By Jamie Salter
Federation University Australia is launching the Centre for Smart Analytics – a new research centre that will use digital technology to help Australian communities to prosper, manage natural resources and safeguard against cyber-attacks.
Working in fields of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital economy and smart learning technologies, the centre work with industries, government and communities to come up with solutions to real-world problems.
The centre will bring together researchers from across the university into multidisciplinary teams including computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, business strategists, and education specialists.
Federation University president Professor Duncan Bentley said the centre will help shape the future of Australia.
“Everybody right in their own homes are going to see this – whether you have a smart fridge that will reorder the food you need, or your own wearables with smart sensors and artificial intelligence that tells you well before it happens that you’re about to have a heart attack,” professor Bentley said.
“It will also help businesses on how to be much more cost efficient and effective so we can compete anywhere in the world.
“We want our students to be able to come to us and be connect with employers very early on.”
The CSA’s research plans to assist local city councils with their ‘Smart City’ initiatives, develop low-cost effective solutions to the problems faced by Australian businesses and industries to stay globally competitive, help safeguard against cyber-attacks, optimise water and energy usage for agricultural use and explore a next-generation education system to equip students for future challenges and opportunities.
Co-located across the University’s Victorian campuses, the CSA will be led by internationally recognised computer scientist professor Joarder Kamruzzaman and optimisation researcher and Australian Research Council College of Expert member Professor Adil Baghirov.
Mr Kamruzzaman said the centre will support research teams to work with urban and regional communities, industry and government partners to offer feasible and low-cost solutions to their problems.
“It will have practical application for each one of us – optimising water supplies so that we can bring down your water bill, optimising supply chains to manage the supply of critical goods and infrastructure, protecting your computer systems from cyber hacking by criminals – and many other applications that make life better and more sustainable,” Mr Kamruzzaman said.
Mr Baghirov said the establishment of the centre will open new opportunities for application of mathematical and machine learning methods.
“We live in a digital world – artificial intelligence, cyber security, smart learning technologies are embedded in every part of life and through this new research centre we can find ways to better use these technologies for more sustainable communities,” Mr Baghirov said.
A launch event announcing the new centre was held at Federation University’s Berwick campus on Friday 18 February.
