History

In 2003, the forerunner of IXC Australia, the Australian Industry InnovationXchange Network was established with the support of the Australian Industry Group Sir William Tyree Foundation, the Australian Government and the Australian State Governments of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, to provide an online 'open network' to enhance Australian innovation by improving communication across the boundaries of industry, government, academia and research.

This model however didn't address the issue of sharing potentially sensitive or confidential information between legally separate entities. In May 2004, IXC began to trial the use of 'trusted intermediaries' to facilitate the secure, managed exchange of sensitive knowledge between entities. This concept began with former IBMer John Wolpert, who was subsequently employed by IXC to run the pilot with a consortium of organisations in the life sciences domain. The success of the pilot led to the IXC Intermediary Service becoming IXC's core business activity.

On 1 July 2006, IXC Australia Limited was officially formed as a fully independent, not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee.

While retaining its national and international focus, IXC Australia is now headquartered in Melbourne where strong Victorian Government support will see IXC Intermediaries working in Victorian medical research institutes, and in the food and agriculture, 'small technologies' and smart manufacturing sectors.

Even during the pilot, the IXC model began to attract international interest. Today, technology, information and people are globally mobile - IXC's ability to cross national boundaries to help organisations work together is the vehicle the world has been waiting for.

The model for deploying IXC Intermediaries internationally is through the licensing of locally-sponsored, independent, not-for-profit IXC organisations forming the InnovationXchange Network. Under the IXC banner, these nationally-based IXCs are supported by IXC Australia with its associated ethics, methodologies and standards and provide unprecedented opportunities for international linkages.

IXC is at an exciting stage of its evolution. IXC UK is now operational and IXC is working with groups in Europe, South East Asia, North America, South America and the Pacific to grow the network.