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Google Australia managing director Mel Silva greets Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the company’s Sydney offices.

Speaking at the opening of its new expanded office space in Sydney,Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said the investment would help drive local companies’ digital transformations,make research discoveries in AI and quantum computing,and advance solutions to Australian issues including clean energy and reef health.

“We believe a strong digital future is one where everyone has access to technology and the skills to use it;where the internet economy fulfils its immense potential,” Mr Pichai said.

“Australia can help lead the world’s next wave of innovation,harnessing technology to improve lives,create jobs,and make progress.”

Google Australia managing director Mel Silva said specific initiatives already underway included AI solutions to help CSIRO analyse underwater images of crown-of-thorn starfish,and expanded cloud capacity through a new cloud region in Melbourne.

Google Research Australia,a new unit within the company,will contain a team of researchers and engineers to develop AI solutions,while outside collaborations include a quantum computing partnership with Maquarie University.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Google’s investment was a vote of confidence in his government’s Digital Economy Strategy,and would have a ripple effect across the economy.

“Entrepreneurship is what solves the world’s biggest problems. Not taxes and regulations. We have to embrace and encourage and enable those seeking these new digital opportunities,” Mr Morrison said.

“Today’s announcement by Google demonstrates that we are taking the right approach,and it recognises the digital leadership that is necessary for Australia to emerge as a top digital economy by 2030.”

Google currently has three offices in Sydney,with plans for a fourth in the future.

Mr Morrison also said that as digital technology develops,an “equal amount of effort” needed to go towards making platforms safe,and tackling issues like online extremism.

“We are not naive to the risks and to the challenges. Above all,we need to ensure that we apply the same rules to the digital world that exists in the real world,” the Prime Minister said.

Australian regulators haverecently targeted Google,as well as other tech giants,for anti-competitive practices like building computing systems that preference their own services.

CSIRO chief executive Larry Marshall said Google’s new initiatives would help make the scientific organisation’s solutions a reality.

“When industry innovates,Australia grows,” he said.

“CSIRO’s science makes life better for every Australian,and when amplified by Google’s technology it will catalyse collaborative projects across our entire national innovation system,driving opportunity for businesses of all sizes across every market.”

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