Technology reporter at @Aus_Business. Formerly news and digital at @Australian and the odd feature on race and culture at @SCMPnews. Got a tip, leak or breach?
Articles by Joseph Lam
‘A quiet representative’: Pope Leo celebrates his birthday with a visit to the library
People born under the sign of Virgo are considered meticulous, analytical, and perfectionistic, with a keen sense of order and detail. They are also described as modest, helpful and hardworking. Perhaps the most famous man who fits this astrological profile is Pope Leo XIV. He turned 71 on Monday, 14 September. The first American to occupy the Papal Throne has been in office for nearly a year and a half. Staff members and media professionals alike have by now formed an impression of the new pontiff.
What factors influence evidence use in policy? An updated systematic map
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Abstract In 2014, a large systematic map found that relational factors were amongst the most frequently reported facilitators of evidence use in policy. Since then, there has been a growth in evidence-use initiatives and research, many of which have attempted to address relational factors. In this timely updated map, we describe the current state of research about which factors influence evidence use in policy.
By Kathryn Oliver, Joel R Malin, K. L. Akerlof, Elizabeth Day, Sean Grant, Elizabeth Tyner McGill, Theo Lorenc, Philip Martin, Joseph Lam Verified, Lesley Williamson, Melissa Mouthaan, Syka Iqbal, Moriasi Abednego Nyanchoka, Julius Cesar Alejandre, Laura Lane, Erik Persson, Hannah Forde, Tara Lamont, Elaine Toomey, Ramisha A. Rahman, Harith Farooq, Sarah Espinosa, Peter Jones, Clare Fitzgerald, Jane Falconer, Virginia Castellano Pleguezuelo, Léa Jaques, Matthew Hepplewhite, Axelle Cordier, Laura von Klinggraeff
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Nature
Verified
Smarter developments needed to stop Australia falling behind other countries, Urbis warns
Australian developments are falling behind their global rivals, failing to implement smarter infrastructure that can save power, aid emergency services and allow for better consumption of power and water. About 55 per cent of industry stakeholders agreed “that Australia is currently missing out on the benefits” of smarter development, and 45.3 per cent said smart technology was rarely considered or integrated into new developments.
Part Two: In Memory of Pope Francis
Read Part one of this series here. The Gospel as a Life of Love and Mercy The extensive introduction presents the fundamental interpretation of the Gospel, which permeates all the themes: a life of love and mercy, and thus of the grace of God, which fills believers with joy and is to be proclaimed and lived for the happiness and blessing of all. Because this grace and mercy of God encompasses all people, the Gospel correlates with humanity’s deepest longing and destiny for true life.
Part One: In Memory of Pope Francis
This is a two-part series by Fr Joseph Lam, Parish Priest of the Parish of Baulkham Hills. Stay tuned for Part two of this series. After a short but intense illness, Pope Francis died of heart failure in the early morning of Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at 7:35 a.m. According to the Vatican, the Holy Father passed away “peacefully.” The death of a Pope is always an event of great significance for Catholics. Therefore, we will mourn for nine days as prescribed.
Caso clínico: Paciente con placa escamosa con secreción purulenta en el cuero cabelludo
Autores y Conflictos de interés Dr. Joseph Lam Profesor clínico asociado, Departamento de Pediatría, Dermatología y Ciencias de la Piel, University of British Columbia; Médico adjunto, Departamento de Pediatría, División de Dermatología Pediátrica, BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canadá Conflictos de interés El Dr. Joseph Lam ha declarado las siguientes relaciones económicas pertinentes: Es o ha sido director, ejecutivo, socio, empleado, asesor, consultor o fideicomisario...
Australian data centre market world’s second hottest despite stock falls
Australia has become the second hottest data centre investment market in the world, with the global industry projected to reach $US4 trillion ($6.7 trillion) in value by 2030. The bullish outlook comes despite the derating of data centre stocks on the back of concerns about the slower pace of leasing in new complexes by companies ranging from Microsoft to Amazon around the world.
Gold Coast gets a polish as apartment market heats up
Gold Coast apartment projects are making a comeback as a series of developers bet that rising property prices will outweigh soaring building costs, with a series of new towers getting under way. In one of the latest plays, Monaco Property is snapping up a 1970s holiday resort on the Gold Coast for $70m in one of this year’s largest deals in the beachfront town. The off-market deal arrives as demand for the tightly held apartment market in Queensland’s second-largest city continues to rise.
