Artificial Intelligence and Digital Capability Centres Grants

The Australian Government’s Artificial Intelligence Action Plan  (the Plan) sets out a vision for Australia to be a global leader in developing and adopting trusted, secure and responsible artificial intelligence (AI). The Plan forms part of the Digital Economy Strategy  to lift Australia’s digital capability by fostering digital transformation and encouraging businesses to invest and accelerate their adoption of digital technologies.

Under the Plan, the Government is investing $44 million across 2021-2022 to 2024-2025 to establish four AI and Digital Capability Centres. These centres will connect small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with AI equipment and tools, provide services and training, and link SMEs to AI skills and expertise. In turn, the centres will support the development, commercialisation, and adoption of new high-value AI products and services for the domestic and global marketplace.

Alongside the AI and Digital Capability Centres, the Australian Government has established a National Artificial Intelligence Centre (NAIC), within CSIRO’s Data61, to coordinate Australia’s AI expertise and capabilities across multiple sectors. The NAIC is focused on addressing the cross-cutting barriers SMEs face in developing, adopting and commercialising AI while supporting collaboration and strategic alignment of the work delivered by the AI and Digital Capability Centres.

The Artificial Intelligence and Digital Capability Centres (the Capability Centres) will drive SMEs adoption, and the development, commercialisation and use of AI to propel novel and improved products, processes and services across sectors and into new markets.

The objectives of the Capability Centres are to:

• establish a ‘front door’ for SMEs to:
  • access the capabilities, innovative technologies, expertise and advice to adopt, adapt, test and deploy AI technologies
  • connect with local customers, opportunities, networks, experts and supply chains to lift productivity, increase revenue and create jobs
  • foster collaboration with local business, industry, research organisations, investors and other partners to accelerate development, upskill the workforce and solve industry challenges
  • promote local capabilities and showcase AI in action to drive commercialisation and export of novel and improved products, processes and services.
• coordinate and drive the growth of Australia’s AI ecosystem by:
  • collaborating with the NAIC, other AI and Digital Capability Centres and other industry, research, government and community partners to identify, fund and deliver collaborative and cross-cutting projects that address barriers to adoption, development and commercialisation of AI
  • increasing the sharing of knowledge, resources and infrastructure to build national capability, support long-term job creation and a more skilled workforce, and attract investment to Australia’s AI ecosystem
  • supporting industries to work together to build AI and digital networks and ecosystems, capitalise on complementary capabilities, overcome the barriers to scale and growth, and access global markets
  • supporting the growth of Australian SMEs into international markets.
• lift SME capabilities so they can confidently adopt AI solutions by:
  • providing training and guidance on AI, so that SMEs can evaluate the options available and understand implications for their products and services
  • providing expert advisory services on how AI can be used by SMEs to develop, improve or grow a product.