The NSW Government’s Jobs Plus Program will help Australia’s largest semiconductor employer, Morse Micro, expand its work into revolutionary long-range, low power Wi-Fi in Sydney’s Tech Central – boosting its team of over 120 staff from 33 countries, including one of Wi-Fi’s original pioneers, Professor Neil Weste.
Speaking at the Investment NSW 2022 Tech Central Summit, Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade Stuart Ayres said that as the birthplace of Wi-Fi, Sydney was the natural home to take the technology to the next level.
“The Sydney-based Morse Micro team is made up of world-class engineers who have developed much of the technology we use every day in our smartphones, laptops and connected devices,” Mr Ayres said.
“We’re excited to be able to support the team to develop its new HaLow technology through the Jobs Plus Program, to bring even more innovation to Tech Central.”
The company has been approved to progress on its application for infrastructure and training rebates as well as payroll tax exemptions, subject to finalising a formal agreement with the NSW Government.
With the support, Morse Micro aims to expand its Surry Hills office space and recruit a new R&D team, creating new jobs for system architects, chip designers and firmware engineers. In addition, the company’s graduate program will also bring fresh talent to Tech Central every six months.
Morse Micro CEO and Co-Founder Michael De Nil said the assistance will advance the revolution of Wi-Fi and Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
“By 2030, there will be 125 billion IoT devices in the world and this growth is driving us to rethink Wi-Fi and connectivity. By changing the status quo of our current Wi-Fi protocols we are pushing the boundaries of our digital future, driving transformation and enhancing connectivity across the globe,” Mr De Nil said.
“We are proud to be part of the Tech Central district, contributing to a dynamic and vibrant community of like-minded yet diverse startups.”
Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Alister Henskens confirmed that Tech Central will also house a first-of-its-kind secure collaborative research and innovation facility from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) that will turbocharge the growth of the state’s cyber security industry.
The UTS Vault will be a purpose-built, Department of Defence-compliant facility unique to NSW, enabling collaboration between private sector tenants and a public university to advance research and commercialisation in world-leading cyber security and defence technology.
Also backed by the Jobs Plus Program, UTS will benefit from infrastructure rebates to construct the Vault, creating 30 direct jobs and supporting more than 80 indirect jobs by June 2024.
Mr Henskens said that in addition to advancing university collaboration, the Vault will help progress the NSW Government’s 2021 Cyber Security Strategy to deliver new high-skilled jobs and build state capacity for cyber intelligence. It will also support the state’s economic future by developing the industries of tomorrow.
“The Vault will help further cement NSW, and Tech Central, as the place where industry – from startups through to major multinationals – can access critical infrastructure to expand their businesses, grow jobs and solve real-world problems,” Mr Henskens said.
UTS Vice Chancellor, Professor Andrew Parfitt, said UTS has observed a growing demand from industry and government for accessing secure research and innovation facilities, where protected projects can be undertaken.
“The UTS Vault will help NSW build a pipeline of highly skilled workers for the technology and innovation industry by providing world-leading cyber security education and hands-on experience for undergraduate and higher degree students, industry employees seeking to re-skill and startups,” Mr Parfitt said.
Mr Ayres also confirmed progress for the Tech Central Scaleup Accommodation Rebate, with the assistance supporting men’s health platform Mosh, Software as a Solution business MASTT, short term loan provider Fundo, real-time payments platform Zepto Payments and built environment scheduling app Veyor as the first recipients set to relocate to the district.
“Since announcing our $11m investment to support scaleups with rental and fitout rebates, we’ve received a strong level of interest from companies interested in locating within Tech Central, and look forward to them joining soon,” Mr Ayres said.
Source: Investment NSW
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