New SA industry innovation model to be led by Lot Fourteen state project lead

The government of South Australia is introducing a new state-wide innovation model to strategically connect the state’s growing innovation districts, including Lot Fourteen, Tonsley Innovation District and Adelaide BioMed City Premier Peter Malinauskas has announced.

As the state prepares to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented by AUKUS, the new model will see a framework developed to connect the innovation districts with each other and other knowledge and manufacturing hubs including the Osborne Naval Shipyard, the Edinburgh Defence Precinct and the future Australian Space Park.

In a national first the framework, to be developed by Lot Fourteen State Project Lead Di Dixon, will seek to capitalise on what Premier Malinauskas says is South Australia’s competitive advantage in defence, space, advanced manufacturing and critical technologies industries like renewable energy, cyber, information warfare, quantum computing and artificial intelligence.

This approach will be the catalyst to stimulating economic growth, supporting valuable international knowledge transfer and collaboration, he says. It will create new opportunities for jobs growth, linking state-wide education, skills and workforce programs for equitable and inclusive access to future jobs.

South Australia’s Economic Activity Zones and innovation assets have the potential to accommodate a skilled workforce of approximately 44,000 people.

 “Geo-political instability, climate change and a post-COVID economy pose challenges for the globe,” said Premier Malinauskas. “But these problems also present an opportunity for a state like South Australia.

“We need to be smart and connected. A clear state-wide position bringing together all Economic Activity Zones and innovation assets under a centralised strategic vision and policy position will unlock greater value from these investments made by successive governments.”

Lot Fourteen State Project Lead Di Dixon said: “Innovation assets are formidable job engines. Research has shown that for each innovation intensive job an innovation district supports, it creates an average of 4 to 5 production and service-related jobs.

“We will leverage the power of proximity and connection to supercharge innovation and in so doing lay the foundation for new and more inclusive prosperity.”