INNOVATE™ Adelaide

The “INNOVATETM ADELAIDE” Team would like to give a special thanks to all the participants and the following companies for their support and assistance in making this project a reality.

Meet the people that are building a better ADELAIDE for tomorrow

INNOVATETM ADELAIDE: A MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENCE AND MORE.” SVEN BOERMEESTER - FOUNDER/CEO, INTERNATIONAL GROUP PUBLISHER

INNOVATETM Adelaide showcases the best of Adelaide’s innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem. Embedded on some pages you will find augmented reality videos, when used with the free GLOBAL VILLAGE APP, the world of the future will open up before you.

But “INNOVATE™ Adelaide” is not just a tech-enhanced publication. It’s a multi-faceted experience that transcends the deluxe hardcover coffee-table book in your hands. Enriched with AR videos, a comprehensive online platform, and expansive social media networking, it’s a seamless blend of the tangible and the digital. On the web, the complete e-book will potentially reach millions through the InnovationsoftheWorld.com online library.”

This publication aims to celebrate those involved in the Adelaide ecosystem, but it is also meant for all business leaders and decision-makers who can effect change in their industries throughout Australia and the world. We publish INNOVATETM Adelaide for the open-minded folk who want to know more about the exciting changes that have recently transpired in the Adelaide ecosystem, and who play or want to play an active role in its growth and development.

This inaugural edition of INNOVATETM Adelaide is part of a global series. We are currently launching volumes in cities throughout the Globalvillagepublishinginc.com publishing partnership network.

By experiencing INNOVATETM Adelaide, you are part of our Global Village network, and we are happy to have you join us. I trust you will enjoy the journey of the innovate series.

Sven Boermeester Founder/CEO International Group Publisher

Evan Rothman Editor & Writer

Tamlyn Bischofberger Global Village COO

April Hobbs Publishing Partner

Anita Govender Web Development

Ravi Handve Designer

Gia Bischofberger Production Director

Sven Boermeester - Founder/CEO, International Group Publisher with Callie Van Graan - President, Global Village Publishing Inc.

Military tanks. Portable

They’re all inventions which changed the face of the world.

They’re all examples of original and innovative thinking.

And they all began as sparks of brilliance in the minds of South Australians.

From Sir Howard Florey’s insights into the properties of penicillin and Lancelot de Mole’s development of caterpillar tracks, to H.A. Milton Blake’s experiment with UV light absorbing materials and Edward Both’s many life-saving medical inventions, our state has been long home to bold thinkers who respond to a problem with “I have an idea…”

It’s been one of our state’s great superpowers, and has done much to put us on the world’s stage.

It makes sense that South Australia is the nation’s great incubator. We have a highly educated, technology-savvy population drawn from every corner of the Earth; and with a population of 1.7 million we’re right in that sweet spot of being simultaneously big enough to support bold thinking while still being a place where good ideas don’t face an obstacle course of entrenched interests putting up barriers to entry.

The Hon.

Peter Malinauskas Premier of South Australia

ECG machines. Evaporative airconditioning. Sunscreen. Antibiotics. Innovations which couldn’t appear more different, yet share a common origin.

Our state governments have also gotten behind our innovators and entrepreneurs by establishing innovation hubs – our defence precinct in the north, the Tonsley Innovation District in the south, the high technology Lot Fourteen in the heart of the city – thereby creating a critical mass of industries and expertise that cross-pollinate one another.

In terms of brute numbers, South Australia shouldn’t be able to compete with the bigger eastern states. But we have done more than survive: we have thrived.

Why? It’s because we have been up to the challenge of addressing wicked, complex problems, and finding those areas of strategic advantage where we can leverage our unique qualities to punch above our weight.

My government’s Hydrogen Jobs Plan is a perfect example of the value of this kind of thinking, where we are faced with a series of challenges:

How do we build a more complex state economy and create a more diverse range of outputs, thereby reducing our vulnerability to demand fluctuations for resources and commodities?

How do we develop new export markets and reduce our reliability on a handful of traditional customers?

How do we decarbonise our economy and reduce the impacts of climate change?

How do we support local manufacturing and mitigate the supply chain issues that bedevil international trade?

How do we create and sustain high-paying, high-technology jobs in South Australia, particularly for skilled tradespeople in traditional, high-carbon industries that are starting to disappear.

These are all complex issues that demand innovative solutions – but they are also interconnected.

Creating a local green hydrogen industry moves us forward on multiple fronts at once. And it does so by capitalising on something which our state possesses in abundance: coincident sun and wind.

It’s a natural advantage, just as much as the iron ore that has enriched Western Australia in recent decades, or the rich coalfields that fuelled growth in NSW and Queensland through the 20th century, or gave Victoria its gold rush in the 1850s.

It’s a bold project, but I am confident that this is the right decision – and the right direction – for our state.

We need flexibility and creativity if we are to address the many tests ahead of us, from climate to economics to public health to education. This isn’t an idle intellectual exercise: people’s health, happiness and prosperity depend on us getting this right.

Sticking to tried-and-true ways of doing things makes no sense in a world that is dynamic and ever-changing. It sets us up to fail.

Now, more than ever, we must be brave enough to challenge the existing orthodoxies and using the best information at our disposal to do the risky things. If not now, then when? And if not in South Australia, then where?

It’s vital that government creates the conditions required for others to innovate, but I believe that we need to do more than that: government must be prepared to step up and lead by example.

There are those who argue that government has no business taking these risks, but I reject that sort of binary thinking: it’s up to all of us, the public and private sectors, research bodies, institutions, start-ups and everything in between, to help and support one another for the greater good.

Innovation is the key to unlocking our state’s potential – and that’s exactly what we’re doing here in South Australia.

TO ANY COMPANY LOOKING TO ACCESS SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXCITING

OPPORTUNITIES: LOOK NO FURTHER THAN SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

HON. NICK CHAMPION, MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Adelaide and our surrounds are famous for world-class wine, food and cultural attractions and iconic nature experiences. With our close proximity city, abundance of green spaces, world-class vineyards, bustling festival seasons, and pristine beaches, there is no doubt that Adelaide is a great place to live, work and play.

But we also mean business. Adelaide has always been a quiet achiever, developing new innovations into world leading industries. We are attracting investment from multinational companies to continue expanding our economy. We continue to assist our exporters in market diversification to promote the products of South Australia.

South Australia has a well-deserved reputation for delivering the best food and beverage experiences across the country. Our state produces and exports around 80% of Australia’s premium food and wine and has been named a Great Wine Capital of the World. Our premium food can be sampled at some of the country’s finest restaurants, as well as in hotels and restaurants in Asia and the world.

Climate change has become one of the key issues for governments around the world. Our state can be proud of the work already done to achieve world-leading green credentials. South Australia saw over two

thirds of its energy demands met by renewables in 2022. In just over 15 years South Australia has gone from 1% to 70% of energy supplied coming from renewables. In 2021 the state met its total electricity demands from solely renewable sources for 180 days of the year. As Australia’s green energy capital, we are not just focusing on energy production. We are undertaking strategic projects related to data and technology, agricultural production and circular economy to make our state an even better place to live.

We are also looking to the future, at new opportunities leveraging our state’s competitive advantage. We are leading the race to deliver green hydrogen that will enable companies to operate smarter and cleaner. We have plans to construct a world-leading hydrogen power station, electrolyser and regionally based storage facility. This will unlock a $20 billion pipeline of renewable energy projects which will create a new cutting-edge hydrogen export industry.

We’re looking beyond our global platform and blasting into space. South Australia’s presence in the space industry is something to be admired. Adelaide is home to the Australian Space Agency and Mission Control and will soon have the country’s first dedicated space manufacturing hub, the Australian Space Park. This will boost our space

BAE Systems Australia is building a formidable fleet of Hunter class frigates at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia

manufacturing capability and capacity within a purpose-built facility, creating hundreds of jobs in this emerging industry. The commercial opportunities of having the Australian space industry headquartered in Adelaide are endless.

Ensuring the business environment is conducive for start-ups and innovation is key for South Australia’s continued success. Two of the world’s most highly regarded innovation precincts, Tonsley Innovation District and Lot Fourteen, are both located in Adelaide. Tonsley is a member of the Global Network of Innovative Districts with the precinct featuring innovative companies including Micro-X, a hi-tech company that pushes the boundaries of science and technology across industries.

Lot Fourteen is the newest of our innovation precincts, built on the site of the city’s former hospital. It is focused on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship and will significantly contribute to developing the South Australian economy. Lot Fourteen and our local universities boast world-leading capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and data analytics. Major global companies such as Airbus, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud have established or expanded within Adelaide’s CBD to access these capabilities through partnerships and support from Invest SA, within the Department for Trade and Investment.

Our creative industries sector is one of the most dynamic and innovative in the world, with gaming and VFX companies in high demand for their expertise and knowledge. These companies have worked on some of the biggest box office hits, including Thor: Love and Thunder and the award-winning Baz Luhrmann film, Elvis.

The AI developed within the gaming and film industries is also being utilised by our defence, space and health sectors, which is helping to foster ecosystems across multiple industries where South Australia now has a significant global competitive advantage.

Our local and global team of trade experts spanning Asia, the United Kingdom, Middle East, India and the United States, provide exporters of South Australia’s world-class products and services with the support to navigate and enter new markets, or to grow in existing ones. For example, South Australia is the country’s leader for the first step in testing new medicines. We offer the world’s fastest regulation and supervision, meaning its much quicker for companies to establish clinical trials in our state and take their products to the world.

To any company looking to access some of the world’s most exciting opportunities: look no further than South Australia. We have done the work to develop a unique business environment. Join other leading organisations growing and thriving in our state by utilising our worldleading green credentials, tapping into our cutting-edge technology and research, and giving employees the benefit of living in one of the world’s most liveable cities.

Discover more about partnering for growth in South Australia through the Department for Trade and Investment: dti.sa.gov.au

Hon. Nick Champion Minister for Trade and Investment

ADELAIDE: UNVEILING THE TRUE GEM OF AUSTRALIA! APRIL HOBBS, INNOVATE ADELAIDE, PUBLISHING PARTNER

As a seasoned world traveller, I confidently affirm that choosing Adelaide as my home over any other Australian city was the ultimate decision. Despite the concerns expressed by my Aussie friends abroad, who believed “nothing exciting ever happens there,” they couldn’t have been more mistaken. Over the past six years, I have personally witnessed the extraordinary transformation of Adelaide, and I am filled with immense pride to call this city my home.

Adelaide serves as the gateway to the breathtaking wonders of South Australia, boasting stunning beaches, world-class wines, and an exceptional quality of life. It’s no wonder that Adelaide consistently ranks among the most liveable cities in the world.

You can feel the buzz in the air, and since 2018, I have closely followed the remarkable growth of our city’s startup ecosystem, with Lot Fourteen leading the charge as a flagship hub fostering innovation across diverse sectors such as agriculture, health, defence, and space technology. Adelaide is thriving and teeming with endless opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs like never before. With the establishment of the Tonsley Innovation District, innovation permeates every corner of Adelaide. Our city has even emerged as a global leader in renewable energy, achieving an astonishing shift from a mere 1% to over 70% reliance on renewables since 2006.

When I held a satellite the size of a Rubik’s cube in my hand and learned about the groundbreaking development of antibiotics in zero gravity, I felt compelled to celebrate Adelaide in this remarkable book.

Our biotechnology ecosystem Adelaide BioMed City, supported by MTP Connect, a growth center for medical technologies, fills me with excitement as they produce life-changing innovations. Moreover, the presence of tech giants like Amazon (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, alongside the global success of numerous South Australian startups, including homegrown companies like SAGE Automation delivering transportable, smart control systems for national infrastructure, Green Frog Systems innovating commercial lighting for global markets, to Life Whisperer utilising AI to enhance IVF outcomes; leave me in awe. I am equally captivated by the rapid growth of our space tech industry and inspired by the remarkable presence and quality of women in innovation.

