Yahoo Finance The A-team wanting to turn Sydney into Australia’s Silicon Valley
Heavyweights from Telstra, Atlassian and other business and tech leaders have come together to form a special task force designed to turn Sydney into Australia’s “answer to Silicon Valley”.
The NSW Government has put together a Tech Central Industry Advisory Group that will direct the growth of Sydney’s new tech precinct located adjacent to Central Station.
Former Telstra CEO David Thodey chairs the group, which also comprises Atlassian chief of staff Amy Glancey and City of Sydney chief Monica Barone.
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Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Technology, Sydney Attila Brungs also sits on the panel.
The chiefs and founders of start-up hubs and venture capital firms Daniel Petre, Alex Scandurra, Sally-Ann Williams and Mina Radhakrishnan of AirTree Ventures, Stone & Chalk, Cicada Innovations and Different Fame respectively also have a prominent seat at the table.
Atlassian has already committed to moving its offices to the new precinct that stretches from Central to Eveleigh.
The NSW Government will commit $48.2 million across the next four years to build Tech Central.
“I foresee this will create a new place for startups, scaleups, high-tech giants, universities and researchers to collaborate, solve problems and innovate,” said Thodey.
NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the tech hub would help kick-start the economy after the coronavirus crisis.
“Technology and innovation will play a key role in restarting growth after the global pandemic and we’re putting Sydney right at the centre of that,” Ayres said.
“Tech Central will provide a focal point for our fantastic tech innovators, attracting investment and talent from all over the world and establishing NSW as a global leader in this space.
“This Advisory Group will help join the dots between entrepreneurs, researchers, students, corporations and the wider community to help Tech Central fulfill its true potential, making the sum much greater than the parts.”
Atlassian first announced it planned to move its headquarters in early 2019, and recently said it would still make the same decision even if it knew the pandemic was coming.
Sally-Ann Williams spoke at the inaugural Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit last year. The 2020 Summit will be held virtually on Thursday 17 September. Get your tickets here.
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