No Time For Technology Fair

The federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research has defended his decision to avoid attending the worlds biggest technology fair despite being in the same country as the fair at the time.

The giant CeBIT show, held last week in Germany, included more than 5800 information and communications technology (ICT) companies showcasing their wares for nearly half a million international buyers and visitors.

But of those exhibitors, only five were Australian, the lowest Australian attendance in the history of the show. Some complained the Government should do more to support local technology innovators.

By contrast, 14 exhibitors from New Zealand showed off their wares in an elaborate pavilion sponsored by that countrys Government.

An Australia pavilion supported by the Victorian Government, present in previous years, was planned for this year but cancelled at the last minute.

The Australian Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Kim Carr, who is responsible for developing the IT industry, said he could not make it due to other commitments.

"It is a matter of regret that I was unable to attend CeBIT. It just wasnt logistically possible," he said.

Senator Carr, who was in Germany while CeBIT was on, said he instead went to Europe to promote Australias bid to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radiotelescope, which is supposed to be 50 to 100 times more sensitive than anything now available.

He said the SKA would cost about €1 billion ($1.6 billion) to build and represented an incredible opportunity for Australia.

"It will not only provide scientific breakthroughs, enabling astronomers to probe the origins of the universe, but will require the development of new ICT technologies, a vast high speed optical fibre network across Australia, and one of the worlds most powerful computers to process the vast amounts of data it generates," Senator Carr said.

Figures released by the Australian Computer Society last year highlight Australias struggle with ICT innovation. While Australia imported $26.6 billion worth of ICT products in 2006, it exported just $6 billion.

While the Australian Government has been relatively cool on CeBIT, the show has attracted various IT ministers from Europe who help push for contracts and partnerships for their exhibitors.

William Jamieson, chief technology officer of Australian company Komodo CMS, told the Herald at CeBIT last week he would appreciate more support from the Government.

"We have some amazing innovation but I think we struggle with the marketing and selling of it," he said.

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