It’s clear that Adelaide is punching well above its weight and knows how to leverage its strengths, translating groundbreaking research from world-class institutions into innovative products and services. Our expertise extends to gaming, agritech, health, defence, space tech, AI, and machine learning, which is revolutionising manufacturing. Furthermore, our unrivalled leadership in renewable energy sets us apart. South Australia also boasts significant activity in energy, sustainability, and Climatetech.

With a network of innovation districts providing dedicated physical, digital, and social infrastructure, as well as hosting events, Adelaide propels new ideas into widespread economic outcomes. The South Australian Government’s Department for Industry, Innovation, and Science offers valuable guidance and support to founders, administering competitive Seed-Start grants to high-growth potential businesses.

As a prolific networker and connector, I also celebrate that Adelaide plays host to a vast array of enterprising small businesses supporting one another by referral marketing using the BNI (Business Networking International) system across Adelaide.

Adelaide offers countless compelling reasons to fall in love with the city and consider relocating your startup here. From a thriving ecosystem to a supportive business community, we have it all! Adelaide has shed its reputation as a city of churches and festivals—I proudly proclaim it as the Innovation City!

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A THRIVING HUB OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Welcome to Adelaide, the state’s largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. Consistently ranked as one of the top 10 most liveable cities in the world.

Nestled on the southern coast of Australia, Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, is a place where innovation and entrepreneurship intertwine harmoniously. With its picturesque landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and progressive mindset, Adelaide has emerged as a thriving hub of creativity and transformation. This publication celebrates the city’s most exciting innovations and its entrepreneurial ecosystem, shedding light on the ideas, innovators, and visionaries who are redefining the future of this dynamic metropolis.

“Adelaide” may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. Adelaidean is used to denote the city and the residents of Adelaide. The Traditional Owners of the Adelaide region are the Kaurna people, the area of the city centre and surrounding Park Lands is called Tarndanya in the Kaurna language.

Named in honour of Queen Adelaide, the city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely-settled British province in Australia. Colonel William Light, one of Adelaide’s founding fathers, designed the city centre and chose its location close to the River Torrens.

Light’s design, now listed as national heritage site, set out the city centre in a grid layout known as “Light’s Vision”, interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by park lands.

As South Australia’s government and commercial centre, Adelaide is the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of these are concentrated in the city centre along the cultural boulevards of North Terrace and King William Street.

In December 2021, Adelaide was named the world’s second National Park City.

Innovation at the Core

Adelaide has earned an enviable reputation for its ability to foster a culture of innovation across various key industries and sectors. From advanced manufacturing to healthcare technology, the city has consistently demonstrated its prowess in creating world-class products and services that resonate both locally and globally. Innovation is not merely a buzzword in Adelaide; it is the heartbeat that drives progress and propels the city towards a brighter future.

The Creative Collective

At the heart of Adelaide’s transformation lies its immense creative collective. The city is a melting pot of diverse talents, ideas, and perspectives, all converging to create a unique and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. From budding startups to established enterprises, Adelaide provides a nurturing environment that encourages collaboration and supports innovation at every step.

Visionaries Shaping the Future

Innovation is fueled by visionary minds that dare to challenge the status quo and imagine a better world. Adelaide boasts a myriad of visionaries

who have dedicated their efforts to redefine traditional industries and introduce cutting-edge technologies. These forward-thinkers are not only driving economic growth but also inspiring the next generation of innovators to dream big and make a difference.

A Glimpse into the Future

Adelaide’s revolution is evident in every aspect of city life. The once sleepy city has embraced change and embraced the potential of technology, sustainability, and social impact. Initiatives such as smart city projects, green infrastructure, and community-driven ventures are all indicative of Adelaide’s commitment to a brighter and more inclusive future.

Lot Fourteen

The Power of Collaboration

The success of Adelaide’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is a result of collaborative efforts between various stakeholders. The city’s government, educational institutions, private sector, and community organizations all work hand-in-hand to create an environment that nurtures innovation and fosters growth. This united approach ensures that Adelaide remains at the forefront of technological advancements and maintains its position as a center of excellence.

Pioneering Industries

Adelaide’s innovation extends to pioneering industries that have the potential to transform the world. From renewable energy solutions to space and defence technologies, the city is home to groundbreaking initiatives that are reshaping entire sectors. Adelaide’s contribution to space exploration and research, in particular, has positioned it as a global player in this exciting domain.

Sustainability and Social Impact

Innovation in Adelaide goes beyond profitability; it is driven by a desire to create a sustainable and socially responsible future. The city’s commitment to environmental sustainability, social welfare, and community engagement underscores its dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of its residents and the world at large.

Conclusion

Adelaide, the City of Innovation, is a testament to the power of collective creativity and the potential for transformation. From its vibrant business ecosystem to its pioneering industries, the city exemplifies the possibilities that emerge when innovation and entrepreneurship are nurtured and celebrated. As we look to the future, Adelaide’s commitment to progress, sustainability, and social impact serves as an inspiration for cities worldwide.

The journey of this remarkable city is far from over, and with each step, Adelaide continues to redefine what it means to be a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship in the 21st century.

Welcome to South Australia, welcome to Adelaide—where innovation knows no bounds. Embrace the future with us as we celebrate the pioneers, the thinkers, and the dreamers who are shaping a world of endless possibilities.

CHAPTER ONE THOUGHT

LEADERS

SOUTH AUSTRALIA – THE BEST STATE FOR DEFENCE AND SPACE. THE HON. DR. SUSAN CLOSE, MINISTER FOR DEFENCE AND SPACE INDUSTRIES

South Australia is an innovative, collaborative and forward-thinking state with defence and space manufacturing at the heart of our emerging hightech economy.

Home to a critical mass of defence industry, cutting-edge research and education institutions as well as world-class infrastructure, precincts and advanced manufacturing capability, South Australia is firmly established as the Defence State.

We are also emerging as the centre-of gravity for the nation’s space economy being home to the Australian Space Agency, Australian Mission Control Centre, Australian Space Discovery Centre, headquarters of the SmartSat CRC and more than 100 space companies.

The South Australian Government is supporting advancements in defence and space innovation by identifying and seeking to align local research and development and realise ideas through programs such as the Defence Innovation Partnership (DIP) and its Space Innovation Fund (SIF).

Since it was established in 2018, DIP has unlocked more than $12 million of collaborative defence and space R&D activity across 29 projects through its Collaborative Research Fund (CRF). It has supported a range of research areas and technologies, including virtual reality software development, artificial intelligence, biomechanics and human modelling.

Through the SIF, which supports initiatives such as the Venture Catalyst Space incubator program - the State Government is also supporting promising entrepreneurs and new start-ups to develop and grow innovative or disruptive ideas in the space sector.

A recent CRF example of the cross-sector benefits of innovation is a research collaboration between local universities, industry and Defence that utilises satellite technology to aid in disaster response and support Defence personnel in hazardous environments.

In a further demonstration of the State Government’s commitment to drive defence and space innovation, research and entrepreneurial development, South Australia has invested in a range of collaboration-enabling

infrastructure including Lot Fourteen, Line Zero – Factory of the Future at Tonsley Innovation District and the Australian Space Park.

These precincts together with our world-class R&D sector are adding cutting edge capability to the South Australian defence and space ecosystem.

With a culture of entrepreneurship, collaboration and innovation, South Australia’s government, industry and R&D community are committed to working together to build and leverage the state’s capabilities. This combined effort will ensure we are best placed to take advantage of the exciting opportunities ahead.

Watch this space.

sa.gov.au

Taking hold of the opportunities derived from research excellence and innovation will help us to build a resilient, efficient, and informed health system that supports the future health and wellbeing of all South Australians.

Research excellence and innovation will also play a vital role in our ability to proactively respond to emerging global challenges including climate change and natural disasters, increasing burden of disease, involuntary migration, cybercrime and security breaches, employment and skills shortages, our ageing population and much more.

Rapid advancements in science and technology, informed by research and data, will see monumental changes to the ways in which we deliver health care, a phenomenon we are already witnessing and harnessing here in South Australia through our university sector and innovation districts.

South Australia has a proud history of delivering life-changing health and medical research. Although we are a small state, we have a vibrant research and innovation sector. Our ecosystem is comprised of many passionate and talented researchers, institutes and organisations dedicated to supporting research and innovation excellence.

South Australia’s size and the organisation of our public health system, research and innovation districts and academic institutions, provides us with the ability to be a leader in contemporary patient centred service delivery that focusses on:

• Health prevention and promotion, early intervention, education, and research to maintain healthy lifestyles and an improved quality of life

• Providing care that supports the community to be active participants in determining how their health care is delivered, including more opportunities for care in the community and at home

• Culturally appropriate care and service design to meet the needs of our socially and demographically diverse and geographically dispersed population

• Research excellence and translation to support high quality, appropriate and timely care that meets the changing needs and expectations of our community

• A continuously learning and curious workforce with pathways for innovation to be embedded into everyday practice to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience

• Integrated systems and services that promote equity and equality in access and sustainability

We are building upon our solid foundations to cultivate an innovative learning culture and leveraging our existing strengths, such as our state-wide data assets, to drive improvements in care and system efficiencies. By doing this we will continue to improve the effectiveness, quality and safety of our care and treatment, and the overall agility of our health system to deliver the best care for South Australians now, and into the future.

premier.sa.gov.au

I BELIEVE THE PURPOSE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO SAFE AND ADVANCED HEALTH CARE, BUT ALSO TO EVOLVE IT.

HON. CHRIS PICTON MP, MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING

The quote above is from a submission by Dr Rhiannon Pilkington and Professor John Lynch to our Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care. Rhiannon and John are two brilliant South Australians who run the BetterStart research group which aims to understand how to give infants and children the best start in life.

Since 2009, BetterStart has developed the SA Early Childhood Data Project and the BEBOLD platform (Better Evidence Better Outcomes Linked Data). These hold data on around half a million South Australians born from 1991 onwards and track children’s health and welfare from before birth into early adulthood.

The Department of Human Services has used BetterStart’s work to augment SA Government data and develop the Child and Family Support System (CFSS). This program uses evidence to target early intervention and has three tiers:

• Disrupting intergenerational disadvantage with a focus on families whose children are at imminent risk of removal by child protection services.

• Intensive support that helps families by coordinating with other services to address key risk factors like family violence, mental health, and alcohol/drugs.

• Funding new evidence-informed services for families with emerging safety risks or who can benefit from step-down support after receiving intensive assistance.

The decades’ worth of BetterStart data means CFSS targets groups where we know we can achieve the greatest impact. These groups include infants at risk, young parents, adolescents with complex trauma and Aboriginal families with multiple and complex needs.

For example, we know that more than 1,000 reports are received each year with concerns about unborn children. Of this group, around a third of the families are likely to have a child removed in the next four years. Insights like this help us to see the problem coming, focus scarce resources to prevent escalation of issues and start to break the cycle.

Prioritising and helping these groups, particularly at the early stages of parenthood, can disrupt intergenerational vulnerability and build trust in support systems before police, health, child protection or other services need be involved.

With growing demands across all of our social and human services, I’ll end with another quote from the BetterStart Royal Commission submission“Prevention is the only viable solution”.

Source of quotes:

Witness Statement Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care Dr Rhiannon Pilkington & Professor John Lynch for the BetterStart Health and Development Research Group School of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide. January 2023. — Pilkington-Lynch-submission.pdf (royalcommissionecec.sa.gov.au)

“We have little evidence that we are achieving success in one of the core challenges in Australia and internationally - breaking intergenerational cycles of disadvantage in all its forms.”

(BetterStart, 2023)

FORGING AHEAD AS THE FESTIVAL STATE.

HITAF RASHEED,

EVENTS

SOUTH AUSTRALIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION

South Australia loves a party. We are the festival state – one proud to break new ground. Innovation is crucial when delivering major events, and so too is fostering a culture in which they continue to thrive. Our place as host of the best, brightest celebrations is directly linked to the bold steps taken decades ago. The story goes on.

