23 December 2025
On the final day of the OECD E-Leaders meeting, delegates engaged with the DTA’s industry partners: the ACS and AIIA. Attendees dove into how Australia collaborates with the tech sector to uplift our digital services.
The DTA’s close ties with the Australian Computer Society (ACS) and the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) supercharge collaboration, driving powerful exchanges of expertise and insights.
We welcomed the OECD E-Leaders and the Expert Group on Open Government Data to witness firsthand how Australia’s digital sector is seizing cutting-edge tech opportunities and setting the pace for innovation.
Finger on the digital pulse with ACS
The ACS broke down how vital digital skills and the technology industry were to Australia’s economy. With 1 million technical workers, and nearly $134 billion worth of economic contributions, digital skills are not projecting to slowing down.
“150,000 businesses are currently experiencing significant or sever digital skills gaps,” Joshua Griggs, Chief Executive Officer of the ACS, said on the day. “Reducing the skills gap is integral to lifting productivity and mitigating the costs of cyber-attacks.”
Artificial intelligence will have a transformational impact, especially with keen consideration of its workforce impact. That includes a redesign of roles and will have a knock-on effect on planning necessary reskilling of each workforce.
NSW government digital journey
The NSW Government technical uplift is guided by the NSW Digital Strategy. It has focused on building strong foundations, scaling capabilities, and embedding digital across all government functions.
Over the past decade, NSW has led Australia in digital government maturity, driven by unified robust governance, and citizen-centric service delivery. Key initiatives include the launch of Service NSW as the central service portal, the Digital Restart Fund, and agile procurement reforms that have saved over $1 billion.
The government has consolidated hundreds of websites into a single platform, improved accessibility, and reduced costs. Strategic programs such as Digital Identity, Cyber Security Uplift, Spatial Digital Twin, and the Office of AI are enhancing service delivery, resilience, and innovation.
“Our mission is to drive a consistent and unified approach to digital and ICT across the NSW Government,” Laura Christie, Deputy Secretary, Digital.NSW, Government Chief Information & Digital Officer, explained on the day. “To provide leadership for digital transformation, delivering efficiently and responsibly, and offering trusted expertise in technology and digital domains.”
Industry honours from AIIA
The E-Leaders week concluded with a distinguished showcase of five leading Australian SMEs recognised for their achievements in digital innovation by the AIIA.
iAwards 2025 honorees shared expert perspectives on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, green technology, and data centre advancements.
The event fostered meaningful collaboration and knowledge exchange between international delegates and Australian industry, providing SMEs with direct engagement opportunities with government leaders and potential avenues within the public sector.
That’s a wrap
If you missed any of our previous insights, you can find summaries of:
- Day one exploring the potential, testing, and reinforcing public trust across the adoption of innovative technologies for the betterment of civil services
- Day two exploring the logistics of harnessing those benefits of innovation technologies
2025 has been a huge year for Australia on the world stage. Our efforts in delivering on digital investments has been recognised as best practice, including:
The Digital Transformation Agency is the Australian Government's adviser for the development, delivery, and monitoring of whole-of-government strategies, policies, and standards for digital and ICT investments, including ICT procurement.
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