Goodman poaches Microsoft data centre boss Kraig Knight to ramp up global business
Goodman Group (ASX:GMG) has poached Microsoft’s data centre general manager as the industrial landlord doubles down on its plans to become a global digital infrastructure powerhouse. The company has brought on US-based Kraig Knight to lead its global expansion plans and Goodman’s international data centres developments. Mr Knight joins from Microsoft where he was responsible for tech giant’s data centre operations in America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the Asia Pacific.
Goodman poaches Microsoft data centre boss Kraig Knight to ramp up global business
Goodman Group has poached Microsoft’s data centre general manager as the industrial landlord doubles down on its plans to become a global digital infrastructure powerhouse. The company has brought on US-based Kraig Knight to lead its global expansion plans and Goodman’s international data centres developments. Mr Knight joins from Microsoft where he was responsible for tech giant’s data centre operations in America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the Asia Pacific.
Fintech boss backs card surcharge shake-up, says companies manipulating consumers
Credit card providers are abusing and “manipulating” payment surcharges for commercial gain, exacerbating the cost of living crisis for Australians, the Czech Republic-born, Canberra-raised founder of one of the country’s hottest fintech start-ups says. Pred Dragila — who founded payments company Fat Zebra in 2012 — said card surcharges were becoming an additional revenue stream for payment providers, short-changing customers for no good reason.
US cybersecurity firm Datadog commits to first local data centre, eyes nation’s $147bn IT market
Nasdaq-listed Datadog will build its first data centre outside the US and Europe in Australia, as the company seeks to nab a slice of the nation’s $147bn IT market. Datadog announced on Thursday it had enlisted the help of AWS to build the data centre, which would be used to provide sovereign cyber-security services.
Why this analyst thinks investors have got it wrong on data centres
“Waning faith” in the nation’s data centre market will be short-lived according to analysts who believe “good” market updates have not been met with the right responses from investors. The market got the “wrong messages” when Chinese AI company DeepSeek launched its latest model in January and investors punished the likes of local data centre operators NextDC and Goodman Group, according to E&P analyst Paul Mason.
Centuria rides data boom launching AI factory with ResetData
Centuria and ResetData will launch the nation’s first sovereign AI factory in Melbourne later this year, leveraging Nvidia chips to provide AI capabilities at a fraction of the cost of other players in the market.
Elon Musk playing ‘three dimensional chess’ with $155bn bid for OpenAI, experts say
Elon Musk’s $US97.4bn ($155bn) bid to gain control of OpenAI has raised concerns among some of Australia’s tech sector, with some experts glad the billionaire Tesla boss wants the company to return to its non-profit roots while others say Musk is playing a game of “three dimensional chess”. On Monday in the US, a Musk-led consortium of investors threw the multi-billion dollar sum at the non-profit which controls OpenAI.
Planning to spend big on Valentine’s Day? Post-Christmas gift returns hit $11m
Australians should consider carefully before they splurge on Valentine’s Day gifts, as that expensive present might quickly find its way back to the shop. A software-based returns vendor recorded about 88,600 items were returned in the two weeks after Christmas. About 380 Australian received $11m worth of gifts returned for a refund post-Christmas, as the higher cost of living prompted people to consider alternative ways to raise money.
Google dumps diversity hiring targets
Google will scrap its diversity and inclusion programs, which sought to employ workers from under-represented communities. The $US2.35 trillion ($3.74 trillion) company is the latest American tech titan to abandon diversity, equity and inclusion programs in a move to better align itself with the Trump administration.
Joseph Lam and Jared Lynch
Get the latest Stockhead news delivered free to your inbox For investors, getting access to the right information is critical. Stockhead’s daily newsletters make things simple: Markets coverage, company profiles and industry insights from Australia’s best business journalists – all collated and delivered straight to your inbox every day. Markets coverage, company profiles and industry insights from Australia’s best business journalists – all collated and delivered straight to your inbox every day.
Fortinet opens $75m North Sydney office as staff headcount triples
US cybersecurity company Fortinet opens its $75m data centre and Sydney headquarters on Friday, after the company more than tripled its local headcount. The company has hired between 60 and 70 staff per year for the past three years, rising from 72 to now more than 260 – 200 of whom will be based at its new office. Fortinet bought the building at 162 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point, about 450m from North Sydney Station, from private property company Kingsmede in 2021 for $60m.