Among the crowd at our largest events we may forget each had to earn its audience. The Santos Tour Down Under. Adelaide Festival. Adelaide Fringe. WOMADelaide. Together they shape summer, as much a fixture as beach days and balmy nights. But their success over decades has not been by chance. And their futures depend on continuing to innovate.

Highlights continue across every season. South Australia is the proud host of Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel – the nation’s longest-running eating and drinking festival – and the VAILO Adelaide 500, its best supercars race. Newer annual arrivals such as Illuminate Adelaide and Harvest Rock have resonated with audiences eager for bold, authentic programming and performance. Two groundbreaking events also made their debut this year: the AFL’s Gather Round and LIV Golf Adelaide. Following them is Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution, an Australian exclusive art exhibition also set to draw thousands of interstate and overseas visitors. In 2023 major events and festivals are expected to add $400 million to the South Australian visitor economy. Still we strive for more.

Being a challenger brand means our state isn’t simply open to pushing boundaries. We push them – then we go further. This requires bold leadership from the very top, and a vision that transcends events. That vision is about a more prosperous South Australia and a platform upon which the state can tell its stories and bring communities together through major events.

Innovation across major South Australian events and festivals shapes both their establishment and evolution. The arrival of covid in 2020 again prompted fresh thinking, this time to ensure our flagship events could still take place. Since that upheaval we have greater licence to work creatively, and a renewed desire to deliver in different ways.

At LIV Golf Adelaide, for instance, the state joined a fellow challenger brand to question the norm and bring world-class golf to our capital. But that alone wasn’t enough. We activated the city and created the now famous Watering Hole, sharing our passion for a party – and South Australia’s story – like never before. It’s this energy that sets South Australia apart. It’s this capacity to add value, to earn attention, that ensures we turn events into festivals.

South Australia’s modern identity was forged through the bravery to engage and innovate. Now, as our state sets itself for the future and our visitor economy surges forward, we remain ready to seize new opportunities.

When I was entrusted with the role of Chief Entrepreneur, I was tasked with promoting the strengths of South Australia’s startup and innovation ecosystem to colleagues interstate and around the world.

This was the most enjoyable part of the gig – something I’ve been doing off my own back for 20 years, since I founded an environmental consultancy way back in 2002.

It’s no hard task to sell our state’s lifestyle, incredible research capabilities and close-knit community of passionate and talented business founders.

The true challenge has been to get South Australians themselves to believe that there is something special here. That globally competitive businesses can, and are, being built in Adelaide and right across our regions, and that they are in the right place at the right time.

When I was sent to Adelaide by my employer in the late 90s, I would have to be honest and to say it felt like a demotion. As a young engineer from Melbourne, I wanted to be at the heart of the action – in a thriving city with endless potential. To my surprise, I’ve found all this, and more, in Adelaide. Better still, I feel like I’m a fundamental part of the renaissance of this amazing and underestimated city.

Over the past couple of decades, I’ve noted an exciting shift in our local economy, and an energy and enthusiasm for growth and renewal of the business heart of the city.

While the state still relies on its traditional strengths in agriculture, mining and manufacturing, we’re seeing the adoption of new technologies that are making these sectors more efficient, sustainable and profitable than ever before.

Excitingly, South Australia is also cementing its leadership in future-focused industries like space, energy, health and, importantly, climate tech.

When I graduated from university, my choice to work in the environmental sector was considered ‘alternative’. Caring about our planet was relegated to a certain subset of the population, and certainly not a concern of big business.

Now – in a world of net zero emissions targets, circular economies, and climate conscious consumers – sustainability is not just a concern for the environmentalists, but for all of us. The move to a corporate ESG responsibility will further enhance South Australian businesses’ capability to thrive on the world stage.

It’s here that South Australia has an advantage. Already world renowned for our renewable energy production and uptake, the South Australian Government is building a world-leading hydrogen power station – a $593 million facility expected to be operational by the end of 2025.

SA startup founders have certainly taken up the call, developing business models, products and services to help individuals and businesses address the challenges of climate change.

GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE BUSINESSES CAN, AND ARE, BEING BUILT IN ADELAIDE AND RIGHT ACROSS OUR REGIONS.

ANDREW NUNN, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CHIEF ENTREPRENEUR, CO-FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JBS&G AUSTRALIA

And while we commend the foresight of these founders, it’s worth acknowledging the infrastructure and surrounding ecosystem support that has enabled them to start, scale and sustain success.

South Australia is home to a network of innovation districts, dedicated spaces with the physical, digital and social infrastructure required to accelerate new ideas into widespread economic outcome.

Housing global businesses, local startups, and research and education institutions, districts like Lot Fourteen, Tonsley and Adelaide BioMed City are carefully curated to increase productivity, support the development of newto-world products and services, solve complex industrial problems, develop innovative defence and space technologies, deliver better healthcare, and strive for enhanced environmental outcomes.

Our state has also benefitted from successive state governments’ committed to the modernisation and growth of the many small businesses already powering the South Australian economy.

Which means that, in addition to attracting global tech giants like Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft, we’ve seen serious investment in the little guys – support for those with big ambitions and genuine potential.

One example of this is the South Australian Government’s Seed-Start program, offering grants of between $50,000 - $500,000 to help local startups commercialise a unique product or service that has a sustainable competitive advantage in national and international markets.

Recognising that business opportunities and capital raising pathways are not equally accessible to all, there are also some terrific initiatives designed to even the playing field.

I’m incredibly excited about the work of The Circle – a First Nations entrepreneur hub based at Lot Fourteen – and the several streams of support for female business founders and leaders available through the South Australian Government’s Women in Business program.

It’s for this reason that I look forward to _SOUTHSTART each year.

One of many South Australian festivals held throughout ‘Mad March’, _SOUTHSTART reaches beyond the Silicon Valley stereotype to challenge the idea of a typical entrepreneur – hosting inclusive discussions on impact enterprises, innovative thinking, and why connection between founders is key to both business success and personal sanity.

It’s events like these, attracting a diverse range of attendees from across the country, that demonstrate Adelaide’s unique value proposition. This small city is full of ambitious, caring, collaborative people of all backgrounds that want to see you succeed, and – despite my initial reservations – I’m incredibly proud to be one of them.

South Australian Government programs and support for startup founders are coordinated by the Office of the South Australian Chief Entrepreneur, Department for Industry, Innovation and Science.

My father was less than impressed with Andy Warhol’s art but as a furniture manufacturer competing against international businesses with much lower input costs he knew his business lived or died on its ability to continually innovate, to improve, to change.

I took that lesson to heart and into government years later when I became Premier of South Australia in 2018. My Cabinet had a very clear understanding that South Australia needed change and needed it fast if we were going to avoid becoming a quaint relic of a bygone economic era.

At that time the Digital Revolution had, at best, a spotty presence in an economy still grappling with the decline of manufacturing and a loss of faith in state government policy.

We did basic things - lower taxes, lower input costs, reduced red tapeand we set about making Adelaide a destination city for technological innovators.

A Chief Entrepreneur was appointed to assist startups get through that perilous new born phase when so many great ideas wither on the vine. We canned plans for luxury housing on the seven hectare site of the old city hospital and began its conversion into Australia’s coolest hub of innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education and culture.

We struck the Adelaide City Deal with the Federal Government and the City of Adelaide to help fully realise the sites enormous potential. We provided meticulously restored heritage buildings for businesses to set up in at excellent rates. I opened my door to businesses large and small,

regularly personally escorting potential investors around what we renamed Lot Fourteen.

Lot Fourteen is now home to the Australian Space Agency, the Australian Space Discovery Centre and Mission Control, SmartSat CRC, the Australian Institute of Machine Learning, the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, the Centre for Augmented Reasoning, the Defence and Space Landing Pad, MIT big data Living Lab, the University of Adelaide research institute, The Circle - First Nations Entrepreneurial Hub and, of course, the Office of the Chief Entrepreneur.

But this is just the beginning. The cutting edge Entrepreneur and Innovation Centre is currently under construction and Tarrkarri, a magnificent living cultural centre for the 60,000 thousand years of this country’s First Nations cultures, will follow. This city is now offering enormous opportunities to innovative individuals, businesses and organisations.

Paradoxically Adelaide’s exciting embrace of the future is enhanced by the legacy of its past. Quite simply Adelaide has a life-style to die for. The Economist’s Global Liveability Index named Adelaide as the world’s third most liveable city in 2021.

The square mile of the CBD is characterised by generous tree-lined streets peppered with Victorian and Edwardian architecture. It’s completely ringed by deep parklands that house Adelaide Oval, one of the world’s great sporting venues. The city’s vibrant East End is a mere five minutes’ walk from Lot Fourteen, housing historic pubs, small bars and great restaurants.

THEY ALWAYS SAY TIME CHANGES THINGS, BUT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO CHANGE THEM YOURSELF.”

- ANDY WARHOL

THE HON. STEVEN MARSHALL MP, MEMBER FOR DUNSTAN

Every March the Adelaide Festival brings the best of the world’s theatre, music and visual arts to town, whilst at the same time the Adelaide Fringe floods the city with outrageous performances and WOMADelaide delivers four days of world music in the parklands.

Adelaide’s Mediterranean climate is complemented by gleaming white sand beaches and pristine waters of Gulf St Vincent just a 20 minute drive from the CDB. Whilst getting to a surf beach down the coast will only take you 45 minutes from the heart of town.

South Australia is one of the world’s great wine producing regions with the world famous Barossa Valley and Coonawarra delivering peerless new world wines. The Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills are also studded with world class wineries.

This State also has something else - a history of intellectual achievement that has shaped the world in the most profound ways. Two examples. The physicist Sir Mark Oliphant who had an instrumental role in the development of the atomic bomb and microwave radar and Sir Howard Florey the pharmacologist who was awarded a Nobel Prize for his role in the development of penicillin. Both attended the University of Adelaide, a stone’s throw from Lot Fourteen, at the same time.

My point is straightforward, if you are looking for a sympathetic business environment in which to develop, nurture and deliver an innovative idea, Adelaide is ready to welcome you with open arms. You will get to live in a city that is cultured and friendly.

THE RISE OF PROSUMERS: A NEW ERA FOR ENERGY MANAGEMENT.

CHRIS KERR, VICE PRESIDENT HOME AND DISTRIBUTION, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Fortunately, there is a clear entry point for the ‘prosumer home of the future’, in its energy management system, which will act as a central hub linked to solar panels and batteries, including one or more electric vehicles (EVs). These technologies are already here and growing in popularity.

This trend is expected to continue as more affordable EV models enter the market and the charging infrastructure improves, including residential options. For example, these at-home options will transform the way we think about refuelling, making going to a petrol station inconvenient for day-to-day driving and encouraging greater reliance on electrical energy.

However, challenges remain for prosumers, particularly when it comes to navigating the complex and constantly evolving energy market. This is where electricians can step in and be the trusted guide they need. As an industry, they can create a legacy as the enablers of a greener future.

Furthermore, to secure the future of green Australian homes, the energy industry and government must work together to educate citizens and support them to create their own energy ecosystems.

The prosumer movement is reshaping the residential electrical energy industry and the very function and fabric of our homes. While prosumers face challenges, they are also driving innovation and change, with new technologies and business models emerging to meet their needs.

A new era of residential energy management is emerging in Australia in response to rising energy prices and environmental concerns.

Driven by ‘prosumers’, so named as they both produce and consume resources, including energy, this emerging market has the potential to reshape homes of the future and it has already started, but prosumers need help.

By producing their own green energy and electrifying their homes, prosumers will change this, as the first to live in net zero – or less – homes. To do this, prosumers are choosing solar and smart technology to reduce their bills, and electric vehicles (EVs) and electrical appliances to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.

Schneider Electric State Office

33-37 Post Wakefield Rd, Gepps Cross SA 5094, Australia

se.com

clipsal.com

‘ELECTRICITY 4.0’ IS PAVING THE WAY FOR A WORLD POWERED BY RELIABLE, SUSTAINABLE ENERGY. GARETH

O’REILLY, PACIFIC ZONE PRESIDENT, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC

Our world is currently transforming fast, as we know. An important part of this is a new energy revolution driven by the convergence of digitalisation and electrification at scale, which we at Schneider Electric call ‘Electricity 4.0’.

