| Description |
x, 172 pages ; 25 cm |
| Contents |
Chapter 1. The study and its content -- ch. 2. Dimensions of the Australian information industries -- ch. 3. Competitive performance of Australia's information industries -- ch. 4. Reasons for competitiveness being below potential -- ch. 5. Lessons for improvement to competitiveness from policies of other nations -- ch. 6. Opportunities to change performance -- appendix A. Terms of reference -- appendix B. Dimensions and growth of the Australian information industries -- appendix C. Information industries development strategies being pursued by the states and territories -- appendix D. Policies of other nations: five case studies -- appendix E. Capital formation for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Australian information industries -- appendix F. The economic significance of the semiconductor industry / prepared by Alex F.H. Stuart -- appendix G. Interview conducted by the consultants |
| Summary |
The information industries, reflecting the convergence of computing and communications technologies and the digitalisation of content, include the complete value chain from electronics and software to communications platforms and telecommunications services and to content providers. Revenues in 1995 were approximately $67 billion which represents about 7.5. per cent of total economy-wide revenues, employment was about 500,000 people (with about half being in sales and distribution and the rest in production, maintenance and operation) and exports exceeded $4 billion, which places these industries among Australia's top export earners. These industries have grown rapidly and the forces driving them, globalisation and rapid technological change, are forecast to continue exerting an exormous dynamic for change into the 21st century |
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Rising living standards and expanding job opportunities in Australia will depend to a considerable extent on how well we meet two challenges. First, using the products and servicesof these industries to improve the performance and competitiveness of whole range of other industries throughout the economy and to exploit new oopportunities such as those arising from electronic commerce. Second, achieving a high degree of competitiveness in the information industries themselves. Australia is a world class consumer of information technology and telecommunications products and services accounting for over 2 per cent of the world market, making it the largest single market in Asia-Pacific other than Japan |
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However, Australia is punching far below its weight as a producer and exporter, accounting for less than 1 per cent of world production and about one-third of one per cent of world exports, placing it in 28th position. The balance of trade in these products and services is running 4:1 against Australia and the absolute deficit, which we estimate was $14 biliion in 1995, is likely to go on widening and could exceed $30 billion by 2005. Fundamentally Australia is not growing enough local companies of sufficient size to have a major impact and is not in general attracting globally scaled, export oriented investment in the information industries by the multinational corporations (MNCs), which dominate world trade and production in key sectors. Government in countries as diverse as Singapore, Malaysia, the UK, Ireland and Israel are actively seeking to develop their information industries which they see as providers of high value added, knowledge intensive jobs |
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While Australian governments since the 1987 information industries strategy have devoted policy attention to these industries, they have not matched the priority and intensity other countries have devoted to the task. The result is that Australia is not 'on the screen' of either the globalising US venture capital funds, who played a vital role in the development of Silicon Valley and are now beginning to have an impact elsewhere, e.g. Israel and Asia, or the leading information industries NMGs as a location for globally scaled investment. Australia does have very considerable strengths to build on and if managements adopt sufficiently stretching aspirations and if an appropriate policy framework can be established there are major areas of opportunity for growth of investment, jobs and exports in the information industries in areas ranging from e-commerce, to information technology services, to IT&T products and to the development of on-line and multimedia content |
| Analysis |
Information industry |
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Telecommunications |
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Computer industry |
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Information and communications technology |
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Competition |
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Statistics |
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Australia overseas comparisons |
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Federal issue |
| Notes |
"March 1997" -- t.p |
| Bibliography |
Bibliography: pages 171-172 |
| Subject |
Telecommunication -- Australia.
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Technology transfer.
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International business enterprises.
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Industrial policy -- Australia.
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Telecommunication equipment industry -- Australia.
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Computer industry -- Australia.
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Information technology -- Economic aspects -- Australia.
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Electronic industries -- Australia.
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Information technology -- Australia.
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Industrial productivity -- Australia.
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Competition -- Australia.
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| Author |
Allen, Roger.
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Buckeridge, Roger.
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Allen Consulting Group.
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Information Industries Taskforce (Australia)
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