Joondalup Innovation Hub

In November 2017 Edith Cowan University (ECU) Joondalup was announced as the location of the Western Australian Government’s first Innovation Hub.

Leveraging ECU’s reputation as a world leader in cyber security research the initial focus of the Joondalup Innovation Hub is cyber security. An investment of $800k from the State Government’s New Industries Fund was committed to bring together public, private and research sectors headquartered at the ECU Joondalup Campus.

Speaking at the launch of the New Industries Fund in Joondalup alongside Premier Mark McGowan and Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly, ECU Vice-Chancellor Professor Steve Chapman welcomed the Hub.

In September 2017 ECU and the State Government were announced as principal partners in a Government supported $50m Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CRC). In June of that year, ECU also became one of only two designated Academic Centres of Cyber Security Excellence in Australia, receiving almost $1m in Federal Government funding.

In April 2018 the Federal Government, in cooperation with State Government launched the CRC which will focus on three key areas:

• Ensuring the security of critical infrastructure by developing innovative approaches, tools and techniques to predict, prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats
• Enabling Australian individuals, businesses and industries to access cyber security solutions which build national and international confidence in Australia as a safe and trusted place to do business and access cyber space
• Building the next generation of industry, government and research cyber security leaders, and increasing maturity, capability and collaboration in the sector.

The CRC now benefits from $140m in funding from 25 industry, government, university and research participants, and includes the $50 million from the Australian Government over seven years and $5.6 million from the McGowan Government over seven years.

In summary, the Joondalup Innovation Hub brings together ECU’s cyber security expertise, the Australian Security Growth Network, AustCyber, and now the Cyber Security CRC.

Business collaboration opportunities

Businesses operating, or with an interest, in the Cyber Security and ICT industry are encouraged to contact the Edith Cowan University Security Research Institute for collaborative opportunities.