Aussie start-ups should be discouraged from raising capital, says TechnologyOne founder
Australian start-ups should stop diluting their equity through excessive capital raising or risk making a mess of their businesses, says the founder of one of Australia’s most successful technology groups. Adrian Di Marco said continuously raising capital was doing more harm than good, and young entrepreneurs did not need the extra pressure to deploy the money and answer to multiple investors.
Data centres have the power to bring in significant investment gains, say E&P analysts
Data centres will continue to be good investments in 2025, with NextDC making gains after it found new ground in Melbourne and Macquarie Technology Group expected to land lucrative contracts, analysts predict. The investment option will be in demand due to the AI boom, in which AI models are being trained across multiple data centres. That’s the view of E&P analysts, who also see green shoots in software, largely due to AI agents, which are able to perform tasks much like a human worker would.
Potential crypto comeback: Where venture capitalists will invest in 2025
Cryptocurrency could make a resurgence while climate start-ups suffer under a Trump administration, venture capitalists have predicted, as they place their bets on the next big thing in 2025. The nation’s largest VC firms have hundreds of millions of dollars to deploy in 2025, and many have already set goals on where the money will flow and just how many start-ups will have access to it.
Aussie workers love using AI but employers aren’t as enthusiastic, Workday survey finds
Almost two thirds of Australians questioned in a survey say they’re using AI at work and 96 per cent of those are confident with using the technology to assist with complex work. However, employers have told the same survey they’re failing to see a return on their investment in the technology. About 65 per cent of respondents to an AI survey conducted by HR platform Workday confirmed their employer had introduced AI, which was about 5 per cent higher than the global average.
Homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord 12 January 2025 By Fr Joseph Lam, PhD STD With his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus’ public appearance begins. And the first words spoken to him are the words of the Father: “This is my beloved Son.” This sentence is a great promise and confirmation. It is solemnly confirmed that Jesus is completely and unconditionally accepted by the Father. This unconditional acceptance by the Father stands above the life and work of Jesus.
Move over Tesla, China’s BYD is Australia’s ‘preferred’ electric vehicle brand
Chinese electric vehicles are gaining traction in Australia but overall interest in EVs has dropped, new data suggests. Chinese manufacturer BYD, which entered the market from Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, in 2022, has become one of the most popular brands and the most commonly considered vehicle among prospective EV buyers.
AI jobs ads shrinking in Australia, new data reveals
Advertisements for artificial intelligence-related roles are shrinking in Australia, new job data reveals, with the number of roles down 35 per cent compared to when ChatGPT first launched more than two years ago. AI job ads have shrunk from more than 3750 in 2022 to 2440 in 2024, now representing just 0.5 per cent of all job ads. The fall in AI-related roles arrives as many Australian companies are having second thoughts about the technology, with many failing to see a return on their investment.
Get familiar with super apps or you could be losing money, says Australian Retirement Trust
Australians are missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in superannuation returns and being charged unnecessary fees because they fail to check their super apps, according to one of the nation’s largest super funds. About 77 per cent of the nation does not check a super app regularly while 28 per cent are yet to download it, according to a YouGov survey. The Australian Retirement Trust believes the failure to embrace super apps is leading to a lack of financial literacy.
How Canberra drought made Aussie data centre developer into a liquid cooling pioneer
A prominent Canberra-based data centre developer that came to life amid a drought has become an unintentional pioneer in liquid cooling technology. CDC, which was founded in the nation’s capital 17 years ago, was under dramatic pressure when it first looked to find a solution to keep power-hungry data centres cool without breaching water restrictions.
Goodman’s $100bn plan to become a digital infrastructure giant
Australian investors are seeing a dramatic shift as the future of the real estate investment trust sector is reshaped by the AI revolution, with data centres starting to show their might, leaving some traditional asset classes in their wake. The sector was hit hard by rising interest rates and the decline of office values, but the next wave of investing is taking shape with the dramatic launch of a new $4bn trust by David Di Pilla’s HMC Capital that will list on the ASX next month.
