$10m acquisition cost per employee

 Self driving cars and technology seems to be the next big thing, and this technology can have massive positive ramifications in Australia.

Reducing congestion and reducing road fatalities to name two.

As always, investment in education will be key to who the influencers are and where the centre of influence will take place.

Some BHAFs (big, hairy audacious facts) (supplied from an email from Bob Pritchard)!

- Uber bought Otto for $700m last month, it was regarded as a “talent acquisition,” meaning Uber was interested in obtaining Otto’s 70 employees, not necessarily their core technology.  

- General Motor's $1B acquisition of Cruise a couple of months ago. They wanted Cruise’s 40 self-driving car experts to come to Detroit and help them catch up with the pack of companies developing self driving cars.

 

This means that the  going rate for self-driving car talent these days is at least $10m per person, 

There are 10 self-driving car companies saying they’ll be in the game in four years when somewhere well in excess of 10 million driverless vehicles are expected to be on the road.

 

Sebastian Thrun, Google’s self-driving car guru, says companies are desperate for talent and for the skill set to build a self-driving car.... A skill that is clearly in high demand!!!!

 

ATM Carnegie Mellin in Pittsburgh PA (Detroit)!and  Detroit - is the only self driving learning programme -  and Uber has just poached  40 of its researchers . which is also why Uber’s first self-driving tests with Volvo launched there.

 

Udacity, the online teaching school that Thrun co-founded in 2012, is now partnering with companies like Otto, Mercedes-Benz, and Didi Chuxing (the Chinese Uber) to create a self-driving “nanodegree” program.  The program, which lasts 9 months, was designed around one single question: 

What would it take for these graduates to get a job at one of the partnering companies? 

 Just know that they have some pretty serious competition -- they’ve received thousands of applications already and will only admit 250 students.

What University or RTO wants to licence or offer such a course in Australia? 

- Malcolm Turnbull is it worth investing in upskilling our  people in this? Is this innovation important enough to invest in?

- Mike Baird (Premier in NSW) is it worthwhile setting up an area of influence in NSW - I note that there was an RFI asking for submissions in April 2016 https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/DBAssets/InquiryOther/Transcript/7616/Media%20Release%20-%20Inquiry%20into%20Driverless%20Vehicles%20and%20Road%20Safety%20in%20NSW.pdf

Any outcomes? What's next? 

- Daniel Andrews (Premier in Victoria)  is it worthwhile setting  up an area of influence in Vic? I note that you are investing moneys in this space - good on you! (Tech Trials To Bust Congestion On Our Road Network https://shar.es/1x64oE via @danielandrewsmp) (a $13m smarter journeys package)

Victoria has always taken the lead in supporting innovation!

- Jay Weatherill (Premier in South Australia) - is this an opportunity to get back the lead in the Automobile industry in your State? I note that

South Australian Transport and Infrastructure Minister, Stephen Mullighan MP, has recently visited the Transport Research Laboratory’s (TRL’s) UK Smart Mobility Living Lab (ITS International - South Australian Transport Minister gets to grips with UK driverless initiatives https://shar.es/1x6C24 ) 

-  any outcomes?

A bit of research tells me there is the ADVI (Australia Driverless Vehicle initiative) - seems to be a focus group of experts - it will be interesting to know more about this group! Has it got legs?

http://advi.org.au/2016/05/11/driverless-cars-towards-a-crash-free-future/

An article on their website by Antony Harrowell of Huxxer corporation seems to be on the money - saying that Australia should be all over this technology like a rash!  Driverless Trucks - are badly needed in Australia - to overcome the tyranny of distance .

Australia seems to be hovering at the edges! Maybe it's time to take serious action! 

I know NBN is important!!! How does self driving cars rate in Australia's future?

- Nige? (Joel speak to your dad) 

- Glaze (Dan) (Geoff, speak to your son) ? - GG and Pete? Tezz? Is this something to focus on?

- Jus (something to invest in?)

Just saying!!!!

Who will be the leaders in this field in AsiaPac? 

- Australia?

- Singapore?

- China?

- Korea ?

- other ?

Who do you think?