It’s digital technology such as advanced automation, metering, and monitoring that enables us to see how we use our energy, driving efficiency and eliminating waste. Then, adding smart devices, apps, analytics, and software enables us to deploy energy more efficiently. Digitalisation makes the invisible visible, enabling the elimination of waste - enabling waste to be identified and therefore opportunity for efficiency gains.

Electricity 4.0 supports corporate sustainability, promotes decarbonisation and circularity, increases operational efficiency, reduces material waste, prolongs equipment lifetime, and enables better emissions monitoring and management.

But this is just the beginning.

In industry, automation and digital tools can optimise the processes, productivity, performance, and energy usage that goes into delivering machinery, or semiconductor chips, or even a humble milk carton.

In cities, buildings, and infrastructure, IoT-enabled management systems can significantly reduce energy use and waste by detecting leaky valves, or automatically adjusting heating, lighting, and other systems to the number of people present at any given time, using real-time data analysis.

Electrification is the best vector for energy efficiency and decarbonisation. Electricity can be generated by renewable sources and virtually 100% efficient with its current uses today. For example, heat pumps and EVs are many times more efficient for the same effect delivered than their fossilfuelled counterparts.

Integrating energy and process automation empowers manufacturers to drive sustainability across the world’s most energy intensive sites, while software helps to connect assets across the full lifecycle, resulting in one, real-time view.

It’s ‘make or break’ time for businesses to address energy transition and reap the benefits of improved operational efficiency and sustainability. It’s also important to realise that much of this can be done now, with technology that exists today.

TO GROW AND FOSTER DIFFERENT APPROACHES

At its heart, innovation is a simple concept: to bring to life new ideas that deliver value and benefits. We all live in the realm of ideas, and from small ideas can come big changes.

In my experience, people working on the frontline play a leading role in generating ideas that can transform the way we operate. And transformation is needed to pioneer a sustainable water future. To do this we will leverage the power of innovation to optimise our resources, reduce our carbon footprint, enable growth, and ensure the wellbeing of our community.

The future of water demands a proactive approach, one that harnesses the power of innovation to navigate the complexities of climate change, population growth, and urbanisation. We must be at the forefront of developing sustainable solutions that ensure our water resources are protected, replenished, and accessible for generations to come.

By embracing innovation, we will be prepared to tackle problems that don’t even exist yet. I’m proud that ideas developed within our business have grown into significant, industry-leading innovations.

Seeing ideas like this come to life is a driving force for me; it propels our business forward with energy and enthusiasm.

To grow and foster different approaches and new ways of working, we need to stay curious about our world, our community, and what’s changing around us. Learning, seeking to understand and sharing are key to finding undiscovered pathways. When we share our ideas across different sectors –government, business, community – our potential grows exponentially, and an exciting world of innovation opens up before us.

At SA Water, we embrace innovation, because through our collective efforts and unwavering passion, we will ensure our community thrives.

One such example is our Zero Cost Energy Future project. Conceived by our people in response to the need to shift to sustainable, renewable energy that is independent of the grid, the project installed more than 367,000 solar panels on 33 sites across the state. Generating and storing renewable energy to power our operations is helping to keep prices as low and stable as possible for our customers. In this instance, a small idea has had a significant impact. sawater.com.au

AND NEW WAYS OF WORKING, WE NEED TO STAY CURIOUS ABOUT OUR WORLD, OUR COMMUNITY, AND WHAT’S CHANGING AROUND US.

DAVID RYAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SA WATER

THE CITY OF ONKAPARINGA OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO STEP INTO LEADERSHIP – FROM A TEEN COACHING A JUNIOR SPORTS TEAM, TO BECOMING AN ELECTED MEMBER.

MAYOR MOIRA WERE AM, CITY OF ONKAPARINGA

In fact, one former recipient of our Young Citizen of the Year Award –in which we recognise young people who have made exceptional contributions by leading through generosity and enterprise – has just been elected to Council.

We recognise and acclaim community-led events – festivals; sporting, arts and cultural events; environmental projects; business and tourism association-hosted awards. These opportunities bring economic benefits, social and community connections and, in cases like the Tour Down Under, a showcasing of Onkaparinga to a global audience. These opportunities show the world our community spirit and build on the foundations of the sometimes unseen and unsung contributions of local leaders.

Onkaparinga has 53 incorporated bodies supporting and managing our community facilities, and hundreds of incorporated community groups across the city, each with their own governance arrangements, all volunteer led.

Our Leadership Onkaparinga program has been running for 14 years, with over 400 participants. Many graduates have been able to take their learning to their neighbourhood, effectively network with other leaders, and develop programs that provide new ways to build stronger and more vibrant communities.

Being a leader where you live is a privilege. In local government, elected members have both the right and responsibility to advocate on behalf of their own community, and to factor in all the views, pressures and opportunities of an entire city.

Onkaparinga is a microcosm of South Australia. We have beaches, hills and plains. We have a wide range of habitats home to precious and endangered species. We have industry, farming and viticulture. We have water and waste challenges. We have communities that are well established, and others emerging. We are home to the oldest culture on the planet, and we respect and honour their past, present and emerging leaders.

As mayor, I get to see people at their best on occasions when they’re recognised and singled-out by their communities for their leadership. I also see them when they’re vulnerable, in times of stress, after natural disasters, and frustrated by the complexities of local government. This bird’s-eye view of our citizens helps me stay in touch with what’s important to people. I think this is a vital quality for any leader – to tune in, to meet people where they are, and to accept there are many ways to see an issue.

What I’ve learnt about leadership over the years is you need an intrinsic belief that people are doing their best most of the time, that listening is a precursor to understanding, and having an open heart is as important as an open mind.

Key benefits of locating in the City of Salisbury include:

• It is at the centre of all major transport links, being home to the Northern Connector and Northern Expressway, Intermodal rail, Parafield and RAAF airports and only 15mins to Port Adelaide.

• Superior research and development facilities, including the University of South Australia, Defence Science and Technology Group and Technology Park.

• A competitive advantage in Defence, Food processing, Manufacturing, Knowledge intensive research and Logistics sectors.

• Emerging sector opportunities in Space, Cybersecurity, Manufacturing 4.0, Energy and Health manufacturing.

• A diverse and highly skilled workforce.

• Population-driven growth in both Retail and Health services.

• One of the lowest Council rates in Adelaide for Industrial and Commercial property.

• An ongoing supply of employment and residential land through both infill and greenfield sites.

• A highly efficient development planning process.

SALISBURY IS A PROGRESSIVE, PROACTIVE AND PRO-BUSINESS CITY THAT IS STRONGLY COMMITTED TO PARTNERING WITH BUSINESS TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESSES TO THRIVE.

JOHN HARRY, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CITY OF SALISBURY

In Salisbury new thinking is being applied to the transformation of individual firms and whole industry sectors. Adopting this entrepreneurial mindset within our organisation has underpinned the establishment of several commercial opportunities unique in the local government sector:

• Salisbury Water – an innovative and reliable recycled water service provider delivering economic, environmental and social benefits to the community.

• The Polaris Business Development Centre – helping businesses start, grow and become more competitive by providing business advice and programmes across northern Adelaide for over 20 years.

• Salisbury Living – delivering nationally award-winning affordable housing and revitalisation projects that support economic growth and the local construction industry, while providing a financial return through the development of Council land assets.

• Salisbury Development Services – providing building rules certification to private clients and other local government areas in South Australia.

• Majority ownership (51%) of Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority – a regional subsidiary providing best practice waste management and resource recovery services for businesses, industry and local government and driving service and infrastructure delivery efficiencies through economies of scale.

An innovative approach and strong financial management have enabled the City of Salisbury to invest in state-of-the-art facilities for our community:

• Bridgestone Athletics Centre – a fully integrated athletic training facility of Olympic standard.

• Salisbury Community Hub – a multi-purpose facility containing the civic centre, library, education and study facilities, event and exhibition spaces.

• Redevelopment of the Salisbury Aquatic and Recreation Precinct Centre –with a 50-metre outdoor pool, heated 25 metre indoor lap and leisure pools, water slides, a gymnasium, water play park and café opening in 2024.

• Networked local sporting and community hubs.

BEING A POWERHOUSE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S DEFENCE, TECHNOLOGY

AND MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY MEANS THE CITY OF SALISBURY HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE AND INDEED OUR NATION.

Our City is the fourth largest economy in the State with a Gross Regional Product of 8.65 billion and more than 8,700 businesses calling Salisbury home, including a host of international firms and flourishing entrepreneurs. We are an important area for the State’s economic growth for population, small business, innovation and employment and have key innovation, economic and employment hubs in Technology Park and the Edinburgh Defence Precinct.

GILLIAN ALDRIDGE OAM, MAYOR, CITY OF SALISBURY

For generations, people have arrived in our City from far and wide to set up their home, in search of a place with more opportunities for work, education and a better lifestyle. This identity has endured and more recently has been responsible for a significant growth in population and a high housing demand climate. It comes as no surprise then that we are one of the fastest growing areas in the State, with a population of more than 147,000 people, which is expected to grow by 4.2% each year for the next 15 years.

This future growth, health and wellbeing of the northern Adelaide community was keenly accounted for in our City Plan 2035, which sets out our vision for Salisbury to be a progressive, sustainable and connected community. Based upon the characteristics that make a successful City, this vision informs our four key directions, which are to create:

• A welcoming and liveable City

• A sustainable City

• A growing City that creates new opportunities

• Innovation and Business Development

Located 15 kilometres north of the Adelaide CBD, the City of Salisbury is the ideal place to do business. Our Council actively supports business to invest and grow. We offer affordable commercial land, excellent transportation infrastructure and networks, a highly skilled workforce and access to world leading research facilities.

Salisbury is the ideal base for any business looking to establish a presence in South Australia. Importantly, we offer more than just a great place to work, we also offer a great lifestyle.

INVENTION ENCOMPASSES CREATING SOMETHING NEW WITHOUT CONCERN FOR VALUE.

NOEL J. LINDSAY, PROFESSOR OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND COMMERCIALISATION, DEAN OF BUSINESS, ADELAIDE BUSINESS SCHOOL AND PRO VICE CHANCELLOR, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

THE PATHWAY TO PROSPERITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE IS UNDERPINNED BY INNOVATION

Innovation is a term frequently used but often not fully understood. Innovation occurs when something new is created that creates value. It is a key contributor toward improving productivity and quality of life.

“Innovation” and “invention” are sometimes used interchangeably. The two are inextricably related, but there is a distinct difference. Invention encompasses creating something new without a concern for value produced. Through unique intuition or genius, invention can involve developing a new device, method, process, improvement, etc. that never existed previously. Innovation takes a step further, converting the invention into a product or process valued by the market. Innovation is generated through a structured entrepreneurial process and aligned methodologies, such as lean startup, agile development, value proposition canvas, business model canvas, rapid experimentation, minimum viable product, product-market fit – all typically (formally or informally) strengthened by non-linear processes involving creativity and design thinking.

Of the countless inventions developed, few become innovations. Those that do, replace what was used previously. Joseph Schumpeter’s “theory of creative destruction” describes a process where new innovations replace existing ones rendered obsolete by more advanced technologies and/or a stronger value proposition than existed earlier.

Unfortunately, too many organisations do not comprehend the lost opportunities when innovation possibilities are not sought across the business value chain. Missed opportunities can occur when organisations neglect keeping an eye on the horizon for potential problems/opportunities, or particularly, when only a top-down management approach is pursued. Routinely, it is the frontline, customer-facing and production staff (bottomup) who comprehend issues firsthand and can generate innovative insights to solve problems.

