About SIRCA

Incorporated in 1997 as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee to host and manage ASX data for a small group of collaborating Australian universities, SIRCA is now a world-leading provider of finance related data and technology (e-research) services to universities, public sector agencies and financial market participants world-wide.  In a unique partnership with member universities and financial market participants, SIRCA provides commercial grade technology platforms to capture, filter, store, access, analyse and support the world’s largest integrated source of global market data and related news information.  This data is sourced from thousands of locations and trading venues around the world and comprises deep histories (time-stamped to the mili-second) of trading data and related economic and news events.  In addition to its data and technology support role, SIRCA also facilitates research project linkages on behalf of its academic members and industry partners.

SIRCA’s Mission:

To enhance the integrity and efficiency of financial markets, systems and services

Through:

The management of relevant information and data resources, including

• data sourcing and procurement
• custodianship and data curation
• maintaining secure and resilient systems
• quality assurance
• data access control

The development of enabling e-research technologies, including

• on-line extraction, search, analytic and visualisation tools
• inter-operable data processing and computational facilities
• underpinning development, test, production and support environment

The facilitation of high impact collaborative research and innovation, including

• establishing end-user networks
• matching data and technology requirements to user needs
• deploying on-line and off-line data consultation services
• establishing innovation networks comprising university, government and industry collaborative development partnerships
• building research teams to exploit existing and emergent knowledge gaps
• facilitating academic - industry/government linked research projects and funding
• promoting knowledge sharing and dissemination through various forums
• where appropriate and where synergies exist, realising the value in developed IP through the commercialisation of products and services

For:

• the financial services research leadership aspirations of Members
• the research and innovation needs of industry and government

SIRCA exists to provide a “public benefit” through the above activities.  The academic research and innovation it promotes generates broader public value in supporting an agenda focused on, inter alia, the improvement of Government regulations, market functioning, financial sector performance and international economic competitiveness.

Where appropriate and where synergies exist, SIRCA develops and provides some products and services to external markets on a commercial basis in order to:

• provide research opportunities and research training benefits to academics and students
• enhance infrastructure and information resources to provide same
• fund the continuing operation of SIRCA.