image: CSIRO Group Executive Information Sciences and ICT Centre Director Dr. Alex Zelinsky delivers his opening remarks as Honorary Co-Chair of the summit. view more
Credit: CSIRO
The first summit between Australia and China on the topic of future information and communication technologies (ICT) is underway in Shanghai.
Sponsored by CSIRO and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, the summit brings together almost 70 policy makers, industrial leaders and prominent researchers to focus on wireless broadband, sensor networks and e-health.
"These are three important areas for our economy, environment and our wellbeing," CSIRO Information Sciences Group Executive Dr Alex Zelinsky said in his opening remarks as Honorary Co-Chair of the summit.
"Australia's planned national broadband network will serve as a technology platform for the further development of these three areas," Dr Zelinsky said.
"For example, giving all Australians access to the same level of high quality healthcare regardless of where they live, enabling large scale networks of intelligent sensors that monitor our environment, and facilitating the establishment of smart energy grids."
"Australia has a proud history in ICT research, with CSIRO playing a leading role in ICT technology development.
"We are working with other Australian R&D organisations and, as today's event exemplifies, we are working very closely with our colleagues in China."
Collaborations between Australia and China in ICT have been growing steadily.
March this year saw the formation of the Australia-China Research Centre for Wireless Communications, a collaboration led by CSIRO and Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications that has already attracted 14 partners.
"This summit furthers our work fostering broad, higher level collaborations which we began by establishing the Centre, " CSIRO ICT scientist and Australia-China Research Centre for Wireless Communications Director Dr Jay Guo said.
"These relationships will have a long-lasting positive effect on the prosperity of our two nations."
The two-day summit concludes today in Shanghai.
Image available at: http://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/mediarelease/mr09-295.html
Further Information:
Dr Alex Zelinsky, CSIRO ICT Centre
Ph:02 9372 4200
E:Alex.Zelinsky@csiro.au
Background information available at: http://www.csiro.au/events/Aus-China-Info-and-Communication-Summit.html
Media Assistance:
Jo Finlay, CSIRO ICT Centre
Ph:02 9372 4309
Mb:0447 639688
E:Joanne.Finlay@csiro.au