Fed Gov to boost digital content industry

The Federal government has launched a new report aimed at boosting Australia’s digital content industry.

Unlocking the Potential –an Action Agenda, outlines ways in which the local industry could double in size to $42 billion annually by 2015.

Currently, Australia’s digital content industry is believed to employ 300,000 people and contributes almost 3.5 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Tom Kenney, Chair of the Strategic Industry Leaders Group, said in the report that while digital content was the fastest growing sector globally, its local growth rate was outpaced by other countries.

To remedy this, the report outlines a number of suggestions in the areas of investment, exports, skills and training, and research & training.

These include the creation of an Investment Scoping Forum, to bring together industry bodies and firms with investors and other investment groups to examine the investment issues, and achieving greater recognition of, and much faster accreditation for, industry-based training activity.

In a joint statement, ICT minister Helen Coonan, and Industry, Tourism & Resources minister Ian Macfarlane, said new digital platforms and services were emerging along with the rapid consumer adoption of broadband, 3G mobiles, digital television and radio, to provide significant industry development opportunities.

“The ultimate aim [of the Agenda] is to generate the growth of an Australian Digital Content Industry that will provide opportunities across the entertainment, health and education sectors.”

The report can be viewed at:

http://www.dcita.gov.au/arts/film_digital/digital_content_industry_action_agenda/dciaa_report

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