Of the different types of innovation, incremental innovation should be enculturated into the organisation’s DNA. There is very little new in life ... incremental innovations typically form out of more unusual combinations of what already exists within society. Encouraging creativity across all facets of education and within workplaces, is an effective first step to conceive and

shape ideas. Collaborative open innovation is another approach to bring fresh thinking to organisations and industry. Breakthrough and disruptive innovations rarely happen overnight ... they emerge out of a depth of research and experimentation, often over years, and require significant funding.

Developing innovation requires responsibility and a resolute ethical stance in relation to future potential negative impacts. Poorly managed innovation can lead to future wicked problems or grand challenges that no one organisation has capability to resolve; e.g., increasing space debris levels and floating discarded plastic ocean islands ... both triggered by research, services, or products intended to be a valuable addition to daily life. In bringing innovation to life, all potential outcomes must be fully considered.

Innovation generates passion in people as it represents potential for economic expansion, societal progress, and profitable growth. In my roles over many years, I am certainly one of those people striving to achieve sustainable innovation that benefits purpose, people, planet, and prosperity

PROFESSOR NOEL LINDSAY

Noel Lindsay is Dean of Business, Adelaide Business School and Pro ViceChancellor (Entrepreneurship) at the University of Adelaide, where he is the Professor of Entrepreneurship and Commercialisation. Prior to Noel’s current roles, he held positions as Director, Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre and Academic Director, Singapore Operations (based in Singapore).

Noel’s entrepreneurial experience includes venture capital investment, as well as establishing, developing, and harvesting ventures in Australia, South Africa, and Malaysia. From a community perspective, Noel has a particular interest in how entrepreneurial thinking can create value and societal and economic impact in communities, and how it can assist those who are disadvantaged.

As a Chartered Accountant, a CPA, and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, Noel has practiced in the areas of audit, corporate insolvency, and family business advisory. He holds a BCom (Hons) and PhD from the University of Queensland.

INNOVATION REQUIRES AT LEAST

FIVE THINGS: CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION, SACRIFICE, AND EMBRACING FAILURE.

ADRIAN TISATO, DIRECTOR, WRP LEGAL & ADVISORY

Adrian Tisato is a commercial lawyer with expertise in public administration and innovation, and decades of leadership in the arts, music, and film. When car manufacturing closed in Adelaide, he dedicated himself to working with the private sector and the State Government to open up new economic opportunities through innovation. The projects he helped establish and shape include: Gig City Adelaide, which created more than 20 high-speed-internet innovation precincts; the South Australian Rapid Commercialisation Initiative, a program that supported industry-led university research with the aim of improving commercialisation outcomes; and the establishment of the first Techstars Accelerator Program in the Asia-Pacific region, in Adelaide. He continues to work as an enabler of the innovation sector.

I am the son of a refugee. I work in the law. I dream in the arts.

Innovation requires at least five things: curiosity, creativity, collaboration, sacrifice, and embracing failure.

Almost 30 years of unbroken economic growth have made these ingredients hard to find in Australia.

That winning streak was enabled by the reforms of the Hawke and Keating Governments from 1983-1996. Capital and labour made sacrifices in the national interest. Australia’s productivity and competitiveness were radically transformed. A large national savings pool was established through compulsory superannuation. A strong social safety net was put in place, with universal healthcare a central feature. Entrepreneurship was encouraged while ensuring the benefits of increased productivity were fairly divided between profit and wages.

However, Australia’s prosperity has remained heavily reliant on digging minerals out of the ground and exporting them in raw form. We remain “the lucky country”.

Innovation is the catalyst of future prosperity. Places that innovate shape the future and become more prosperous and resilient as a result. Places that do not innovate are shaped by other places and become less prosperous and more vulnerable.

Innovation is ultimately a product of culture, which, in turn, is a product of leadership.

Bob Dylan described the ideal conditions for innovation: “When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose”.

For South Australia, the real opportunity lies in us going back to our roots.

Since ancient times, Kaurna country (Adelaide) was a meeting place for many different peoples who would come from afar to gather here and listen to and collaborate with each other. Honouring this tradition would require us to be outward-looking, open, and welcoming. We need to see ourselves through the eyes of the outsider and the visitor –put ourselves in their shoes. Do they even know we exist? When they come here, do we make them feel welcome?

Second, it means reclaiming South Australia’s original experiment – to become a utopian society –founded on the principles of freedom and creativity, with the aim of producing the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. Generosity and prosperity will go hand in hand.

The Renaissance didn’t happen by magic. It was created in one city by a handful of artists with the support of a few wealthy benefactors and a single, major institution.

Adelaide has a chance to be the home a new Renaissance, where freedom, creativity, integrity, focus, discipline and mutual sacrifice come together to solve some of the biggest problems for the most people around the world.

Let’s roll up our sleeves, be humble, recognise our place in the world, trust each other, and get to work.

Adrian Tisato is a Director at WRP Legal & Advisory Email:

THIS STATE IS NOW BLESSED WITH EMERGING INNOVATION DISTRICTS WHICH PROVIDE EXCITING CAREER DIRECTIONS FOR OUR STATE’S YOUNG PEOPLE.

DR. TIM MAHLBERG, DIRECTOR OF ECOSYSTEMS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, STONE & CHALK GROUP

I moved to Adelaide in my twenties to study, at a time when South Australia was seeing the decline of our manufacturing and automotive industries, and the Global Financial Crisis was about to bite. It was, and continues to be, a wonderful place to study and get involved in our community. Yet back then, innovation wasn’t a word I ever remember hearing, and after my studies, I went the way of many graduates towards our eastern states to explore more fulfilling work pathways. Oh, how times have changed!

From afar in Melbourne and Sydney, I had been watching a change in Adelaide take place, which prompted my return here in 2021. This state is now blessed with emerging innovation districts which provide exciting career directions for our state’s young people, as well as new opportunities for legacy for our experienced professionals, and new impact communities where anyone can be supported to solve problems that matter to them. It’s in the centre of one of these districts that my work is now based as the Director of Ecosystems for South Australia at Stone & Chalk.

Like many, I am sensing that we are in a pivotal time for our city and state, and that is an opportunity for us all to be inspired to roll up our sleeves and seize this moment. We have an exciting new entrepreneurial mindset and spirit taking hold here, not only in our startup hubs and innovation communities, but in our schools and universities, our family businesses, our corporate and government institutions, and our social service sectors.

But there is still work to be done to get through our “tall poppy syndrome”, and embed a new innovation culture that encourages entrepreneurship as a legitimate career pathway for people of all backgrounds, vocations and industries. Successful innovators draw on their own unique context and life, to discover paths-less-travelled which can seed exciting new directions for local impact and global application, and we need to better embrace and celebrate our successful entrepreneurs proudly in South Australia, and share their stories.

We need to continue to create spaces for real conversations that matter to all generations, to explore new directions, to encourage cross-pollination of ideas, and increase participation in shared solutions. We need more modern-day “town halls” where citizens rally, build new relationships, and go into their day-to-day lives energised and ready to act on what they discuss together.

We’ve always been known for punching above our weight, and we should all celebrate the progress of South Australia towards embracing innovation and entrepreneurship, and as we gather together through new places, programs and initiatives to help us all to lean boldly and courageously into solving our most pressing challenges in creative ways.

All South Australians have a role to play to encourage and support our fellow citizens, young and old alike, to shape our world and make our difference from right here in our wonderful, ever-changing city and state.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S LEADING ROLE IN THE GLOBAL TRANSITION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE PATHWAY TO ZERO EMISSIONS.

RICHARD TURNER, FOUNDER ZEN ENERGY & DEPUTY CHAIR SA PREMIER’S CLIMATE CHANGE

COUNCIL AUTHOR OF “THE ESSENTIAL ENTREPRENEUR” – WILEY PUBLISHING (NOV 2022)

How often have you heard something like this - “Australia makes up only 1.3% of global emissions, and therefore why is it so important for Australia to do anything in relation to renewable energy targets and lowering emissions as we are not going to make any difference?”.

Make no mistake, sitting under the best renewable energy resource in the world brings an enormous economic opportunity and responsibility to our country. We can develop, demonstrate, and export new business models and technologies harnessing lower cost renewable energy to the rest of the world. South Australia in particular has always been recognised as a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation as well as a global test market for new ideas, so let’s leverage all of this to give our state a sustainable economic advantage.

To have a rapid transition to renewable energy and lower emissions technologies, it must be simply more economic and effective than traditional technologies. There is no point trying to impart a more expensive cost of energy onto a public that is already drowning in the general cost of living from inflation.

Our largest emitting sectors in Australia making up 86.2% of all emissions as of December 2020 are – Energy Generation 33.6% (burning fossil fuels to produce electricity), Stationary Use of Energy 20.4% (including manufacturing, mining, residential and commercial fuel use), Transport 17.6%, and Agriculture 14.6%.

So where do we start to make a rapid impact on reducing these numbers?

Transitioning Energy

South Australia is a great case study in Renewable Energy coming from a position of “bottom of the ladder” as Professor Ross Garnaut says, with historically the most expensive cost of electricity generation and supply in the country. This was due to the state’s remote sources of dirty brown coal and poor gas reserves, coupled with being at the spindly end of the eastern electricity grid that runs from northern Queensland to western South Australia. The state was also the laughingstock of the country in its early attempts to transition quickly to a more independent renewable energy supply following the statewide blackout in 2016 and Elon Musk’s first Big Battery completed in November 2017 that everyone said would be a waste of money (it paid for itself in the first 12 months).

Fast forward five years and South Australia has close to the highest renewable energy penetration in the world (over 70% wind and solar generation). The state is now frequently the lowest cost generator of electricity at a wholesale level, and the other states that were either resistant or slow to move are now paying the price as the most expensive.

Low-cost renewable energy can be fed directly to large energy intensive industries to reduce their cost of operation and take a good portion of their load off the main grid. When coupled with our rich mineral resource base in South Australia, we can leverage that competitive advantage in energy to further process and value-add to our minerals (including high demand rare earths) and use this to attract a supply chain of hi-tech overseas manufacturers.

Excess renewable electricity in times of low demand can be diverted to localised Hydrogen production.

Our regions can become manufacturing powerhouses with finished goods being transported on hydrogen powered trucks to a local, more economic shallow port, and then trans-shipped on hydrogen powered vessels to waiting container ships off the coast.

Hydrogen Production

Locally produced hydrogen as a diesel replacement is economic right now. It will create new local industry and jobs, it’s cheaper than diesel, and can be produced locally alongside and utilising low-cost renewables as its main input. It has no geopolitical instability of pricing and supply, like diesel and petrol has, and best of all has NO emissions. It holds three times the energy density of diesel and produced by running our low-cost clean electricity through water in a process known as electrolysis (not the one used for hair removal).

We must now develop pilot regions where progressive farmers and local governments are willing to (with early support) convert diesel farm machinery, council machinery and generators to run on Hydrogen. This will be distributed from a localised production facility (hydrogen hub) to farms or council yards where it is pumped into local compressed storage tanks for refuelling machinery. This demonstrates an internationally desirable “Circular Economy” where we can produce and consume our resources locally for an economic advantage and reduce emissions at the same time.

When converting Hydrogen back to electricity the water is re-captured as a by-product in a closed loop system, so little additional water is required to produce hydrogen once operational. Remote townships running on banks of diesel generators could now run on solar, wind and hydrogen instead and be self-sufficient, avoiding disasters when roads are cut off from ever increasing floods and bushfires.

Transport

As we progress with energy, transport should benefit simultaneously with both battery and hydrogen powered vehicles. Hydrogen will most likely be the economic replacement for larger diesel-powered vehicles and heavy transport potentially allowing distances of 2-3,000km’s on a compressed tank with quick refuelling as this technology matures.

Battery cars capable of 800km’s plus will be entering the market at competitive prices over the next couple of years that will remove consumer range anxiety. They will perform much better, be substantially cheaper to run on clean electricity and have few moving parts to service. The rollout of charging infrastructure nationally is being accelerated in all states in preparation.

Agriculture

The most immediate threat to climate in the agricultural sector is methane. Within agriculture, the largest source of methane emissions is enteric methane from ruminant animals (mainly cattle) released through belching.