‘Metro effect’ drives demand for premium neighbouring offices
The ‘metro effect’ has sparked a shift in Sydney’s office market, prompting companies to flock to tightly held buildings close to new stations. A report by real estate agency Savills has found that the amount of premium office space available now or within the next 12 months declined by 17.8 per cent over the year to August, with limited availability for the year ahead.
VCs ready to splash $500m in pandemic cash
Australian venture capital firms will deploy about $500m over the next 12 to 24 months as the investment window closes for funds raised during the pandemic, one of the nation’s top entrepreneurs says. It was the silver lining to the same pandemic boom that saw start-ups raise tens of millions more than they otherwise would have and land overinflated valuations that were later slashed, said industry veteran Michael Batko, the chief executive of Blackbird’s accelerator program Startmate.
Joseph Lam at The Australian
Get the latest Stockhead news delivered free to your inbox For investors, getting access to the right information is critical. Stockhead’s daily newsletters make things simple: Markets coverage, company profiles and industry insights from Australia’s best business journalists – all collated and delivered straight to your inbox every day. Markets coverage, company profiles and industry insights from Australia’s best business journalists – all collated and delivered straight to your inbox every day.
Coronation Property acquires two sites, plots $1.45bn build-to-rent projects in Waterloo, St Leonards
Property developer Coronation aims to become one of the country’s largest developers of rental homes, revealing plans for two new major mixed-use precincts in inner Sydney comprising 750 build-to-rent apartments with a combined end value of $1.45bn. It has acquired parcels of land in the Sydney inner city suburb of Waterloo and St Leonards in the city’s north.
Burwood Chinatown group brings Spicetown to Sydney’s Little Italy
An old pub in Sydney’s inner west that had been shut for eight years has been transformed into an Asian-themed food precinct. The creators of Burwood Chinatown have brought the concept behind the well-known food precinct to a Sydney suburb known for its Italian heritage and numerous pizzerias, cafes and the Italian Forum – a 25-year-old cultural hub that combines restaurants, clothing stores, market stalls and events in a 365-seat theatre and auditorium.
Melbourne dominates new data centre projects as AI booms, M3 Property report finds
Melbourne is rising up to challenge Sydney’s data centre market, with a new report finding nearly 75 per cent of all new projects are being built in the Victorian capital. Of the 183,000sq m of data centre projects under construction, Melbourne has the lion’s share as developers struggle to find available land and energy supply capable of powering the energy-heavy sites, according to a new report from consulting firm M3 Property.
Terminating bias: How Arnold Schwarzenegger showed us the importance of spelling names correctly
The myth, the legend, the man who’s done it all, Arnold Schwarzenegger has held power in all forms imaginable – the youngest ever Mr Olympia, a truly iconic actor, Governor of California. Arnold moved from Austria to the United States aged 21 to further his body-building career, and soon transitioned into acting. It wasn’t the easiest for a 6 ft 2 in. bodybuilder with a “strange” accent to build a career in acting: you can’t muscle your way up the ladder of stardom.
Data centres on the brink of major design overhaul, says FDC chief
Data centres are on the brink of major changes as the artificial intelligence boom makes room for a major transformation of their shape, design and overall architecture. That’s according to FDC national data centre director Mark Tallentire, who says the industry is reaching a turning point where new cooling methods will give more freedom to builders. That is largely thanks to AI, which might consume nine to 10 times more power and require newer cooling methods, including the use of liquids.
‘Kimchi Street’ aka Healeys Lane in Melbourne gets official Koreatown status
Melbourne has welcomed its first official Koreatown, a buzzing precinct that’s home to at least 25 Korean stores and restaurants along a vibrant laneway in the centre of the CBD. Healeys Lane is home to the new Koreatown, which has been signposted by Korean totem poles, known as jang-seung, at its entrance on Lonsdale and Little Lonsdale Street. The poles are there to entice more visitors and help distinguish Koreatown from the rest of the CBD, said Melbourne’s lord mayor Nick Reece.
Square, Afterpay plan to woo customers from a new Tech Central home
Nick Molnar’s Afterpay is one of the first major tenants in Sydney’s Tech Central, a retrofitted brewery that looks out to the University of Technology. The tech giant is making a home in Chippendale alongside its stablemates at Block, after several years in a WeWork shared office space on Pitt St in the CBD.
