Logan to lead technology push

Business leaders in Western Australia have applauded Premier Alan Carpenter’s decision to establish a science and innovation ministry, which has been handed to up and coming minister, Francis Logan.

The new portfolio was one of several surprises in Mr Carpenter’s wide ministerial reshuffle announced last week.

Another minister on the rise is John Bowler, who replaced John Kobelke in workplace relations and will assist the premier in the key state development portfolio.

Former tourism minister Mark McGowan has been promoted to take responsibility for environment, and in that role will have a say on whether key projects such as Alcoa’s planned Wagerup expansion are able to proceed.

The small business portfolio has been given to former union organiser and long-term backbencher Norm Marlborough.

While the opposition accepted most of the ministerial changes, deputy opposition leader Troy Buswell was scathing of Mr Marlborough, describing him as a person with “absolutely no practical experience of running a small business”.

Mr Carpenter highlighted the importance of science and innovation.

“These industries are among the fastest growing, most important sectors in the global economy and will play a growing part in the diversification of the state and national economies,” Mr Carpenter said.

PricewaterhouseCoopers man-aging partner Frank Edwards agreed that one of the key issues facing the government is diversification of the economy in readiness for life after the resources boom.

Peter Why, the chief executive of Zernike Australia, which manages Technology Park in Bentley, commended the ministerial changes.

“The premier’s vision for investing our wealth from resources into the new economy is commended, particularly where local science and technology can play a key role in the development of industry and employment,” Mr Why said. He said the government should not try to pick winners.

“The government must develop a business environment where all have the opportunity to prosper and should develop programmes to suit,” Mr Why told WA Business News.

Gavin Rezos, managing director of nanotechnology company pSivida, said WA could learn from other regions, which target particular industry sectors.

For instance, Indiana in the US built on its engineering expertise to successfully attract some of the world’s largest companies in diagnostics, while California was focusing on stem cell technology.

Mr Rezos believes WA should seek to attract internationally acclaimed scientists to WA’s universities and draw students from around the world.

Another suggestion was the establishment of laboratories and other facilities that could be shared by universities, researchers and business to facilitate research, trials and product development.

Tony Rosser, WA branch chair of the Australian Information Industry Association, highlighted government procurement as one of the key issues.

He said the association was pleased with efforts being made to address ICT procurement contracts but added that not all members were happy with the current approach.

“The refusal of the government to recognise that its own procurement activities should be used as a lever for industry development remains unacceptable to a segment of the AIIA membership, especially local SMEs,” Mr Rosser said.

He said the ICT sector was keen to supply major resource and defence projects, and wants the promised specialist ICT person within the Indus-try Capability Network in support of this goal appointed immediately.