IT company NEC Australia will pour $25 million into NSW’s regional economy and create 110 jobs when it creates a new corporate office at the University of Wollongong (UOW) Innovation Campus.

NEC Australia NSW State Manager Peter Boyd said the corporate office would be the foundation to deliver services for new and existing customers in regional NSW.

“This is one of our largest investments in NSW and gives us the space to add significant numbers of new permanent jobs in regional NSW,” Mr Boyd said.

“We’ve already created hundreds of new jobs to support our continued growth in South Australia and the Northern Territory and with the addition of Wollongong, NSW is now on the same trajectory in terms of new jobs and investments.”

Advantage Wollongong, a partnership formed five years ago between the NSW Government, UOW and Wollongong City Council, helped broker the NEC deal.

As part of the Wollongong launch, NEC Australia has also announced a new partnership with UOW that will include a graduate program to build ICT careers in the region and encourage growth in the sector in regional NSW.

The UOW is understandably excited about luring NEC to Wollongong.

UOW Corporate Relations Director Craig Peden said securing the global technology firm was a ‘major boost for the region and the state of NSW’.

“By moving into UOW’s Innovation Campus, NEC will not only be part of a dedicated research, development and business precinct, they will have the opportunity to recruit UOW’s world-class ICT graduates and collaborate with leading researchers,” Mr Peden said.

“At the same time current and future students have increasingly exciting career prospects right here in Wollongong.”

UOW is one of Australia’s largest information and communications technology institutes with more than 2500 students enrolled in 2013.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said the news further cemented the city’s reputation for being fertile ground for the IT and communications industries.

“We have one of Australia’s foremost research and commercial precincts, the University of Wollongong’s Innovation campus. The decision by NEC to house their IT staff in this campus will bring dividends for the company as well as for our city,” Mr Bradbery said.

“Situated just one hour south of Sydney, the Innovation Campus offers a perfect opportunity for organisations that require a centre for innovation and research excellence in high quality and modern offices.”

NEC announced last month that it had won the $69.8 million contract to manage, maintain and support the central and local data networks of all South Australia’s state government agencies for at least three years.

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