- Government launches Digital Industries Acceleration Strategy
- Strategy focuses on supporting the digitalisation of WA businesses and industries
- WA's digital sector and providers generated an estimated $7.3 billion for the State
To boost the digitalisation of Western Australian businesses and industries the Cook Government has launched the final Digital Industries Acceleration Strategy (WA: Digitally Evolved).
Minister for Innovation and the Digital Economy Stephen Dawson welcomed the new strategy saying it will work alongside other initiatives and programs to help more local businesses and industries get onboard.
WA: Digitally Evolved complements other Cook Government strategies including the Digital Strategy for the Western Australian Government 2021-2025 and the Digital Inclusion in WA Blueprint. It adds the missing industry development piece to the existing suite of digital economy strategies focused on government digital transformation and community digital inclusion.
The strategy supports the growth and development of WA's rapidly expanding digital sector and builds on our world-leading capabilities in digital technologies in areas including robotics, automation and remote operations to deliver the outcomes of Diversify WA and Future State: Accelerating Diversify WA.
Three main goals have been identified:
- Western Australia has a growing and vibrant digital sector;
- Western Australian businesses continuously evolve in digital capability; and
- Western Australian industries transform through embracing digital.
Each of these goals is aimed at ensuring WA has thriving businesses and industries which are digitally secure, enabled and empowered.
The five priority areas for the strategy were refined following a consultation process. They are now:
- advocacy and education;
- advisory and technical support;
- finance and supply opportunities;
- data and digital facility sharing; and
- opportunity facilitation.
Currently Western Australia's digital sector and its providers employ more than 60,000 workers, with its workforce growing 2.6 times faster than WA's total workforce.
For more information see:Digital industries: WA Digitally Evolved (www.wa.gov.au)
As stated by Innovation and the Digital Economy Minister Stephen Dawson:
"We are now living in a fast-paced digital world and the Cook Government is focused on supporting local businesses and industries to get up to speed and climb aboard to take advantage of the opportunities.
"This new Digital Industries Acceleration Strategy promotes growth and development of our local digital sector while also enabling businesses and industries to stay relevant in an increasingly online world.
"When businesses digitise, they become more competitive with research showing highly digitally-engaged businesses can earn 60 per cent more revenue per employee.
"Embracing digital transformation helps local businesses to increase productivity, competitiveness and resilience."
