NEC Australia, a leading Australian information and communications technology (ICT) solutions and services firm, today (Wednesday 28 September) officially opened its new corporate office at the University of Wollongong’s (UOW) Innovation Campus.
Dignitaries and special guests celebrated the opening of the Wollongong service centre with a traditional Japanese sake barrel breaking – in keeping with the the 117-year-old company’s values.
The operation will create more than 130 new technology jobs in regional Australia and connects UOW students with graduate opportunities with NEC as well as opportunities for collaboration with leading researchers, particularly in cyber security.
The new office is part of a $25 million investment in the region that will support major customers of NEC across the country.
A strategic partnership with UOW is aimed at encouraging new employment opportunities in the ICT sector in regional NSW and expands NEC’s global ambition to capitalise on technology to address pressing societal challenges including ageing populations, the environment, security, and impacts to industry from next generation technologies.
Located at the heart of UOW’s 33-hectare Innovation Campus, the corporate office allows NEC Australia to harness new opportunities through collaboration with world-class researchers who specialise in fields that align with NEC’s global focus on technologies and solutions to orchestrate a smarter, safer and more equal future.
NEC Australia’s Chief Operating Officer Mike Barber was joined at the commemoration by The Hon Stuart Ayres MP, NSW State Minister for Trade, Tourism and Sport; Gareth Ward MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the NSW Premier for Illawarra and South Coast; and Damien Israel, UOW Chief Finance Officer.
Minister Ayres said NEC Australia’s decision to launch a base in Wollongong is testament to the area’s reputation for innovation.
“The University of Wollongong Innovation Campus is truly cutting edge and it’s fantastic to see NEC Australia launching their new operations here. More than 130 smart jobs in ICT for regional NSW – a great win for Wollongong and a demonstration of how investment is crucial to drive job growth for our state.”
Mr Barber said NEC Australia has made significant investments in growing service capabilities in regional Australia.
“We’re committed not just to driving jobs growth in regional Australia but also providing the resources to help our customers serve their communities,” Mr Barber said.
“We’re a truly national service provider, delivering critical support to help our enterprise customers support their end-users and clients across Australia, from regional Victoria to the furthest outposts in the Northern Territory.”
The partnership with UOW includes NEC Australia’s 2017 Graduate Program, which offers graduates an opportunity to kick start a career alongside some of Australia’s top technology executives in Australia.
This program is also open to graduates in Adelaide, Darwin, and Melbourne, reflecting NEC Australia’s national reach and approach to ICT jobs growth across the country.
UOW Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Judy Raper, said UOW welcomed the official opening of NEC Australia’s operations at the Innovation Campus.
“The addition of a leading technology firm not only provides jobs for the region, it will create opportunities for our graduates and further reason to study at UOW,” she said.
“We’re particularly excited at the possibility for graduates in information and communications technology to be able to work with a global leader right here in Wollongong as well as collaborating with NEC in a range of ICT research areas, in particular in cybersecurity.
“The partnership with NEC demonstrates the value of clusters of innovation, where education, incubation of new ideas and world-leading a research create a setting where new and existing enterprises can flourish and find the edge to succeed.”
UOW is driving the Illawarra’s ambition to become Australia’s largest regional, smart community.
Leveraging NEC’s Smart Cities capabilities in a newly signed MoU with the University of Wollongong, UOW is bringing together a multidisciplinary group, with industry and government partners, to develop research projects within its ‘Smart Campus’ concept.
It will build expertise in innovative solutions that create sustainable living and vibrant infrastructures for both communities and enterprises.
NEC Australia will also support the UOW’s ambition to find solutions that address Australia’s current and future challenges in managing an ageing population, coping with industrial transformation and sustaining coastal environments.
We collaborate with government, industry and the community to drive our outcome-orientated approach to research and development. These bodies form our multidisciplinary Ideas Network, which equips our tenants with actionable insights to drive local and global growth.
