Optus, UniSA to build cybersec research hub

Optus has partnered with University of South Australia (UniSA) to build a cyber security research and collaboration hub.

The hub will be housed in the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (A3C) in Adelaide, where industry, customers, partners, academics and students can come under one roof to solve complex cyber issues and develop new products and services.

Optus and UniSA will also appoint a joint Chair of Cyber Security and Data Science to lead the hub and the strategic alliance.

The alliance will also deliver multi-disciplinary courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students at UniSA, as well as a joint research and innovation fund to develop and attract innovation to South Australia.

Optus will also provide scholarships to support student and PhD enrolment in cyber security and data science related fields of study, and will also leverage industry knowledge from sister company Trustwave.

Optus Business vice president of product innovation Deon Liebenberg said Optus’ co-investment is a response to the “increasingly critical” role data science and cyber security is playing in the world, and the need to bring academia and industry from all sectors under one roof to solve complex digital issues collectively.

“We want to apply advances in these fields to make a real difference in people's lives and this joint venture will unlock opportunities and solutions that don't even exist yet,” Liebenberg said.

“Our exciting collaboration will create opportunities to conduct cross-cutting research and a platform for exchange between UniSA, subject experts from Optus, and Optus’ enterprise and government clients and partners. This will ultimately help us assist our customers tap into emerging markets and opportunities across a range of industries and operate more efficiently.”

UniSA deputy vice chancellor for research and innovation Marnie Hughes-Warrington said the joint chair would help to spearhead both research and education in the “increasingly sophisticated and crucial” fields of cyber security and data science.

“This expertise folds perfectly into the capacities being developed in South Australia in defence and security, space and space technologies and in satellite systems,” Hughes-Warrington said.

“As South Australia grows its base in these industries, there will be increasing demand for the right research expertise and the right graduates to take up significant positions in both research and practice in cybersecurity and aligned positions in data science.

“The Optus-UniSA strategic alliance is an important investment in that future and creating that talent pipeline.”