A new federal cyber security research and development centre is set to expand Australia’s cyber and intelligence capabilities.

The Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), announced in late September, will work towards ensuring the safety of businesses and citizens in cyberspace.

The centre is set to receive an excess of $89 million total in funding from 25 government, research and industry partners in addition to a $50 million investment from the Australian Government over the next seven years.

Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Craig Landry said the investment will contribute to Australia’s reputation as a ‘secure and trusted place to do business’.

“The Cyber Security CRC will deliver solutions to increase the security of critical infrastructure… that benefits businesses and their customers.

“This will give the Australian community confidence they are safe and secure as they conduct their business online,” he said.

Landry said these include frameworks, products and approaches that will service existing and future ICT enterprises across a broad range of platforms and operating systems.

This investment comes in addition to the Australian Government’s $230 million Cyber Security Strategy, which addresses how the country can best protect itself and continue research and development of the area, and the $400 million to boost Australia’s cyber capabilities and create specialist jobs.

Landry said the activities of the Cyber Security CRC will contribute to these objectives while improving the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australian industries.

However, despite the availability of funding, the future of Australia’s cyber security resources are heavily dependent on a skilled workforce, as discussed by the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Cyber Security, the Hon Dan Tehan.

“A key element of our Government’s $230 million Cyber Security Strategy is ensuring we have highly-skilled and capable people working in the industry,” he said.

Tehan said the industry is expected to triple in size over the next decade, and initiatives such as the country’s first Academic Centres of Cyber Security Excellence have been implemented in two Australian universities to encourage skills growth.

Information about the CRC grants can be found here.