CRC proposal targets businesses wishing to set e-commerce directions

Links between industry and universities could soon be improved by a new electronic commerce research centre proposal.

A group of universities, state governments and private companies is putting forward the proposal to set up the new research centre.

To be known as ?e-CRC', it will rapidly direct research findings to those industries that have been the most affected by the emergence of global e-commerce, such as I.T consulting, finance, manufacturing, media, telecommunications and retailing.

Electronic or ?e' commerce is using the Internet to advertise, buy, sell and in some cases delivering goods and services.

The proposal is being developed by the Universities of Queensland, Central Queensland and Melbourne, the Queensland and Victorian Government and private sector partners including SMS Consulting and the Gartner Group.

The plan is being put forward to the Federal Government as part of the 2000 round of the Co-operative Research Centres (CRC) program.

UQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Paul Greenfield said the proposal fitted neatly into the CRC program to help realise the potentially beneficial outcomes from public sector research through collaboration between universities, private industry and governments.

"However it will face some particular challenges as a research centre - as well as a commitment to research rigour, it must match the pace of change in this area."

Professor Greenfield said a recent report on the economic impacts of electronic commerce estimated that Internet-based commerce in Australia would grow from $61 million dollars in 1997 to $1.3 billion in 2001.

He said the e-commerce research program would cover business models, information issues, consumer/employee issues, business frameworks, legal issues and e-commerce systems engineering.

Significant outcomes would include effective business models, strategies for maximising the value of e-commerce investments, and tools for user interaction and market analysis.

The e-CRC would develop e-commerce training courses tailored to the particular needs of organisations engaged in e-business, and highly trained PhD graduates with hands-on experience in e-commerce projects and knowledge of real business issues.

Further information: Joe McLean, e-CRC, telephone 07 3365 7195, email: j.mclean@humanfactors.uq.edu.au