DXC Technology has announced plans to open digital transformation centres in Australia, due to open in the first half of 2018.

The company says the centres will showcase a new and evolving approach for local clients to re-skill their workforce and deliver digital solutions by drawing on DXC Technology's global experience in digital transformations.

They say this will create an environment for the incubation of ideas, learning and innovative solutions, providing local clients with the ability to apply the latest digital design and innovation in their digital transformation journeys.

Mike Lawrie, chairman, president and chief executive officer of DXC Technology says, “The DXC Digital Transformation Centres will aim to advance digital innovation and deliver economic and social impact outcomes to Australia.

“This unique offering in the Australian market draws on collaborative minds and home-grown partnerships across industry, academia, community and government, and fosters a new culture of innovation in a digital world.

The centres will be designed to provide clients continual access to advisory services, present new ways of working, and help clients design and develop digital solutions to solve business challenges.

The new centres are based on similar models launched by DXC Technology in the United Kingdom and Belgium, and aim to spark new conversations with local clients about digital transformation by offering:

• End-to-end digital services from ideation and change through to development and ongoing evolution, to accelerate large enterprise clients on their unique transformational journeys;

• A collaborative, engaging environment focused on generating rapid outcomes and return on investment; and

• An outside-in approach to capacity-based staffing to deliver outcomes quicker, grow in-house capabilities and foster innovation.

Assistant Minister for digital transformation and MP, Angus Taylor says the new centres will support the Federal Government's digital transformation agenda across the public and private sectors.

“Initiatives such as these support our efforts by driving agility and innovation among Australian businesses, service providers and government agencies, as we become more mobile, connected and reliant on technology than ever before,” he says.    

The first two digital transformation centres will be in Canberra and Melbourne and will be co-located with universities, allowing for collaborative research between industry and academia.

In Canberra, the centre will partner with Australia's leading university, The Australian National University (ANU), with a focus on education, research and innovation contributing to Australia's digital agenda.

Brian Schmidt, ANU vice-chancellor professor welcomed the announcement of the research collaboration with DXC Technology, which he says aligns with the university's drive to reimagine engineering and technology fit for the 21st century.

“This partnership will drive research collaboration and will give students the chance to undertake programs that will benefit government and society,” Schmidt says.

The foundation industry partners for the centre in Canberra include Tandem.ai, Gulanga, Canberra Data Centers (CDC) and Microsoft.

Tandem.ai will provide predictive analysis of the social and economic impact of digital change on the Australian workforce, while Gulanga will provide the capability to resource projects as well as creating IT employment pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

CDC will provide secure and reliable data center solutions and services, and Microsoft will offer skills, tools and technology.

In Melbourne, the Centre is planned to be located at Swinburne University of Technology, which DXC describes as a leading industry-engaged university working with an extensive network on finding innovative research led digital transformation solutions

Aleksander Subic, Swinburne deputy vice-chancellor for research and development says, “The DXC Digital Transformation Centre at Swinburne aims to embed both our research and practice-based research training, within an industry environment on campus, to find innovative business solutions to complex digital challenges.