With cheaper rents than the Perth CBD and a diverse mix of office space, the City of Joondalup is an ideal place for start-ups to begin their innovation journeys.
With infrastructure in place like ECU’s Innovation Hub, fast internet connections and strong financial support readily available, Joondalup is also a place for start-ups to stay once they’ve established themselves. Scores of digitally focused businesses are making Joondalup their base of operations, contributing their skills to the City’s growing reputation as the home of cyber security.
● Sapien Cyber is a well-established Joondalup cyber security innovator and has moved its workforce into the new science facility at ECU’s Joondalup campus.
The City has connected Sapien with the WA state government offices in Dubai to exhibit at the Dubai World Expo.
● Founded in 2006 and based in Joondalup’s City Centre, SEQTA has grown from a humble kitchen table start-up into a multi-award winning software company with clients throughout Australia and South East Asia.
● The WA AustCyber Node at ECU’s Innovation Hub is collaborating with businesses across Perth to spread its cyber security skills.
● Graduates from ECU Joondalup’s Cyber Security courses are sought after worldwide for their expertise.
● The Joondalup Business Centre supports a widespread network of people working from home in the digital sector and in co-working spaces.
Attracting digital investment
More than 13,000 businesses call Joondalup home – and the vast majority of them are home-based, start-ups, scale-ups or small to medium-sized businesses.
As a business friendly organisation committed to slashing red tape, the City is an easy place to establish a business – especially if it’s digitally focused.
Stay Cyber Safe led the City’s Digital Ready Program in 2020 to enhance the digital capabilities of local businesses. Stay Safe’s founder and Chief Cyber Saver, Silvana Macri said Joondalup is primed for digital growth.
“Digital Ready provides businesses with the tools and safeguards to do this effectively while managing the cyber risks that come with being in the digital space,” she said.
The City works hard to attract investment in the digital sector, and the numbers speak for themselves:
● The Joondalup Innovation Hub for cyber security was established with an investment of $800,000 from the state government’s New Industries Fund.
● The Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) was established through a state government partnership worth $50 million.
● The CRC received almost $1 million in federal government funding for its establishment.
● The CRC is now assured of $140 million in funding from 25 industry, government, and university and research participants.
● These participants include the $50 million from the federal government over seven years and $5.6 million from the WA state government over seven years.
Digitally focused businesses that make the move to Joondalup will find a thriving tech sector that’s well supported financially.
They’ll also find themselves amid thriving companies like SEQTA and Sapien Cyber – just two of the many tech focused businesses who have successfully made Joondalup home.
Technology builds Joondalup’s future
Cyber security is one of the most important issues facing the world, set to replace the mining sector as the next jobs boom in Australia.
There is a global requirement for talent and skills to drive growth in this in-demand sector, and we could see a skills shortage akin to that experienced by Australia’s mining sector.
Through shrewd planning and investment, Joondalup has emerged as a leading City for ground breaking research, fostering talent and creating systems to boost cyber security capabilities.
Now the City is reaping the benefits of having advanced capabilities at its heart.
Students from across Australia and the world are learning tech skills then going to work locally in cutting edge facilities and businesses.
With the largest number of cyber graduates in Australia from ECU and North Metropolitan TAFE combined, the City is seeking to attract start-ups and businesses in the global cyber supply chain.
Digital businesses are making the move to Joondalup to take advantage of cheaper rents, supportive local government and an attractive lifestyle. Joondalup has always been a great place to live and work – and now it’s becoming a great place to build the world’s technology future.
Coupled with Joondalup’s well-established position as a leading centre for education and medical technology, the City is a natural centre for learning that will create the future.
