Senator the Hon Helen Coonan
Minister for Communications,
Information Technology
and the Arts

Deputy Leader of the Government
in the Senate

Fuji Xerox investing in Australian innovation

Address to opening of Fuji Xerox Australia epicenter

Sydney
Thursday 24 August 2006

Thank you Andy, [Lambert, Managing Director, Fuji Xerox Australia].

It gives me great pleasure to be here today to celebrate the opening of the Fuji Xerox epicentre.

Introduction

Fuji Xerox is a leader in the graphic communications industry in Australia and around the world. It is a company that has shown a deep commitment to doing business in Australia over many years.

It has worked closely with the Australian Government as a proud corporate citizen in helping to further develop the industry. It has done this through several complimentary activities.

These include the provision of regional technical support, alliances with small to medium sized enterprises, software development and the delivery of professional services to both business and government.

Fuji Xerox initiative

An excellent example of this commitment is the Eco Manufacturing Centre just down the road from here in Zetland.

The processes for renewing consumable parts that have been developed at this Centre have helped Fuji Xerox embrace corporate sustainability in ways few companies can match. Congratulations Andy, to you and your team, for your work in this area.

Your organisation is proof positive that corporate sustainability and recycling are not mutually exclusive. This new epicenter is evidence of Fuji Xerox’s success in Australia.

It is also evidence of Fuji Xerox’s confidence in Australians as a people who appreciate and utilise innovation in technology. This new epicenter will be used to showcase and promote the exciting potential of new digital print technologies through collaborative applications development, customised technical advice and a range of other tailored services for clients.

Collaborative, customised and tailored are not buzz words because these ‘niche’ markets are really becoming the rule rather than the exception. I know that the market for graphic communications products today is more competitive than ever.

We can expect digital and communications technologies to continue to converge.

Indeed, the way we use technology in our work and personal lives, and the impact it is having on the way business is being done will continue to challenge us but—I would contend—that it will also throw lots of opportunities our way too.

We have to continually ask ourselves what is possible today? What is possible in the future? I am sure this new epicenter will lead the way in devising and showcasing new technology.

As one of only four in the Asia Pacific region, it places Australia very firmly on the graphic communications industry map.

Fuji Xerox in Australia

As the largest Fuji Xerox operation outside of Japan they have a nationwide distribution network.

There are Fuji Xerox offices in each capital city and more than 1,500 employees, in a range of highly skilled occupations, Fuji Xerox has invested in people as well as infrastructure.

Good business is also about being a good corporate citizen.

Many of you here this evening will be aware that Fuji Xerox is an industry partner in the Australia Research Council’s project Towards a ‘Semantic Web’ Standards and Interoperability across Document Management and Publishing Supply Chains.

Now that is quite a title for a project, but essentially, it will address the challenges of electronic standards and working effectively in the text and graphic media industries. These industries are a source of enormous and growing employment in Australia.

This project will develop an extensive industry-focused knowledge base and feed this knowledge back to industry and the broader community.

Fuji Xerox Australia is working with RMIT University on this particular project which runs from 2006 to 2008.

They have supported several collaborative research grants that have examined changes in text and graphic communications industries which have arisen from the impact of digital printing technologies.

ICT as a national capability

Fuji Xerox’s support and collaboration is welcomed by the Australian Government. And the Government will continue to create an environment that fosters ICT development, applications and innovation.

As ICT increasingly becomes part of all sectors in the economy, it will remain a key enabler of productivity and economic growth in Australia. Australia’s capacity to innovate is well understood by the many international companies based in Australia—including Fuji Xerox.

And through targeted economic reforms, the Australian Government has shown a strong commitment to providing business with the right conditions for growth and investment in ICT and across all sectors.

Australia is an ideal location for companies to develop technology and provide innovative solutions for their projects much like Fuji Xerox is doing for its valued customers.

Building ICT Capability

The Australian Government’s overall policy framework is designed to deliver a strong economy in which business can prosper. In recognition of the role of ICT in driving our economy the Government has made significant investments in ICT research and development.

For example, the Government’s ICT Centre for Excellence, the National ICT Australia or NICTA, is an enduring, world-class, world-scale ICT research and research training institute. Its headquarters are located just around the corner here at Australian Technology Park.

With a total of $380 million in Government funding, NICTA is lifting Australia’s ability to generate breakthrough technologies, grow ICT businesses and spur the development of Australian industries.

I know that NICTA has a strong interest in digital imaging and visual modelling research and are looking at its applications in sectors as diverse as advertising and medicine.

Conclusion

I congratulate Fuji Xerox Australia on the success you have already achieved in this sector over the years and thank you for your contribution to the Australian ICT industry.

I wish you many more years of success in your outstanding new premises.
Thank you.