CSIRO chief scientist Bronwyn Fox is stepping down to become the University of New South Wales’ new deputy vice-chancellor for research and enterprise from mid-July. Professor Fox will join the Sydney-based university to fill the vacancy left by Professor Nicholas Fisk, who left the role earlier this month after nearly eight years in the job,…
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Industry and Science minister Ed Husic says the federal government remains open to providing additional support for the development of sovereign AI capabilities, but that overseas examples suggest much of this work will be driven “largely off the back of private capital”. Mr Husic said the development of large language models in Australia was important,…
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Options and thresholds for regulating artificial intelligence in Australia will be developed over the next five months by renowned artificial intelligence expert Toby Walsh, the CSIRO’s chief scientist Bronwyn Fox and intellectual property barrister Angus Lang. The three experts are part of a 12-person Artificial Intelligence Expert Group to be fully unveiled by Industry and…
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After pouring $1 billion into decades of quantum research, the federal government is about to unveil a national plan for the critical technology. Ahead of its release, the person behind the strategy, Australia’s chief scientist Dr Cathy Foley, is urging the sector to be “audacious” but not to expect a flood of government money. Dr…
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The government appointments to the National Robotics Strategy Advisory Committee were announced on Tuesday, with CSIRO chief scientist Professor Bronwyn Fox to lead an eight-person group of field experts and worker and investor representatives. Professor Fox is an engineer with a background in advanced manufacturing and translating research into industrial outcomes. Along with Industry minister…
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Several leading public servants have announced moves this month ahead of the new financial year, while Australia’s science agency has a new chief scientist and a 32-year-old regulator has been tasked with cleaning up US Big Tech.
The Department of Industry’s general manager of emerging technologies Tim Bradley has jumped to the private sector, joining American behemoth Amazon Web Services as a strategic advisor for federal government.
Mr Bradley spent nearly seven years at the Department of Industry, including three as general manager and a two-year stint in the US.
The Industry Department is gaining Erin Cockram, who has been appointed as general manager financial management.
Katie Heathcote is leaving Austrade to join New South Wales Treasury next month, where she will be associate director for technology and assist companies to export globally.
South Australia has a new chief information and security officer, promoting Office for Cyber Security deputy director Will Luker into the role late last month to replace the state government’s inaugural information chief David Goodman who resigned in January.
CSIRO has appointed Professor Bronwyn Fox as Chief Scientist, nearly 30 years after she began working for the national science agency as a research assistant.
Professor Fox joins the agency from Swinburne University of Technology, where she is deputy vice-chancellor for research and enterprise.
“It is wonderful to return to CSIRO as Chief Scientist after starting as a 22-year-old research assistant, and to be able to champion science research and capability, working with industry and fostering STEM careers,” Professor Fox said.
She replaces CSIRO’s acting chief scientist Dr Sarah Pearce, who took over from Dr Cathy Foley in January when she was made Australia’s chief scientist.
CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall said Professor Fox brings deep scientific experience to the leadership role.
“She has a long history of bringing together researchers from across multiple scientific domains and institutions, leveraging digital science, and helping industry to translate brilliant ideas into real world solutions,” Dr Marhall said.
US Big Tech collectively shuddered this week when President Joe Biden named Lina Khan as chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Ms Khan is an antitrust researcher critical of the immense market power of firms like Facebook, Amazon and Google, and will lead the regulator as it launches several antitrust cases.
The UK-born Khan is just 32 years old and argues there is a “systemic trend across the US” of consolidating markets and that current laws aren’t well equipped to deal with the large technology companies.
“These firms essentially provide infrastructure to the digital age,” she told the BBC earlier this year.
“A small group of private executives are setting the rules of who gets to use the infrastructure and on what terms.”
US Senator Elizabeth Warren, another critic of US Big Tech, welcomed the appointment.
“With Chair Khan at the helm, we have a huge opportunity to make big, structural change by reviving antitrust enforcement and fighting monopolies that threaten our economy, our society, and our democracy,” Senator Warren said.
Back home and Mark Perry has left Ping Identity after eight years, including five as the APAC technology chief. He joins banking and compliance software Biza.io as chief customer officer, where he will focus on the company’s open banking push.
One of Australia’s leading open banking players Regional Australia Bank has a new chief executive office, announcing David Heine will lead the company from July.
Mr Heine has a background in IT, and electronic payments, and joins Regional Australia Bank from Linfox Armaguard.
Squiz co-founder John-Paul Syriatowicz has been promoted to Chairperson after being managing director of the customer experience software company for more than 22 years.
Margaret Maile Petty has stepped down as University of Technology Sydney’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship executive director after nearly four years in the role.
Professor Maile Petty announced the move on LinkedIn, reflecting on highlights like launching the UTS Startups program.
And finally, executives of the troubled Australian technology company Nuix have stepped down after an investigation by Nine newspapers exposed serious culture and governance issues.
On Tuesday the company announced chief financial officer Stephen Doyle had been “terminated by mutual agreement” before later revealing chief executive Rod Vawdrey had given notice of his decision to retire.
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Swinburne University’s Professor Bronwyn Fox will be CSIRO’s next Chief Scientist, the university announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Fox joined Swinburne in 2015 — as the head of its Factory of the Future — from Deakin University. Following a Directorship of its Manufacturing Futures Research Institute, Fox has been Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Enterprise in February 2020.
The university praised her “strong reputation for bringing together researchers from across scientific domains, integrating digital capability and working with industry.” Vice Chancellor Professor Pascale Quester added that she had helped position Swinburne “at the forefront of advanced manufacturing.”
Fox described re-joining CSIRO — where she began her career as a research assistant in the 1990s — as a “complete circle.”
“I am passionate about championing science research and capability, as well as working with industry and fostering STEM careers,” she said.
“I am grateful for my time at Swinburne and proud of what we have achieved. I am confident that Swinburne will continue to bring people and technology together to build a better world and cement their leadership position in the technology and education sector.”
The exact time of her departure was not given, and Swinburne said she would remain there the “next few months to ensure a smooth transition.”
CSIRO’s previous Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Foley, began as the nation’s Chief Scientist in January.
This story was originally published by @AuManufacturing. You can subscribe to the @AuManufacturing newsletter here.
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