Four digital capability centres will bring Australian AI research to small and medium-sized businesses
The Australian government has announced a A$44 million funding scheme to support the transfer of artificial intelligence research to small and medium-sized businesses.
Four “digital capability centres” will be set up to focus on boosting the use of AI in Australia’s national manufacturing priority areas and digital growth priority areas. Manufacturing priorities include resources technology and critical minerals, food and beverages, medical products, defence, space, and recycling and clean energy.
The centres will be run by private consortia, with bidding to operate them now open. Each consortium will include a lead partner and relevant industry operators and will be expected to contribute 25 per cent of the costs, with A$11m in grants available to each centre.
National plan
The centres are part of a national artificial intelligence plan, which also calls for the development of the country’s skills base, the creation of ethical principles for the use of AI, and funding for AI research via the Australian Research Council.
In November, the University of Adelaide received A$20m from the government to set up a Centre for Augmented Reasoning, which will further develop machine learning research. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has also established a National Artificial Intelligence Centre to help transfer research to industry and is coordinating a scholarship programme in the field.
Science minister Melissa Price said the four centres would “draw together industries, research institutions, innovation hubs and businesses to create an ecosystem that drives innovation, commercialisation and adoption of AI”.
The centres are expected to operate until at least 2025. Applications to run the centres close on 12 May.