 million for advanced silicon chip research

Senator the Hon Helen Coonan has announced $4.8 million in funding to incorporate an innovative team of silicon chip design researchers from North Ryde into the National ICT Australia (NICTA).

“The team was retrenched following the closure of their North Ryde facility by an American-based multinational company,” said Coonan.

“The Coalition government has moved to keep this highly valued team together and in Australia.”

The team has been developing state-of-the-art personal broadband wireless chips that will enable people to transfer large multimedia files a thousand times faster than currently possible.

“We know that the next evolution in broadband technology will be based on wireless, enabling people to be connected wherever they are on multiple platforms including notebook computers, mobile phones and PDAs,” Coonan said.

“Australia’s innovation capability is critical to our national economy and our global competitiveness. Our ICT potential is reflected in the 2007 Economist Intelligence Unit Report which ranks Australia 5th out of 64 countries.

“ICT innovation is estimated to have contributed between 50 and 80% of Australia’s productivity gains over the past two years.”