We have companies in Australia right now (such as CH4) doing groundbreaking work developing seaweed-based feed additives for feedlot cattle that are proven to reduce methane from cattle by up to 90%. These products enable food industry leaders, producers, and governments, to radically reduce enteric methane emissions safely, effectively, and efficiently. Methane has 84 times more Global Warming Potential than CO2 over the next 20 years, making methane a prime target for climate action.

Summary

Building on what is working and what is already economic will show us the pathway forward. South Australia has an enormous opportunity to capitalise on our unique renewable and mineral resources creating an ongoing sustainable competitive economic advantage over the rest of the world. Let’s take this opportunity now and show the world how it’s done, and South Australia can truly become a Renewable Energy Superpower!

THE SPACE SECTOR PRESENTS HUGE OPPORTUNITIES, AND WE BELIEVE IT COULD HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMY IN THE FUTURE.

FLAVIA TATA NARDINI, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, FLEET SPACE TECHNOLOGIES

TRANSFORMING INDUSTRIES. CHANGING THE WORLD

Australia’s vast natural resources have made it a global economic powerhouse. But with worldwide demand for minerals soaring, and finding new sources is becoming ever more complex and costly, our nation’s biggest industry urgently needs a radical new approach.

One potential solution is seismic imaging. The method used in oil and gas prospecting relies on ‘active’ seismic sources such as vibrating trucks or explosives, which are expensive and difficult to use in remote or environmentally sensitive areas. In contrast, ‘passive’ seismic imaging uses surface arrays, which don’t cause physical damage to the land. Problem is, this method generates immense quantities of data that computers simply haven’t been able to handle.

But at Fleet Space Technologies, we’ve found the solution. We call it ExoSphere.

Developed and built in Adelaide, ExoSphere is a true world first and currently the only system of its kind in existence. Lightweight, easilyportable seismic sensors called Geodes collect data up to 2km below the Earth’s surface, using ambient noise tomography (ANT). They then transmit data to our constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, which relay it to computers that generate detailed 3D subsurface maps via machine learning. Unlike traditional prospecting, which can take years, the whole process can be completed in just four days.

ExoSphere allows small teams to map vast amounts of land accurately, with little to no disturbance – and by cross-referencing with environmental surveys, they can focus on locations that will minimise ecological damage. It’s currently in use and planned to be deployed with over 20 customers scattered across Australia and North America.

And at the same time as transforming an established industry, we’re helping to build a new one. The space sector presents huge opportunities, and we believe it could have a profound impact on Australia’s economy in future. We’re at the forefront of this revolution, as the global leader in Micro Satellite digital beamforming for low power wide area networks. We produced the world’s first 3D-printed, all-metal patch antenna, and are currently developing our fully 3D-printed Alpha satellite.

The Government of South Australia shares our vision. Its ambition is to position SA as ‘the Space State’ – and it’s backing it with multi-milliondollar investment in projects including Adelaide Space Park. As Australia’s first dedicated space manufacturing hub, this was a natural location for us to set up our headquarters and production facility, which now employs over 80 people.

Today, Adelaide is at the heart of a growing ecosystem of innovative companies, creating a new ‘space value chain’ for satellite and rocket manufacturers and other aerospace enterprises. We’re proud to call it home.

GREG JOHANSEN, MANAGING DIRECTOR & CEO, AUSHEALTH

Since our formation, I have been constantly motivated by the impact that medical research can have on our community. It’s a challenging field, and it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance –sometimes years in the making – but the positive results we see makes it all worthwhile.

I am proud to lead a team of passionate and dedicated individuals who are working to find innovative health and medical research solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our society, from chronic diseases, healthy mothers and babies research to pain management. We’re fortunate enough to work with and facilitate this research with incredibly talented research inventors at hospitals and universities. They’re driven by a shared passion for improving people’s lives, and they’re always pushing themselves to be the best they can be.

As a team, we’re also committed to evidence-based research, and strive to improve the quality of our research, and to ensure that our findings are robust and reliable. This means that we are constantly challenging ourselves to do better, to innovate and to think outside the box.

But our work is not just about research. It is also about translating our findings into tangible benefits for the people of Australia and for the global community. We are constantly seeking to collaborate with universities, independent companies, and other stakeholders to ensure that our research is making a real difference in the lives of Australians.

We are resilient, adaptable, and willing to embrace change in order to achieve our goals. We’re willing to take risks and because of this we have a unique place in the Australian research industry.

One of the things that motivates us most is the knowledge that the work we’re doing is making a real difference in the lives of people across Australia. We’re not just conducting research for the sake of it. We’re doing it with a purpose. And that purpose is to improve people’s health and wellbeing, to help them live longer, healthier lives.

At AusHealth, we’re not satisfied with just making incremental improvements. We’re constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We’re exploring new ideas and new approaches, and we’re not afraid to take risks. We know that the work we’re doing has the potential to change lives, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to make that happen.

I am confident that together, we can achieve our vision of a healthier future for all Australians.

CONNECTION – THE SPARK FOR COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION.

JO CLOSE, DIRECTOR OF THE ADELAIDE INTERMEDIARY PROGRAM, MTPCONNECT

Innovation – turning a great idea into a new, accessible product or service – never occurs in isolation. It needs collaboration which is sparked by connection.

In health and medical innovation, we talk about the globally connected ecosystem because ours is a global endeavour that requires collegial bright minds, significant investment, the world’s most advanced science and manufacturing infrastructure, a harmonised regulatory environment across countries, resilient supply chains and access to global markets.

Start-ups and scaling companies are born global, but are often new to partnering and collaboration. As they mature, connections and partners for R&D, funding, clinical trials, manufacturing, regulatory, business affairs and distribution become essential.

Yet there isn’t an app or a little black book for all the people they need to work with, so how can we accelerate the establishment of strategic connections to underpin innovation?

This is exactly what the not-for-profit and independent organisation MTPConnect was established to do in the medical technology and pharmaceutical sector in Australia.

Strategic connections take dedicated personnel who engage with a whole range of stakeholders, understand the health innovation process and are skilled at connecting the dots between need and opportunity.

MTPConnect’s Adelaide Intermediary Program is a case in point. It is a $3 million initiative seeded by the Government of South Australia to support the growth of the state’s health and medical innovation sector - and connection is a cornerstone of its activities.

It’s made possible by a team of four who make all kinds of connections. They work with clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, business professionals, funders, manufacturers, service providers and government. They link companies to research organisations, investors to innovations, skilled experts to opportunities and more.

The team takes a bespoke approach, meeting stakeholders on their innovation journey, and leveraging the team’s diverse experience and networks to help them along the way. This is further amplified by tapping into MTPConnect’s national team of professionals who are connected across Australia and internationally.

The Program is already delivering. New connections have sparked impressive collaborations, new initiatives are underway and more funding is flowing. And we are only just getting started.

website.com

The importance of connections as a precursor to collaboration can’t be overstated and the role of dedicated resources to spark those connections is the key to unlocking the potential of our medical product innovations.

mtpconnect.org.au

AT VAILO WE’RE BUILDING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION AND ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY. AARON HICKMANN, FOUNDER, VAILO

For me it was looking up at an NBL game and realising that we were effectively sitting in the dark. If I could design a stadium-specific advanced LED lighting system, VAILO could lift stadia and sporting events to a new level of broadcast quality, saving energy and the environment at the same time. We did it, and we’re now manufacturing the most advanced stadium lighting system in the world from our Kent Town base.

At VAILO we’re building a culture of innovation and encouraging creativity. We work in light-filled spaces with a games arcade, engaging activities and even a drinks menu. If staff feel valued, they’re enthusiastic and they contribute.

If we can create a culture of innovation within and then share the VAILO message throughout South Australia, we can help build the economy through knowledge, job creation and advanced manufacturing.

We know there are lots of naysayers in Adelaide, but we need to say yes more often.

Build it and they will come – whether that means innovation precincts such as Lot Fourteen or the Monarto Innovation Precinct, Adelaide’s biomedical, education and research strip along North Terrace, or building stadia which illuminate our passion for sport, we need to not just say yes, but say it with certainty.

We support the State Government’s passion for job creation and building the knowledge economy, with a vibrant capital that people want to live and work within. I’m passionate about motorsport, and when the State Government announced it would bring back motor racing on the Adelaide Street Circuit, VAILO jumped on board as naming rights sponsor of the VAILO Adelaide 500. Our philosophies align – to grow advanced manufacturing, create a vibrant state and to foster innovation.

PUTTING SOUTH AUSTRALIA IN THE SPOTLIGHT

I’ve never watched the world go by without wanting to stick my hand up and disrupt proceedings.

At school I was the one with the locker full of PlayStation memory cards, running my own business and disrupting. School students are supposed to sit and learn, not teach entrepreneurialism.

You can’t be an innovator without wanting to disrupt the established order. That means seeing gaps in the market and researching and developing new products to challenge the status quo, without being afraid to back yourself, your ideas and take that leap.

It’s why we’re VAILO – we have great courage, strength and moral worth.

THE ENDURING VALUE OF A SKILLED TRADES CAREER.

ANDREW DOWNS, FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAGE AUTOMATION

While Australia finds itself in a critical skills shortage, young people who embrace a career in the trades, are finding endless opportunities.

When we ask our children what they want to be when they grow up, we hope they will dream big, and pursue a career of enjoyment and meaning.

Many young people are overtly steered towards university, and led to believe the skilled trades are only an option for those not sharp enough to aim higher.

The truth, however, is that the trades offer an exciting career path that is rich with possibilities. And critical to Australia’s social and economic goals.

Australia is in the gap of a skilled labour shortage, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, nearly 50 percent of trade and technician jobs were in shortage, according to the National Skills Commission.

This represents a golden opportunity for young people, who can enter their training confident they are gaining specialised skills that are in high demand; demand that will only rise as the nation grows. They will achieve stability and security in an uncertain world. A trade career also offers the chance to earn as you learn. Unlike university, where most graduates enter the ‘real world’ with debt hot on their heels, trade workers make an income from the get-go.

Many go on to enjoy above-average wages; some salaries rival those of doctors and lawyers. They grow their own businesses. They thrive.

A trade occupation can unlock diverse opportunities and experiences and foster an upward mobility that reaches beyond the tools. My own career illuminates this.

I started out as an apprentice electrician, before running the electrical department for Bridgestone. I was constantly disappointed with the poor service on offer from contractors. I knew a company with the right attitude could do better for its customers. This belief led me to found SAGE Group in 1994.

The company had humble beginnings. Our first project was a small domestic wiring job that a mate and I charged $140 for. Within a year we had seven people working in my backyard shed; today SAGE has approximately 700 hundred employees with revenue of $180 million and offices around the country and overseas. It wasn’t always easy, but the skills I acquired in my youth as a trades apprentice- collaboration, communication, problem solving, curiosity- provided a solid foundation for success. There is no limit to where a Trade may take you.

I love what I do. When I come into work, I don’t feel like I’m walking into a job. I am walking into my passion. What more could we want for the next generation?

Parents, carers, teachers, and mentors need to champion the skilled trades as an invigorating career option as they guide young people towards tomorrow. It is important and valuable work.

When our children – or grandchildren – tell us that when they grow up they want to be an electrician, a carpenter, a plumber, a builder, a mason, a welder, or any other tradesperson, we must recognise this for what it is: a big dream; one that is worthy of our encouragement. And our pride.

A BIG PART OF RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IS ABOUT KEEPING UP WITH CHANGE. NICK

ADDISON, CEO, ADELAIDE OVAL STADIUM MANAGEMENT

AUTHORITY

Whether in technology, the cost of goods and wages, contracts, regulatory variations, social and environmental change – the list is endless.

However, in my opinion, changes in expectations is the most important dynamic. A business staying abreast of things on paper but deaf to a shift in mood from its customers will quickly get left behind.

This is doubly true of global stadia.

