Business View Oceania | April/May 2022

13 14 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 size of their employee base, and each member company holds one equal vote regardless of size, to provide equal opportunity for input and influence. AIIA also has representative from other Australian industries, Mr. Gauci explains. “We have representation for other critical sectors, including health, agriculture, sport, retail, fintech, etcetera. It’s important that we maintain diversity within our members and keep everybody on a level playing field. The ethical standing of our organisation is something we’re very proud of; we speak often on issues such as privacy versus national security, and the effect of that balance on Australians’ daily lives. We promote the discussion of technology as a force for good and seek to educate about its potential to improve people’s lives, rather than create turmoil. Topics such as the role of social and widespread media, for example, are very important to us. We look at, how can we make sure the distribution of news and information is carried out ethically? How can we minimise negative effects on our population, our economy, and our industry?” The AIIA works hard to raise awareness and deepen understanding of what innovation technology is, what it looks like in action, and how it may be used to improve and support life on a day-to-day basis for Australians and their businesses. ICT is still seen as a largely technical industry, Mr. Gauci says, rather than an ecosystem that holds value for every sector in the country. “One of the challenges we face as a governing body is people still see our industry as a group of programmers; there is certainly a technical aspect to what our members do, but the reality is, technology touches so many other parts of our lives that generally aren’t considered closely enough.” Innovation technology companies are also struggling to keep up with demand, Mr. Gauci explains. “The shortage of 250,000 workers is growing annually. It is crucial that we begin to promote our industry as a career path across the board; from primary school right through to people who are going back to school and looking for new challenges and opportunities. We also need to look at, how can we upskill and cross skill workers from associate industries? How can we bring new people in, and how can we keep them here? ICT roles are very, very well paid, and the shortage of skills and boots on the ground is only driving salaries up even further.” The AIIA hosts a number of events and conferences to fuel innovation in ICT, including the annual iAwards, which recognise and promote innovation excellence for players throughout the digital ecosystem. The association also publishes their Connector digital magazine monthly to keep subscribers up to date with industry issues, policy changes, achievements, and more. Mr. Gauci concludes with the AIIA’s expectations for the future. “Technology allowed us to continue socialise, collaborate, and do business from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, so I think we’re going to see people continue to appreciate the role that technology plays in their daily lives. There are 100 ways in which life and business has changed following lockdowns and COVID restrictions. The last time we had a pandemic of this size was the Spanish Flu. What came out of that was the building of infrastructure that allowed us to electrify our homes, which in turn led to a surge in manufacturing and consumption, and essentially brought on the roaring 20s. It’s no coincidence that 100 years later, we’ve built national infrastructure to connect our homes with technology like NBN and Wi Fi. So now we’re going to see amazing things following the difficulties we’ve been through- perhaps we will even see a new roaring 20’s! So from that point of view, the industry has never been more important to grow, invest in, and advocate for.” AUSTRAL I AN INFORMAT ION INDUSTRY ASSOC I AT ION