Oracle opens Sydney AI hub for Australia & Oceania

Oracle has launched an AI Customer Excellence Centre in Sydney to serve organisations across Australia and Oceania.

The centre is designed to help businesses and public sector organisations test and adopt artificial intelligence and cloud tools through training, certification and pilot projects. It will also serve as a regional hub for customers, partners and developers working on AI use cases.

The launch expands Oracle's presence in Australia and Oceania, where it works with governments and companies in sectors including financial services, healthcare and telecommunications. The Sydney site is part of Oracle's wider network of innovation facilities.

Organisations using the centre will have access to Oracle technology and third-party tools, with deployment options through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. Customers will be able to design, validate and test systems in secure cloud environments before deciding on broader implementation.

The programme is organised into four areas: training, experimentation, transformation and rapid implementation. It will include courses and certifications delivered by Oracle University and partner organisations, alongside proof-of-concept work to assess whether proposed AI projects are practical.

The centre will also support early-stage testing of products such as generative AI, machine learning, agentic AI and AI-based analytics. Customers in sectors including the public sector, healthcare, financial services and telecoms will be able to explore how those systems work in specific operational settings.

Stephen Bovis, Regional Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand at Oracle, outlined the rationale for the launch.

"AI will change everything and it will fuel the next wave of opportunity and growth," said Stephen Bovis, Regional Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Oracle. "The Oracle AI Customer Excellence Centre reflects Oracle's commitment to helping customers, partners, and developers across Australia and Oceania innovate faster using cutting-edge cloud and AI technologies. It will help build the skills and ecosystem needed to support Australia's digital economy by enabling organisations of all sizes to experiment, learn, and turn innovation into real-world impact."

Demand growth

The launch comes as Australian organisations increase spending on computing infrastructure linked to AI projects. Suppliers are positioning local facilities as a way to move customers from trials to wider operational use, especially as boards seek clearer evidence of returns on AI investment.

Matt Boon, Senior Research Director at ADAPT, said demand for supporting infrastructure was already rising.

"Artificial intelligence is fuelling unprecedented global demand for cloud infrastructure, data platforms and storage. ADAPT's latest Edge research shows Australian organisations are already experiencing a 23% surge in compute demand, with a further 26% growth expected in the coming year as AI moves from pilots to production. As spending rises, boards and leadership teams want clear proof of AI's financial impact. With funding constraints and competing priorities still major barriers, technology leaders are under pressure to demonstrate measurable returns. Centres of Excellence, such as the one being launched in Sydney by Oracle, could help accelerate the shift from AI experimentation to real business value while strengthening Australia's innovation capability," said Boon.

This reflects a broader challenge for technology vendors in Australia. Many companies have tested AI tools in limited projects, but moving them into core operations often requires changes to data management, governance, security controls and employee training.

Oracle said the Sydney centre is intended to support part of that process by giving customers a practical setting in which to assess systems before wider rollout. The facility will also support adoption of AI functions embedded in finance, human resources, supply chain, sales, service and marketing software.

Customer view

An early customer endorsement came from Royal Flying Doctor Services, which said access to a local site would help it test systems before making larger commitments.

"Access to a local Centre of Excellence gives us a practical environment to experiment, learn, and validate AI solutions in real-world conditions before committing to broader deployment," said Ryan Klose, Executive General Manager, Chief Information Officer, Royal Flying Doctor Services. "It's not just a showcase of what AI can do, it's a place to reimagine what's possible for our organisation. With the support of Oracle's technology and partner ecosystem, we can reduce risk, accelerate time-to-value, and ensure the AI initiatives we scale are grounded in real operational needs and deliver measurable impact."

The centre will be supported by Oracle staff as well as partner companies. It sits within the company's broader work with industry and governments on what Oracle describes as responsible, secure and trustworthy AI adoption.