Build a strong digital economy
Our long-term goals
Building a thriving digital economy will enable NSW to rebound from the pandemic faster. By tapping into unrealised opportunities, we will go beyond repairing our economy and create a strong and prosperous NSW.
We will stimulate industry growth, generate economic activity and boost jobs in NSW through investments in digital infrastructure, research and development, technology precincts, industry reform and government transformation.
Our future is one where:
- our productivity is increased as we can implement more effective regulation and policy
- we solve government problems quicker and create jobs as we invest in innovation and leverage an extensive partner ecosystem
- we rapidly respond to the needs of our customers as all government services are digitised and leveraging connected platforms
- digital enables more efficient and effective physical infrastructure, and smart places.
“Digital has transformed our life and the world around us. Adopting greater digital technology will improve our productivity, customer experience and competitiveness; importantly it will set-up NSW as a leader in innovation” Stephen Walters, Chief Economist for the NSW Treasury
Building towards our future
The Digital Restart Fund
A $2.1 billion investment, bolstered with the highest level of government governance, digital coaching, design services toolkit, innovative procurement pathways and a developing ecosystem of start-ups, scale-ups and small and medium sized enterprises.
Regional Hubs and Technology Precincts
Launched the Tech Central Scaleup Hub which provides 8,000 square metres of affordable space to high-growth technology scaleups, contributing towards Tech Central’s goal to bring 25,000 innovation jobs to this priority precinct.
In addition, established regional hubs, like the Bathurst Vulnerability Management Centre, that will deliver specialist capabilities across government.
Industry reform and regulation
Digital technology and human centred design are being used to drive industry reform, informing regulation and policy through safe and controlled environments. For example, in the building sector, we're driving greater accountability and end to end quality with Construct NSW where we calculate the trustworthiness for buildings and help customers assess risks, which drives better outcomes for both industry and customers.
Strategic partnerships
The Sovereign Procurement Taskforce, supported by the buy.nsw platform, is making it easier and quicker for industry and government to connect, innovate and solve problems.
Reuse of digital platforms
The State Digital Assets program is improving the visibility of digital platforms available for reuse, strengthening their governance and ongoing investment. This will reduce cost and duplication on common capabilities that enable our customers to make and receive payments, renew licenses, identify themselves safely and more.
Service NSW for business
Will make it easier for business owners to start, run and grow their business, with a focus on recovering from times of crisis.
Our strategic objectives are
We need to use technology and involve our customers to reform regulation. This allows us to innovate and update regulation faster, which will deliver the best outcomes for our customers while also ensuring confidence with industry.
Examples of how we'll do this include:
- scaling Buy.NSW 'Go to Market' and 'Supplier Hub' capabilities making it simple for suppliers and government buyers to connect, innovate and solve government problems
- using eConstruction to deliver end-to-end solutions, leveraging existing and emerging technologies, such as blockchain, to provide assurance for consumers and regulators to rebuild confidence in the residential built environment
- utilising the NSW spatial digital twin to visualise large scale infrastructure projects in three and four dimensions, providing the ability for customers to see planning information and input to inform decisions
- deploying an industry-wide ePlanning platform for customers to understand, engage and collaborate, capturing declared regulatory information from planning approval to final occupation of the building.
Invest in technology innovation to create business and employment opportunities. Leverage research and development networks and tech precincts to solve problems and ensure the ethical and sustainable use of technology.
Examples of how we'll do this include:
- providing competitive grants to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to find and commercialise innovative solution to well-defined problems for NSW government agencies via the Small Business and Innovation Research program
- supporting activities that connect startups with existing knowledge, foster commercialisation, and develop a networked ecosystem of innovation via the Boosting Business Innovation Program
- Enhancing collaboration between NSW research organisations and business communities via the TechVouchers program
- creating and supporting innovation procurement pathways to make it easier to find and develop the best solutions to problems people face in NSW and to stimulate growth and diversity in the innovation and emerging technology sector
- connecting government problems into research and development networks and innovation tech precincts
- maximising adoption of innovative technology by helping agencies understand how technology can solve their problems
- guiding research and innovation investment in digital technologies and applications for accelerated commercialisation and deployment across industry sectors via the 20 Year NSW R&D Roadmap.
- brokered partnerships between industry, researchers and government agencies to promote greater collaboration and foster innovation to solve connectivity challenges through the establishment of the Connectivity Innovation Network (CIN).
Using digital platforms, we can accelerate the digitalisation of government services and streamlines processes. This will also help us to respond to our customers' needs quicker and improve customer experiences.
Examples of how we'll do this include:
- transitioning NSW Government agencies to eInvoicing so we can pay our partners and suppliers quicker
- using a cloud first approach to all digital solutions to enable rapid scaling to customer needs, guided by the NSW Cloud Strategy and Policy
- continuing to build digital platforms in government, such as identity, credentials, licensing, payments, and tell government once
- improve governance and sustainability of digital assets to maximise their reuse in NSW Government agencies
- identifying future digital platforms needed to support a leading customer centric digital government.
We will make it easy to start, run and grow a small business in NSW by reducing red tape, providing easy to access regulatory information and increasing business opportunities.
Examples of how we'll do this include:
- driving reform to support the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the technology sector with the Sovereign Procurement Taskforce
- providing independent professional business advice, events and online resources for small business via Service NSW Business Connect.
- making it easier for suppliers and partners to work with government via the buy.nsw platform
- supporting business owners to start, run and grow their business, as they adapt and recover from times of change with Service NSW for business
- progressing the Licensing Program which uses the Licence NSW platform to enable customer centric digital end-to-end journeys and make the process of obtaining a business license easier and quicker.
Harness the power of digital to enhance infrastructure planning and delivery, achieving efficiencies in government, improving state productivity and deliver better place-based experiences for our customers.
Examples of how we'll do this include:
- using the Spatial Digital Twin trial products to connect the voice of the customer to inform future infrastructure planning
- continuing alignment between ICT and Infrastructure assurance frameworks to ensure reuse of digital platforms for seamless place based and online digital channel experiences
- delivering the SmartNSW Roadmap 2022-2027 that builds on the Smart Places Strategy to increase use of technology and data solutions to provide great places and outcomes for customers
- learning from digitally enabled programs that that are customer-centric and help to accelerate infrastructure design and building, such as the NSW Government's record investment in public education infrastructure led by School Infrastructure NSW Modern Methods of Construction Program
- implement recommendations of the State Infrastructure Strategy to adopt the use of digital technology in infrastructure planning, delivery and operation, as well as prioritising digital service delivery over physical infrastructure (where appropriate).
Related initiatives
We are very proud to have launched the initial release of SDA’s and have begun the important process of drafting a whole of government reuse policy.
The ability to capture, analyse and share active transport data via Artificial Intelligence (AI) is critical to enhancing the strategic investment and management of a safe, reliable, and connected network.
If you're a business needing to register industrial plant items with SafeWork NSW, you can now do it faster than ever thanks to the NSW Government's new simplified digital process, which slashes weeks off the average registration time.