• Charles Sturt University announces global tech firm Axiom Connected will co-locate its new Australian headquarters on campus in Port Macquarie from late January 2022
• Axiom will bring highly-skilled IT professionals to the Port Macquarie region, creating a positive economic and community impact and opportunities to be involved in business-changing technology on a global scale
• The university-business partnership cements Charles Sturt’s reputation as Australia’s leading regional university, demonstrates its strength in IT teaching and research, and will deliver graduate employment opportunities for students in regional NSW

A leading international company will establish its Australian headquarters at Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie, bringing to regional Australia much-needed IT and business services, a substantial economic boost, and opportunities for the University’s students and researchers.

Charles Sturt and Axiom Connected (Axiom) today announced the initial team of approximately 10 Axiom staff, including an Australian Vice-President, will commence work at the end of January 2022 in the company’s offices which will adjoin the Innovation Hub at the University in Port Macquarie.

Axiom Connected is a global tech firm which provides solutions in finance-tech, automotive-tech, insurance-tech, and is emergent in agricultural-tech.

The company has offices in London, Belarus, St Louis, Chicago, and Warsaw, and is the creator of the world’s first completely digital connected warranty platform.

Axiom will commence recruitment for their initial Australian team from Monday 15 November, and is confident their workforce in Port Macquarie will build to at least 50 within the next two years.

The company is seeking staff with skills in user interface and user experience, developers, programmers, and business analysts, and will prioritise Charles Sturt graduates and alumni in this initial round of recruitment.

Axiom is also committed to collaborating on student internships and job opportunities, cross-functional research and business projects; and the incubation of technology concepts and business ideas founded in academic origins.

Charles Sturt Vice-Chancellor, Professor Renée Leon, said the benefits this partnership offers to the University’s students and staff, and to Port Macquarie and the Mid North Coast, are extensive and exciting.

“The partnership with Axiom further cements Charles Sturt’s reputation as Australia’s leading regional university,” Professor Leon said.

“This announcement builds on the University’s recent strategic partnership with IBM Australia, and demonstrates our strength in IT teaching and research and as a sought-after partner for global industry leaders.

“Charles Sturt University’s partnership with Axiom will deliver work placement and graduate employment opportunities for students in regional NSW and bring positive economic impacts to the Port Macquarie region.”

Axiom Founder and CEO Mr Michael Reth said, “We are excited to make this announcement alongside our partners at Charles Sturt University and the business community of Port Macquarie and Regional New South Wales.

“Our partnership with the University is more than active practice and collaboration with its staff and students for current and future human capital needs; we have launched our Australian national headquarters within the Charles Sturt Innovation Hub on campus in Port Macquarie.

“This partnership will bring highly skilled IT professionals into the Port Macquarie region, creating a positive economic and community impact. We are confident this partnership will help expedite our launch and initial growth goals by being attached to a world-class infrastructure.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Mr Paul Toole congratulated Axiom Connected and Charles Sturt University on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.

“This is a fantastic outcome for Axiom, Charles Sturt University and Port Macquarie, which will benefit from the creation of 50 technology jobs,” Mr Toole said.

“Our $15 million investment through the Growing Local Economies fund to build Stage 2 of Charles Sturt University including the Port Macquarie International Education Centre has significantly boosted student capacity and now it will also house Axiom’s operations in Australia.

“The NSW Government will continue to work with Axiom Connected to assist their establishment and to help them thrive, expand and support job creation in regional NSW.”

Mr Reth explained that Axiom has had a lot of success building its business around communities and university partnerships, and during its expansion exploration the company was introduced to Charles Sturt University.

“We were impressed with the University’s forward-thinking approach to education, career planning, upskilling and optimising their curriculum to provide candidates with trade skills that legacy universities haven’t quite grasped or figured out how to deliver to students,” he said.

“This approach is vital in the technology industry, where skillsets are changing rapidly, demand is outpacing supply of qualified candidates, and the global markets need end product and services now.”

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council CEO, Dr Clare Allen, said, “In just nine short years, Charles Sturt University in Port Macquarie has become the fastest growing regional campus in Australia.

“Offering first-class tertiary opportunities to more than 2,000 students, its investment in our region has put Port Macquarie at the forefront of regional education.

“Council has been proud to partner with Charles Sturt University on a range of educational initiatives, including the innovation and co-working space which opened earlier this year.

“The decision by Axiom to establish an Australian headquarters in Port Macquarie demonstrates yet again the great value Charles Sturt University is providing our community, not only in terms of delivering high-quality education, but in building partnerships to support new business and grow local jobs.”

Mr Reth said Axiom’s focus in expanding to Australia, and more specifically to regional New South Wales, was to grow the company’s global technical development and engineering teams, which will provide the organization a competitive advantage of a true 24-hour development cycle each and every day.

“This is in conjunction with creating business-facing opportunities in Australia where our fin-tech, insure-tech, and auto-tech products and partnerships are blossoming in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania.

“Choosing Port Macquarie as the location for our Australian headquarters met many of our objectives; proximity to major cities while still working within a thriving regional community; the location, airport, university resources, and access to talented human resources up and down the Mid North Coast was very attractive.”