The Pearcey Oration is presented each year by an eminent expert.

The oration is an opportunity to explore, in depth, critical contemporary issues arising from the introduction and adoption of new and advanced technologies into our society.

On Wednesday 4^th September at Melbourne Connect, 700 Swanston Street, Carlton, the 2024 Pearcey Oration, the most significant technology oration in the nation, was delivered by Dr Ian Oppermann.

Photos

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Taking the Tiger by the Tail – a digital future for Australia that works for us all!

During his Oration, Dr Ian Oppermann  explored the exciting future for Australia as we embrace the latest in digital technologies and services to improve our lives, strengthen our economy and bolster our competitive position globally. He delved into challenges, issues and opportunities for equity, AI, privacy, cybersecurity, standards and collaboration.

Dr Trevor Pearcey put Australia at the very forefront of the digital computing age when he built CSIRAC in 1947-49. Now, as we celebrate the 75^th anniversary of CSIRAC being turned on, Dr Oppermann helped us look towards 2030, to consider how data will change the world for our children in 2050 and to reach out to the 150^th anniversary of CSIRAC in 2099 and what digital existence in Australia might be like then.

Oration Text

Ian has generously made a copy of the text of his Oration available here.

About the Orator

Ian is co-founder of ServiceGen, helping governments accelerate digital service delivery. That builds on his pioneering work of 8 years as the inaugural Chief Data Scientist for NSW and founding CEO of the NSW Data Analytics Centre – first of its kind in Australia.

Starting in 2015, Ian led the strategic effort for a whole-of-government digital transformation to bring world-class data and analytics practices to bear on complex ‘wicked’ challenges in policy, design and implementation. He led the effort for ethical, data-enabled solutions and to drive cultural change in the use of data in government.

Ian was instrumental in formulation of the NSW AI and Data Strategies. He led the establishment of the whole of government, AI Assurance Framework, another first in Australia. The basis for the recently announced national AI Assurance Framework.

His team delivered solutions:

• underpinning reform of the state’s multi-billion-dollar compulsory-third-party insurance scheme;
• helping to reform the out-of-home-care system for children identified at risk of significant harm; and
• helped identify critical factors underpinning long standing challenges in builder insolvency, vocational training, procurement reform, and many other areas.

They played a critical role in the NSW response to COVID. The Personal Information Tool, for which he led the development, ensures appropriate protections are provided to personal data before it is released to other systems and organisations.

Prior to the NSW Government, Ian held senior management roles in Europe and Australia. These included as Director for Radio Access Performance at Nokia, as Global Head of Sales Partnering at Nokia Siemens Networks, and as Divisional Chief and Flagship Director at CSIRO. He also has experience running a start-up, and as CEO of fintech RoZetta Technology, and an international track record in university innovation as Director of the self-funded Centre for Wireless Communications, at the University of Oulu, in Finland.

An accomplished and widely published researcher and practitioner, Ian is recognised as a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, a Fellow of the Royal Society NSW, a Fellow and Past President of the Australian Computer Society. He continues to lead Australian and international standards bodies addressing data and digital communications.

Ian is chairing the Australia 4.0 initiative launched by the Pearcey Foundation last year, to drive collaboration between the energy sector and the ICT sector to enable the transition of the energy system to Net Zero.

Researcher, founder, executive, engineer, pioneer, public servant, internationally respected thought leader, Ian offered an unusually well-informed perspective on what our data enabled future holds for us all.

       
The 2024 Pearcey Oration and the 2024 Victorian Pearcey Entrepreneur Award were supported by Digital Innovation Futures Victoria and by Melbourne Connect.
The Pearcey Oration is the flagship event of Melbourne Connect Innovation Week.