Adelaide Oval is globally revered as one of the most beautiful sporting venues in the world. It blends modern amenity with 150-years of history, and more than a million people come through the gates every year for Australian Rules football, international cricket, other sporting events, concerts and functions.

With 50,000 seats, more than 25 separate function areas, 10 kitchens and multiple bars and kiosks, it is a big building. But to simply view any stadium as a piece of infrastructure undervalues its importance – and its potential.

Using a AU$535m redevelopment in 2014 as the springboard, we have worked tirelessly to make Adelaide Oval much more than a stage for sporting events, recognising that we must have an offering for every day of the year.

first of its kind in the country, is an adventure tourism experience that has thrilled tens of thousands since launch.

We consistently invest in our game day experience. Cashless and self-serve technology is providing faster and more efficient service, while our menus are constantly updated for quality and choice. LED lighting installations have taken the in-seat experience to another level. Our teams travel the world to bring the latest learnings into our business and we have diversified beyond our physical footprint, delivering event, tourism and turf management expertise to multiple venues.

Our biggest competitive advantage is our agility. We have the creativity, the capacity and – most importantly – the people.

They are the reason why Adelaide Oval is entrusted with the big events –such as the first day-night match in the history of Test cricket, the first AFL Gather Round with 12 teams playing across four days, the historic India-Pakistan ICC World Cup clash viewed by a billion people worldwide –and more.

Our people are driven by our vision to cement our position as Australia’s most iconic provider of world-class, unmissable experiences for all. It’s something they live and breathe every day, during every major event and, importantly, through every customer interaction – no matter how small.

We put an absolute premium on our relationships with the Government of South Australia, sporting codes and promotors and we have a relentless commitment to being the partner of choice.

To me, that is the key to our next decade of growth.

Everyone is our customer, and it’s a focus on matching and exceeding their expectations that will keep us in front.

It’s why we created the 138-room international-standard Oval Hotel, the only integrated stadium hotel in Australia. Our innovative RoofClimb, again the adelaideoval.com.au

INNOVATION IS JUST A BUSINESS BUZZWORD WITHOUT A STEADFAST FINANCIAL COMMITMENT TO INVESTING IN YOUR PEOPLE, PROCESSES AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

ANTHONY KITTEL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, REDARC

It’s rare these days to come across a business that doesn’t refer to itself as innovative.

Unfortunately it’s become a far too common marketing term used without any real accountability attached or underlying evidence.

True innovation is a clear comparative advantage in an increasingly globally competitive environment. It is incredibly valuable not just for the company itself, but for the end users of its products or services.

I would argue that consumers, investors, employees and other stakeholders are becoming more discerning and sceptical when they hear a company play the “innovation card”.

They want to see the facts before they can take the company on its word.

Innovation can come in many forms but the one consistent thread that enables its ultimate success is investment.

For a technology-focussed company like REDARC, that investment equates to approximately 15c in every dollar generated in sales each year.

It’s a significant expense on the balance sheet but provides a strong return on investment.

Research and Development is crucial to our existence and in maintaining our reputation as an industry leading designer and manufacturer.

We continually upgrade our equipment, often well before the recommended shelf life, so our engineers have access to the latest technology to push the R&D boundaries even further.

Innovation comes from real investment in your people and your emerging leaders.

We have grown our engineering, design and testing team by more than a third in the past year and have a structured professional development program in place to foster further education and upskilling. For us, it’s also about building formal partnerships beyond the business walls and into universities and other education institutions.

Great leaps in innovation are also achieved by chasing the “one percenters”.

For example, fostering a workplace culture where staff are not satisfied with the status-quo but instead encouraged to suggest ways to improve productivity, adopt new thinking and take calculated risks.

Any staff member that takes the time to highlight a current productivity roadblock or potential new market opportunity deserves to be heard and acknowledged. As such, all suggestions require formal investigation with personal feedback provided regardless of whether they are implemented or not.

So next time, a company tells you that they value innovation, ask them how.

Anthony Kittel is the Managing Director and Owner of REDARC, an Australian advanced manufacturer and exporter of high quality power conversion products and off-grid battery power solutions used in recreational and non-recreational vehicles across an expanding range of global industries.

redarc.com.au

IT’S A LITTLE LIKE A GAME, EACH LEVEL PRESENTS A NEW SET OF CHALLENGES THAT REQUIRE BALANCE, SKILL, AND ADAPTABILITY. ERIC

VAN RYSWYK, CHIEF STRATEGIC OFFICER, CODIUM

In the world of business, technology has long been a driving force behind innovation and progress. Advancements in frameworks, computing power, data analytics, and artificial intelligence have led to significant improvements in efficiency, productivity, and profitability. However, as technology continues to advance, it is becoming increasingly clear that the true value in business lies not just in the technology itself, but in how businesses design the interactions and human touchpoints that complement and enhance it. As technology progresses, human and humane consideration becomes that much more important. Conscious businesses that put employees, customers, creatures and the planet first. Success is moving from a bottom-line focus to a big-picture social and humanitarian focus. As we are separated from what we have been, through modernisation and convenience, there will be a cost and a snap back to reality.

It’s a little like a game, each level presents a new set of challenges that require balance, skill, and adaptability. Some still rely on traditional methods like paper, email and Excel, while others have invested in cutting-edge technology. The businesses that have embraced technology have a competitive advantage over time and we can see the gap widening at exponentially increasing speeds. Today we are seeing new ‘levels up’ in AI, new models and scientific advancements to understand our clients better. What we can’t forget is that we live in a human world and no matter how much we try to hide it or numb it, human quality of life needs to come into balance. I believe the next level in business, even though it seems technology is taking over, is going to be in the harmony of technology to amplify the quality of human and nature interaction, even if that is not the most cost-effective solution, value may be found elsewhere. It’s a delicate dance between humans, business drivers and technology.

This can be more complicated than just pointing at technology; you can argue that old-school businesses are more in touch with the human element, however, I’d argue the opposite. These businesses require human engagement to operate, not by choice but by necessity which creates a non-authentic human interaction, most of which is of low customer value. More of a transaction that we perceive as of value. Here is the opportunity for technology, when done right, can actually have the opposite effect. Technology can give businesses the ability to design into their client journeys real human value that delights. It’s too easy to deliver a completely automated service that requires no human interaction or purpose. The hard thing is going to be designing businesses on values that maintain the right balance, investing in people, both staff and clients, and sticking to those values. AI is enhancing the reach and intentions of human minds. So the question is – what are we hoping to create? For us, our children and their children.

Like all games that get harder as you progress, we are moving into the slippery slope of doing what’s easier, rather than doing what’s conscious and we all know, unlike a game, there’s no reset when we are done.

WORLD-LEADING INNOVATION IN

ENERGY.

MARK VINCENT, EXECUTIVE GM STRATEGY & TRANSFORMATION, SA POWER NETWORKS

Innovation is at the heart of a revolution underway in South Australia, which is leading the world in creating a safe, reliable and efficient electricity system based wholly on renewable energy generated mainly from the sun and wind.

The State’s electricity system has been turned on its head. The old one-way centralised supply system featuring a few large-scale fossil fuel generators no longer exists.

By 2030, South Australia will be a net-100% renewable electricity state.

There’s already more rooftop solar capacity than average daytime demand. By 2030, in the middle of every day, South Australia’s entire electricity needs will be met by small solar PV generators on the roofs of homes and businesses.

This is a massive transformation driven by customers and requiring rapid innovation to ensure electricity is delivered reliably to support the current and future aspirations of 1.7 million South Australians.

More than a third of households and a growing number of commercial businesses have invested in rooftop solar – meaning the network now must accommodate significant two-way energy flows and has become the State’s largest source of energy generation.

The rapid pace of the change has put SA Power Networks at the centre of working out how to integrate vast amounts of distributed generation into a system designed for another time.

The challenges are being dealt with in real time and well before they are apparent in other Australian and international energy jurisdictions.

Innovation has been the core of the answer – developing smart solutions that effectively modernise a 100-year-old electricity system without major investment in upgrading network capacity.

Dynamic management of voltages in substations, development of a Flexible Exports option for solar customers, sophisticated network management tools and creative new tariffs have been deployed to keep the State’s lights on and the economy humming.

Network voltages are now managed dynamically during the day according to what is happening in real time in the network, and Flexible Exports enable customers to maximise the value of their investment in rooftop solar without breaching network constraints.

In particular, the Flexible Exports solution is seen as world leading, and has resulted from SA Power Networks working locally and internationally to develop a smart capability that allows communication between the network and customer inverters, managing exports up and down to reflect network capacity at any time.

These two crucial innovations have helped to double the amount of solar that can be hosted on the South Australian electricity network.

Flexible Exports will have an even greater role to play in the future. Without this dynamic ability to manage the interaction between our network and customer energy resources (solar, batteries and electric vehicles) we will not be able to efficiently transition to a net-100% energy system by 2030, nor accommodate SA’s exciting plans to be a renewable energy and hydrogen powerhouse sending green energy to the world.

Ultimately, there’ll be social, economic and health benefits from utilising cheap green-sourced energy for homes, businesses and transport, enabled by the world leading innovation of SA Power Networks.

Mark Vincent leads a team at SA Power Networks, the southern Australian State’s electricity distributor, that is taking a nineteenth century electricity system based on burning fossil fuels to a worldleading net-100% renewable energy system by 2030. Innovation is at the heart of how the team is tackling the challenges posed by rapid, customer and environment driven change in how we make, use and supply energy. And this innovation touches every part of the business from strategy, planning and design to ensure a stable, secure and reliable network, to developing new products and services to meet customer needs and in an efficient and replicable way.

IN 2020 MY FAMILY AND

I

DECIDED TO MAKE AUSTRALIA

OUR HOME AFTER MORE THAN 13 YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES. ONE CITY TICKED ALL THE BOXES.

PROFESSOR SIMON LUCEY, DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE FOR MACHINE LEARNING (AIML), THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

Australian Institute for Machine Learning

To me, innovation means looking at the world with a different perspective and solving problems in ways you haven’t thought of or experienced before. While innovation requires the industry’s top minds, you also need hard problems. It’s the intersection of the two that makes Lot Fourteen special. It’s about having the right people but also having the ability for companies to access that talent and give them the right challenges to solve.

It’d be hard to do what we do outside of Adelaide and Lot Fourteen. I’ve never visited a place that’s had such strong ties between its university sector and its state government. The government knows who we are, understands the value of our work, and sees us as partners. We view them the same way.

We’re only at the beginning of AI as we know it, and in a lot of ways, it reminds me of the invention of a piece of technology from further back in history. When the telegraph was invented in the mid-1800s, people focused on how to make money from it without getting a handle on the fundamentals of how the technology worked.

There’s now a rapid surge in commercial and research activity in AI globally and companies that view it only as a commodity are being left behind. But those that recognise AI as a science that requires ongoing investment are the ones futureproofing themselves.

Not only does Adelaide offer a great lifestyle and work-life balance for families, but in my field—artificial intelligence (AI)— the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) helps position the city as a global leader in research and innovation excellence.

I’ve had the privilege of visiting many of the leading AI institutes across the world. What sets AIML apart is that it was built for innovation from the start; augmenting the University of Adelaide’s excellent AI research is an expert engineering team that works directly with industry clients to help them tap into the immense commercial benefits that machine learning technology brings.

From small tech start-ups to huge multinationals, companies are drawn to Adelaide because of our specialist AI skills; and Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen innovation district plays a pivotal role in bringing them here.

Things move fast in the AI industry, and it’s an exciting time to be at the heart of it.

Simon Lucey is the director of the Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) and a professor in the School of Computer and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Adelaide.

Prior to joining AIML in 2020, Professor Lucey was an associate research professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute in Pittsburgh, Pa. His research interests span computer vision, machine learning, and robotics. He draws inspiration from AI researchers of the past to help unlock mathematical and computational models that underlie the process of visual perception.

adelaide.edu.au

INNOVATION IS AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO AT UNISA’S INNOVATION & COLLABORATION CENTRE (ICC).

