City signs on for digital transformation
Date published: 7 February 2018
Mayor Jenny Hill today signed an agreement with one of Asia’s largest consultancy powerhouses to transform the city into a world-class digital hub and create the jobs of the future.
A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between Townsville City Council and visiting delegates from Singapore-based consultancy Surbana Jurong.
It outlines a number of initiatives focused on transforming Townsville into a smart city, including a business case study on fibre optic cable from Singapore to Townsville.
Cr Hill said developing Townsville into a digital hub will generate a range of economic and social benefits for the whole community.
“These initiatives will see our city become a hive of innovation, allowing us to attract new businesses with new jobs in growth areas,” Cr Hill said.
“We’re looking forward to cooperating with Surbana Jurong on making it happen.”
It follows the announcement in October 2017 that Council and James Cook University would collaborate to establish the North Queensland Regional Data Centre.
“Having the centre here in Townsville means we will be able to attract more high-tech business and innovative jobs to our region,” Cr Hills said.
“In addition, the potential fibre optic cable from Singapore will make it possible to offer businesses larger data storage and higher speeds.”
Also included in the Memorandum of Cooperation is an agreement to work with Surbana Jurong and its networks to encourage direct flights between Singapore and Townsville.
“Singapore is one of the world’s major economic hubs – the gateway to Asia and a crucial link between Australia and the rest of the world,” Cr Hill said.
“The Singapore Government has already made a significant investment in our region by committing to the new defence training facility near Townsville which will be a big boost to the city’s development.”
The agreement also aims to strengthen ties with Singapore by proposing a Sister City agreement with the City of Singapore.
“Our two cities already have a strong relationship a great deal of mutual respect and I look forward to strengthening that bond even further,” Cr Hill said.
Delegates from Surbana Jurong and International Enterprise Singapore are visiting Townsville this week to meet with the business community and promote emerging opportunities in Singapore.
Surbana Jurong is one of Asia’s biggest urban, infrastructure and engineering consultancies, with over 13,500 employees in more than 120 offices spread over 40 countries around the world.
International Enterprise Singapore is a statutory board which runs under the Singapore Government’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, facilitating overseas growth for Singapore-based companies and promoting international trade.