Realestate.com.au takes on renovation market with AI tool
Realestate.com.au wants to be the first platform homeowners think of when they’re renovating their property, and has introduced artificial intelligence-powered tools to attract more people to the platform. The real estate giant now lets property owners use AI to digitally renovate their homes by altering images of their dwellings. It allows them to test changes by altering colour of walls and kitchen benchtops, for example.
Nowra start-up Noveco Surfaces scores NAB funding to expand recycled glass tiles for kitchens
A Nowra-based start-up which turns old wine bottles into high-end tiles has been backed by NAB in a $7.75m debt round as it looks to enter the benchtop market. Noveco Surfaces uses a patented technology from the University of New South Wales’ Sustainable Materials Research & Technology Centre, that enables it to manufacture tiles from 80 per cent recycled glass, and says the end product is stronger, safer and better for the environment than ceramic tiles.
Sydney Chinatown gets council funding for ‘chef’s gallery’ renovations
The City of Sydney has backed a “chef’s gallery” style upgrade for Chinatown as it committed new funding to revitalise the area under a dollar-for-dollar match campaign. The council unveiled plans to bring the “theatre of food preparation” to the street by funding renovation works that would allow restaurants to showcase the cooking and preparation of food to commuters along the iconic Dixon Street.
Democracy in the UK: has female representation improved?
What does data show us about female representation in UK democracy? An exploration of gender imbalance in candidacy, and equality, diversity and inclusion mentions in party manifestos, in the 2024 UK general election. Two important issues in British politics are achieving parliamentary gender balance and having political parties which prioritise equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
Developers scout for Sydney strata sites where extra rooftop units can be added to airspace
Sydney unit owners are increasingly cashing in on a secretive way to make money from air, as developers scout for prime strata title sites where extra rooftop units can be added. Airspace development is growing in Australia, says Waren Livesey, who finds old buildings around Sydney that have the capacity to hold a home or two on top and checks their zoning requirements.
The semantics of word division in northwest Semitic writing systems: Ugaritic, Phoenician, Hebrew, Moabite and Greek
Preview In this highly technical monograph, Robert Crellin surveys the phenomenon of so-called “word dividers” in Northwest Semitic epigraphic texts in an effort to discern what principles, if any, might guide their distribution. It represents a product of the CREWS (Contexts of and Relations between Early Writing Systems) research project based at the University of Cambridge from 2016–2022.
FDC picks up contract for Macquarie’s $350m Sydney data centre
Australia has taken another leap in capitalising on the artificial intelligence boom, with Macquarie Technology Group starting construction on a new $350m data centre in Sydney. Data centres are the backbone of AI models, which the Albanese government forecasts will inject up to $600bn a year into the national economy by the end of the decade.
Golden Century site owner Anson Group to build $104m 16-storey hotel
The developer who picked up the site of Sydney institution Golden Century for $50m has won approval for a $104m high-rise hotel just 450m away. Anson Group’s new 16-storey hotel project will rise beside Capitol Square light rail stop at 136 Hay Street, Haymarket. The developer has received approval for a joint design by BVN and Architectus, which pays some respect to some of the earliest buildings in Haymarket and Chinatown.
Mulpha seeking partners for $200m Chinatown hotel
Mulpha has put a call-out to investors to partner on its $200m new hotel project in Sydney’s Chinatown, just months before construction is set to begin on the 17-storey project. The property and hospitality company is expecting to field major interest, with hope its recent development application approval will entice opportunists to pounce to nab a slice of Sydney’s tightly-held CBD market.
Transmission of Mental Disorders in Adolescent Peer Networks
Key Points Question Is having peers with a mental disorder in the same social network during adolescence associated with later risk of mental disorder? Findings In this cohort study including more than 700 000 individuals in Finland, analysis of nationwide, interlinked registry data found that having classmates diagnosed with a mental disorder in the ninth grade of comprehensive school was associated with increased risk of receiving a mental disorder diagnosis later in life.
Marriott’s 34-story Koreatown Moxy hotel to breathe new life into Sydney CBD
Koreatown is set to welcome one of Sydney’s tallest rooftop bars next year, part of a major hotel development in the southern end of the CBD. The bar, which will overlook the upcoming Tech Central, will sit above a 34-storey hotel which has been signed by Marriott as the next edition of its Moxy collection in Sydney.
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