Canberra is one of Australia’s leading centres for information and communications technologies.

World-leading government digital services

Canberra’s close proximity to the Australian Government makes it a prime location for IT providers to do business.

The Australian Government spends billions of dollars on ICT services each year.

By 2025, Australia aims to have one of the top 3 digital governments in the world. The Canberra-based Digital Transformation Agency is developing this strategy.

Doing IT business in Canberra

Business IT activity is strong in Canberra.

The sector comprises more than 1,000 businesses. These range from multinationals down to micro businesses.

There’s a range of government IT services, including:

• enterprise resource planning
• digital identity and documents management
• cyber security
• data centres and cloud computing
• research and development for new government services
• IT applications in fields like energy management, automotive and defence

Business IT services

Many of the world’s leading IT firms have significant operations in Canberra. These include:

• IBM
• Leidos
• Data#3
• HP Enterprise
• Microsoft
• Oracle Corporation
• Accenture
• DXC Technology
• SAP

Several large Australian IT businesses operate in Canberra, including:

• Telstra
• Datacom
• Oakton
• Technology One

A number of local firms have significant product development activity in Canberra under their new owners. These include:

• Tower Software, acquired by HP
• Intelledox, acquired by Smart Communications

MXA Consulting continues to have a significant Australian Government client base in Canberra.

Cyber security

Canberra’s status as ‘Australia’s Cyber Security Capital’ is best demonstrated by the strategic connections between:

• established multinationals
• the Department of Defence
• national security agencies
• tertiary education and research institutions
• innovative SMEs

Learn more about the Cyber security sector in Canberra.

Research and development (R&D)

A number of companies have IT R&D operations in Canberra. These support government IT priorities and include:

• IBM
• SAP
• Leidos
• HPE

Data centres and cloud computing

Canberra has a world-class data centre and cloud computing capacity.

The Australian Government demands secure cloud services. Supporting infrastructure has attracted billions of dollars worth of business investment in data centres in Canberra. This includes:

• renewable energy derived electrical power
• ultra-high bandwidth fibre
• land
• quality staff in a secure environment

Companies with major data centres in Canberra include:

• Canberra Data Centres
• Vault
• Next DC
• TPG/TransACT
• Intellicentre
• 4 Canberra Data Centre (Macquarie Cloud Services)
• Equinix

Technology sectors

Canberra has a range of IT businesses across a range of technology sectors, including:

• automotive – Seeing Machines – driver awareness monitoring systems
• renewable energy – WindLabs and Reposit Power – operation and demand management
• space -EOS – systems sensors and systems for space situational awareness

Skills, training and education

Canberra hosts 3 of Australia’s leading universities:

• Australian National University (ANU)
• UNSW Canberra
• University of Canberra (UC)

It also hosts:

• National Security College at ANU
• Australian Centre for Cyber Security at UNSW Canberra
• University of Canberra’s National Security Institute

Relevant courses and programs from each institution are listed below.

Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)

• Certificate IV in IT
• Graduate Certificate in Networking and Cyber Security

UC

• Bachelor of Information Technology
• Specialist Major in Cybersecurity and System Admin

ANU

• Bachelor of Information Technology
• Graduate Diploma of Cyber Security, Strategy and Risk Management
• Master of Cyber Security, Strategy and Risk Management
• PhD study and Masters in Cyber Security

UNSW Canberra

• Bachelor of Computing and Cyber Security
• Cyber Security Short courses in a range of fields;
• Master of Cyber Security (Advanced Tradecraft, Digital Forensics/Operations/Strategy and Diplomacy
• Master of Cyber Security (Advanced Tradecraft)
• PhD study in Cyber

IT research

Canberra is a leading centre of research in information technology. The city has key strengths in cyber security, analytics and machine learning.

The following organisations specialise in IT research.

Data 61

Data61 employs more than 100 staff and research students in Canberra. It spends around $19 million per year here.

ANU

College of Engineering and Computer Science

ANU has very strong research capabilities in IT through its College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Fields of expertise include:

• information engineering such as computer vision, robotics and signal processing
• artificial intelligence such as machine learning, planning and optimisation, intelligent agents and data mining

3A Institute

ANU’s 3A Institute is Australia’s leading research group in the field of AI, particularly the issues of:

• regulation
• ethics
• human interface

National Computational Infrastructure (NCI)

This is the Southern Hemisphere’s most integrated super computer and computational facility. It supports the most advanced:

• data analysis
• modelling
• computational capability

Contracts for a major upgrade to this facility were let in 2019, which will result in the facility becoming up to 10 times more powerful. The upgrade was made possible with $70 million in Australian Government funding under The National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

Infrastructure

Canberra has the best optic fibre networks in Australia.

Intra Government Communications Network (ICON)

This is an independent, secure point-to-point fibre connection and protocol between buildings in Canberra. It began in 1991 as a private communications network between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade sites. It has expanded to 150,000km of fibre across the capital.

TransACT

TransACT provides broadband services to government and Canberrans. TransACT built a Fibre To The Curb broadband network serving around 50,000 households in Canberra. It provides broadband fibre to every public school, hospital and the ACT government offices.

Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNet)

AARNet provides ultra-high speed and capacity to Canberra universities and CSIRO. Speeds are as high as 100 gigabits per second.

National Broadband Network (NBN)

The NBN has largely completed the rollout of fibre across Canberra with services available in most suburbs.

More information

To learn more about how to explore ICT business opportunities in Canberra, contact our Investment Team.