The Canberra Times

How Adelaide is becoming Australia's innovation capital

How Adelaide is becoming Australia's innovation capital
How Adelaide is becoming Australia's innovation capital

Story sponsored by PixelForce.

There are many cities and countries around the world that are almost synonymous with different forms of technology. Software developed in Silicon Valley and space exploration launched from Houston in America, the automotive and science industries driven by companies across Germany, and the global market dominance of electronics companies from Japan and Korea.

Could Australia join the list of countries offering tech specialisation? And which city or region would best represent us?

If you ask people from around the world what they think of modern Australia, you're likely to get a variety of mixed responses. People will reference kangaroos and koalas living in backyards, a laid back population with endless beaches and partying, or the accent. We still feel the influence of Crocodile Dundee on a foreign audience.

Few people are likely to think of Australia as a leading country in the development or use of technology. Fewer still would know that Australia's CSIRO was responsible for creating Wi-Fi, or that Google Maps was first developed by a small team in Sydney before being acquired by the search engine giant.

When the subject of tech expansion in Australia does enter discussion, Sydney and Melbourne are often seen as drivers for any potential innovation in the country.

However, innovation and advancement of technology is often driven by smaller businesses looking to do something different and break away from the standard. In reality there hasn't really been one particular place to serve as a focal point for innovation and advancement of technology in Australia either.

That could be changing however.

Over the last decade, Adelaide has been experiencing a period of rapid growth for businesses dealing with technology and science, along with an increase in the number of tech events held every year. The 2017 International Astronautical Congress held in Adelaide even saw the city attract industry heavyweights such as Elon Musk and Bill Nye.

Supported by the Ten Gigabit Network due for completion in mid-2020, Adelaide is the first non-US city to join the US Ignite Smart Gigabit Communities (SGC) Program. The program connects a network of over two dozen smart cities in the US. SGC Communities are designed to support entrepreneurship, and the development of digital applications and solutions.

While it's hard to pin-point a specific moment in time when this change began to take hold, a key driver in this growth has been an overhaul of the health and medical sector in the last decade which resulted in significant development throughout Adelaide.

The $3.6 billion Adelaide BioMed City (ABMC) has been a long time in the making and currently comprises a cluster of medical facilities including the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), and facilities owned by the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia.

The SAHMRI facility was developed to give Adelaide and its local community a world class medical research facility, and following its launch, a decision was then made to relocate the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) to a new state of the art facility nearby.

The vacant space left behind by the relocation of the RAH, referred to as Lot Fourteen after Colonel Light's original plans for the city, has since been redeveloped and now stands as what has been dubbed Australia's first "innovation neighbourhood".

Lot Fourteen is a physical space for entrepreneurs and tech start-ups to utilise for business development and collaboration.

The complex is currently home to a collection of start-ups who operate out of Stone & Chalk's Innovation Hub, and will also house several other companies in tech, space, and defence - including the Australian Space Agency whose permanent headquarters at the site opened on February 19.

It is evident that with the right set of skills and vision, there is plenty of opportunity for locals to take advantage of the growth in demand for technology.

PixelForce, one of Australia's leading app development agencies, is an example of how the growing demand for tech and digital services in Adelaide is creating opportunities for locals to establish and grow successful businesses that impact on the global community.

With a team of almost 40 full time employees and specialising in premium in-house app development services, PixelForce has grown from a university project and a dream to become a successful and award winning business.

The team is excited to see the city embracing technology and innovation, and sees the growing presence of science and technology based businesses in Adelaide as a positive for both the city and for local businesses.

Take advantage of Adelaide's best, and contact PixelForce for a free half hour consultation via www.pixelforce.com.au to discuss if your business could benefit from a mobile app.

Story sponsored by PixelForce.