UWA secures $50m software centre deal

INTERNATIONAL communications giant Motorola has unveiled plans for a $50 million advanced software engineering centre in Perth.

The University of WA will spend $15 million to build the facility and Motorola will spend $35 million over five years on salaries, recruitment, training and setting up high speed communication links.

Once completed, the centre will create jobs for up to 400 Western Australians and help stem the flow of highly-skilled local software developers to the eastern states and overseas.

UWA deputy vice chancellor Alan Robson said the centre would be a boost “for the university and the State”.

The new engineering centre will provide access to state-of-the-art engineering, design and modelling facilities and opportunities for industry relevant research projects.

Prof. Robson said the UWA has recognised the areas of Information technology, telecommunications, and computer science as major areas of strategic academic opportunity in the next decade.