Earlier this year, Australia’s cyber security industry received a boost with the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the Hon Karen Andrews MP, announcing almost $8.5 million in funding for 17 industry-led projects to boost innovation and commercialisation for the sector.
The AustCyber Projects Fund is a $15 million, three-year initiative designed to help the Australian cyber security industry grow both locally and globally.
AustCyber’s Chief Executive Officer, Michelle Price, said the projects will add value to Australia’s cyber security sector, as well as provide potentially world leading innovative solutions for all sectors of the economy more broadly.
“The growing demand for cyber security products and services is a significant economic opportunity for Australia. Supporting cyber resiliency improves our nation’s overall global competitiveness, as well as its security. The news of sustained cyber attacks over recent weeks highlights the importance of digital trust and building a resilient cyber security infrastructure for Australia.
“The field of applications for this round of AustCyber’s Projects Fund was highly competitive and covered a wide range of areas of cyber capability. The recipients were selected through a robust process supported by industry experts, who helped us with the tough job of narrowing down which applications would receive funding.
“The Projects Fund is one of our key mechanisms used to identify and support cyber security innovation through to commercialisation in Australia, complementing projects funded through industry, research organisations and other government initiatives. It is also great to see Australian companies partnering with domestic and international corporates within the broader ecosystem. AustCyber is excited to be working with recipients and their consortia partners as they deliver on their projects over the next twelve months.”
The first round of AustCyber’s Projects Fund provided $6.5 million in matched funding to ten industry-led projects. The combined value of the projects provided a total contribution of approximately $35.8 million to growing Australia’s cyber security sector, which has had the double benefit of delivering globally competitive cyber security capability to the world.
AustCyber is pleased to announce the final four projects are:
South Metropolitan TAFE is leading a national consortia project to the value of $450,000 to continue to deepen the framework for the national delivery of vocational cyber security education and training. This includes accelerating national access for TAFEs to consistent content in teaching resources, regardless of their various technical environments.
Cybermerc is leading a consortia project to the value of $2,440,000 to establish a national Threat Intelligence Portal to collect and share data of new cyber attacks targeting Australian businesses. Cyber security startups and Australian universities will be able to use the Threat Intelligence Portal to test and develop next generation defensive cyber technologies.
The University of Adelaide is leading a consortia project to the value of $313,387 to develop the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to provide cyber focused resources and challenges to support and encourage Australian schoolteachers in national cyber security education efforts. This project is delivered in partnership with Google Australia and CSIRO.
Untapped is leading a consortia project to the value of $220,000 to develop a virtual, cloud-based, cyber security training and assessment centre in Australia to connect individuals with cyber security employment opportunities and options for further study. This project is delivered in partnership with DXC Technology’s Dandelion Program, La Trobe University and Curtin University.
Previously announced projects in this round included funding for:
- Australia’s Academic and Research Network (AARNET)
- Airlock Digital
- Alpha Beta
- Amplify Intelligence
- Cynch Security
- Fifth Domain
- Serinus Security
- Kortek
- Locii
- Penten
- Quad IQ
- Responsight
- WorldStack
For more information about the AustCyber Projects Fund and previous recipients, visit www.austcyber.com/grow/projects-fund.
Note: Total project values listed on AustCyber’s website may include in-kind contributions to each project, in addition to the matched cash contributions. In-kind contributions are deemed to have a cash value but are not matched by AustCyber. Additional funding will be directed into the marketing of successful projects.
