Introducing the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI)

18 July 2014

In 1998, when dial-up internet was first being rolled out across regional Victorian Communities, the Centre for eCommerce and Communications (CeCC) was established to facilitate information and communications technology (ICT) use, knowledge and understanding in a regional and rural context.

While technology application and knowledge transfer remain priorities, digital futures, knowledge management and spatial research have emerged as significant areas of focus and supported exponential research growth in recent years. Major project include:

Visualising Victoria’s Groundwater (VVG)
Western Business Accelerator and Centre for Excellence Research
Understanding the 2011 Grampians Natural Disaster
Sport and Recreation Spatial
Corangamite Catchment Management Knowledge Base and NRM Planning
Central Highlands Digital Enterprise Project
Grains Research and Development Corporation Online Farm Trials Research
Grampians Dementia Pathways Tool
Barwon South West Integrated Fire Management Planning
Diagnostic Agronomy

Federation University’s Vice Chancellor, Prof David Battersby, today welcomed project partners to the Ballarat Technology Park as they gathered to develop plans for the next research and development phase for VVG - the first portal of its kind in Australia to offer real-time visualisation of a resource that is normally invisible to the public. Featuring over 400,000 bores from four authoritative sources, and includes Victorian aquifer information, historical records and maps; the latest addition to the portal now offers 3D visualisation. In the two years since its launch the VVG web portal has recorded more than 17,000 visitors and over 83,000 page views – with a 60% rate of return visitors..

During his presentation, the Vice Chancellor also announced that CeCC would become the Centre for eResearch and Digital Innovation (CeRDI). The name change would better recognise the key areas the Centre is known for, particularly eResearch, digital innovations and knowledge management.Centre Director, Dr Helen Thompson confirmed that the CeRDI will continue to undertake a broad range of activities and to build on strong project partnerships that CeCC has developed over the last 16 years.