US networking technology giant Cisco will pour $61 million into a new Australian plan to develop critical infrastructure, target work on government digitisation projects and invest in local start-ups.

The $61 million will be deployed over three years and forms part of a global Country Digital Acceleration program, which it claims helps countries to elevate their performance in the innovation stakes, while also helping reposition Cisco as a leading player and an employer of choice in the cloud and artificial intelligence era.