JASMINE VREUGDENBURG, DEPUTY DIRECTOR: INCUBATION, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA ENTERPRISE HUB

In 2018, I founded one of Australia’s first space related incubator programs, (Venture Catalyst Space) with the state’s huge focus on the growing space sector. With the Australian Space Agency HQ in Adelaide, a growing number of new space companies, and the proposed new Space Park, Adelaide is fast becoming Australia’s home of space.

The forward thinking of the next generation of entrepreneurs is huge and we are trying to elevate their innovative spirit and help them get their first customers, revenue or investment.

It can be a tough road for deep tech startups who are looking to create or disrupt an existing market, and to start making traction, so we need

to keep that traction going, which can only be done with systematic support from all parts of the ecosystem.

Dealing with the last few years of COVID, it is a huge testament to the tenacity and determination of the startups in this city. We believe more companies start in downtimes than in good times and come out the end stronger and more resilient for the experience.

It’s critical to continue evaluating the support systems required to support new and existing technology startups to ensure Australia is a competitive place for emerging startups to grow, and for international companies to relocate – something crucial for our economic recovery.

We hear feedback from founders that Adelaide is a community where everyone knows everyone and will introduce you to their networks. At the ICC, we harness that spirit and foster a community where we value a ‘give first’ culture, provide the right support at the right time, and connect founders with the ecosystem that Adelaide offers.

As the Deputy Director: Incubation at UniSA’s new Enterprise Hub I am grateful to be part of the University of Enterprise, committed to working with industry and government to help launch new, and potentially global startups from Adelaide, and attract those from around the world to relocate and participate in our programs and our state’s economy.

COLLABORATION IS CRUCIAL TO TACKLE THE CHALLENGES FACING OUR FOOD SYSTEM, ENSURING THAT AGRIFOOD TECH IS DEPLOYED RESPONSIBLY AND SUSTAINABLY.

MICHAEL MACOLINO, MANAGING DIRECTOR, APAC, SVG VENTURES THRIVE

As an entrepreneur, I have always been passionate about leveraging technology to enhance efficiency across various industries

Michael Macolino, Managing Director SVG Ventures Thrive (APAC), Ex-Startup Founder & CTO, Focused on AgriFood Tech commercialisation and eco-system, TEDx Speaker, InDaily 40 under 40.

At the age of 21, I started my first business, leading me to establish ventures in fitness, automotive, property, and accounting industries. However, it was in agriculture and the food system that I saw the greatest opportunity to apply my skills, experience, and network to assist AgriFood Tech startups in commercializing and scaling their innovations, ultimately redesigning the food system.

Over the past 150 years, agriculture has significantly evolved, with innovations like synthetic fertilizer, mechanization, and crop protection allowing us to sustain the population boom of the industrial revolution. Yet, these innovations now struggle to remain effective and sustainable amid diminishing resources for food production, increasing global demand, and shifting demographics. Given agriculture’s crucial role in humanity’s existence, there is an urgent need for our food system to harness technology to enhance resilience, efficiency, and productivity.

This is where agri-food tech comes in.

Agri-food tech encompasses a variety of advanced and emerging technologies, including sensors, artificial intelligence, big data, biotech, and robotics, which are integrated to optimize agricultural systems and the food supply chain.

As an advisor and investor in this sector, I have observed how agri-food tech can significantly improve productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Solutions for many agricultural challenges already exist, such as sensors and satellites for real-time production monitoring, robotics for addressing labor shortages, and software for collecting, analyzing, and optimizing supply chain aspects. We even have pioneering technologies that allow us to replace synthetic fertilizer with nitrogen-absorbing microbes and produce animal proteins without animals!

However, to be effective, these technologies must be applied and scaled within the actual agricultural industry, in production and regulatory systems capable

of handling the complexities of our global food system. This presents both a challenge and opportunity for AgriFood tech—to implement advanced technologies in the world’s least digitized industry.

South Australia provides an ideal setting for agri-food tech development, boasting a favorable and diverse climate, a wellestablished agricultural industry, and access to world-class agricultural research. The region has a rich history of agricultural innovation, with growing initiatives to test and incorporate technology on farms and throughout the supply chain, driven by both large and small producers and state government departments.

At SVG Ventures Thrive, we are enthusiastic about agri-food tech’s potential to transform our food system and make a global impact by sustainably feeding the world’s growing population. We believe this transformation will be achieved through deep collaboration among stakeholders across the AgriFood Tech ecosystem, with AgriBusiness corporations and farmers playing a pivotal role. This transformation must be driven by identifying and communicating the challenges that exist across the food system so that startups and entrepreneurs can devise relevant solutions backed by investors like SVG Ventures Thrive.

Addressing these challenges is at the core of my work at SVG Thrive. We recently launched the Thrive APAC accelerator to identify and nurture promising growth-stage Agri-Food tech businesses in the Asia-Pacific region. As part of this program, the ten selected startups joined me and the Thrive team for a week in Silicon Valley to attend the World Agri-Tech Summit and connect with numerous global agriculture leaders gathered to discuss and debate the future of our food system.

Collaboration is crucial to tackle the challenges facing our food system, ensuring that AgriFood tech is deployed responsibly and sustainably. By doing so, we can support farmers in producing more food with fewer resources, minimize waste, and enhance the nutritional content of our food. In the process, we can help build a more resilient and sustainable food system for future generations. With the mounting pressure to produce more with fewer resources, agri-food tech is poised to play a vital role in South Australia’s agricultural future.

michaelmacolino.com

RELEARNING HOW TO LEARN, WHAT A CLASSROOM CANNOT TEACH LOUISE NOBES, CEO, 42 ADELAIDE

When I discovered 42 in France it was my ‘eureka” moment! A school that had mastered the way to disrupt learning, so it could serve a more authentic purpose. A belief that ‘everyone can be great’ and ‘someone’s social status should not hinder them from learning’.

With this belief at the heart, 42 schools are free, no prior qualifications are necessary, they have no teachers and use a peer to peer gamified pedagogy. Very soon I became obsessed with finding a way to fund, build and bring 42 to Australia.

Peer learning is the methodology used at 42 and by far the most disruptive!! Operating without teachers or any formal classrooms or schedule, students must quickly adapt to this radical environment where critical thinking, problem solving, innovation, collaboration and creativity, not just coding, becomes the norm. These are vital human skills that are necessary in the future of work, and yet are most often left out of the classroom.

Frequently we see people come into 42 shy, awkward and afraid to speak for fear of judgement and failure. They learn almost immediately that this insecurity will not help them progress at 42, as it requires a person to dig deep into themselves and relearn how to learn. Peer learning requires students to evaluate and be evaluated by their peers.

The process of peer evaluation pushes them to articulate their thinking with words, ensuring they clearly know the code they have written. They are learning to communicate, day in day out, resulting in new found confidence, even among the most disengaged learners. Building relationships, learning to trust, making mistakes and having fun together, is what transforms these individuals into teams and teams into tribes.

Navigating an optimal way to learn and seeking solutions to problems with their peers, rather than having to memorize lessons, will, by design, help soft skills grow. With the absence of someone giving students the answer, they must think for themselves, perhaps fail, then try and try again, building grit and resilience in every milestone. Once students learn how to learn, not only do they work better in teams, they can also better navigate the workplace, participate actively and not be afraid to share and collaborate.

Companies need realistic expectations on students in terms of their technical skills and knowledge, the reality is every business is looking for something specific. Getting the foundations of coding right within a peer to peer pedagogy ensures that students are trained today for the jobs of tomorrow.

At 42 collaboration is the key to success, not competition! As one student commented in the final week of his piscine “I didn’t expect I would help people as much as I did. I’m a very shy person, but I found myself really coming out of my shell at 42.”

42adel.org.au

A DRIVING FORCE FOR CHANGE IS ANTICIPATED TO BE CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS FOR ON-DEMAND HIGH QUALITY PERSONALISED HEALTHCARE STRAIGHT INTO THEIR HANDS AND HOMES.

TINA HARDIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMISSION ON EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION IN HEALTH

Data (through machine learning (ML) / artificial intelligence (AI)) and tech advances are driving much of the innovation in healthcare now and into the foreseeable future. The innovation here is not just the harnessing of these but in how they are changing our own interactions with technology, information and most importantly, each other. What, how, where, when and even who provides healthcare is going to change significantly such that the health system as we know it today will not be recognisable in 10-20-30 years time. This is being driven by a whole range of factors such as increasing connectedness and interoperability of systems, richness and quality of data and technology advances combined with new ways of thinking and working. A driving force for change is anticipated to be consumer expectations for on-demand high quality personalised healthcare straight into their hands and homes.

If this is the future, how do we get there? Enabling the rich information captured every day to be harnessed whilst protecting fiercely the trust, confidentiality and confidence of individuals and communities is key. This requires signalling priorities, addressing community challenges and enabling and responding agilely to opportunities whilst ensuring the appropriate guard rails are in place. This can be achieved through formal mechanisms (policy, legislation, regulation) to provide the guard rails and less formal mechanisms such as leadership, connection, collaboration, culture and capability. For example, to achieve personalised health care, we need to think beyond the “data science – AI” and consider the governance and assurance frameworks needed to wrap around the ideation, prototyping, deployment, and then ongoing monitoring of ML models. Then use collaborative networks to make sure the problem is the right one to solve, the idea has a valid value proposition and audience, and to consider end to end feasibility from market factors through to implementation in a clinical (or other) environmental context. Lots of work is happening across the world, Australia and certainly in South Australia.

AI/ML is just one of the innovative approaches that can be applied. By putting humans at the centre of everything we do innovation, even data or tech driven innovation, we can be agent for impactful change striving for excellence and better healthcare, for clinicians, carers, consumers and community.

FRINGE IS OPEN-ACCESS AND GRASS ROOTS UP. ANYONE CAN BE INVOLVED. HEATHER CROALL, DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, ADELAIDE FRINGE

Innovation is a core value at Adelaide Fringe. It’s something I’ve focused on since I took on the role as Director and Chief Executive in 2015, implementing an agile and inclusive model to help artists, producers and presenters thrive in South Australia’s arts industry.

Adelaide is the ultimate city for collaborations thanks to its boutique size - it is perfect for festivals which are often used as a testing ground for new work. The urban planning of the CBD with a mile square grid surrounded by parklands allows us to create an exciting festival landscape right here in the city. It is also an affordable city, making it easier for artists to travel and work here across different disciplines. There’s a huge opportunity here for creative thinkers to collaborate, experiment and push boundaries.

The pandemic taught us to be adaptive and we benefited by being willing to respond to different environments and pressures as they appeared. Many innovative solutions that came out of this period have remained at Adelaide Fringe and will continue into the future - the majority coming from adopting user-centered design methodologies and cross-disciplinary collaborations.

Fringe is open-access and grass roots up. Anyone can be involved. We’re seeing more artists working in the intersection of art, storytelling and technology, so we created the Interactive genre a number of years ago to offer a space for those shows and each year it grows from strength to strength. The more we see our audience responding to interactive and immersive programs, the more artists we have innovating in that area. These interactive shows at Fringe have gone on to win major awards at festivals all over the world. Electric Dreams is a conference in the Interactive genre that brings together artists and creatives with researchers, developers, technologists, scientists and academics with an aim to open people’s minds in creating immersive experiences across different mediums.

One of the biggest challenges around events is providing the simplest, smoothest ticketing transaction journey for our customers. It’s something we’ve devoted countless resources to by working through roadblocks and customer feedback to solve problems and improve the journey. We built our own digital platform and it’s this innovation that has driven our ticket sales growth from 500,000 in 2015 to more than 1,000,000 in 2023.

As well as ticket buyers, our stakeholder groups include artists, venues, partners, government, donors, volunteers and staff. We are committed to continuous improvement and we listen to our stakeholders - this approach has driven our consistent growth in ticket sales over the last eight years. We want to always improve the experience of our artists, venues, donors, members, partners and employees.

I am dedicated to always learning so I can continue to lead the team at Adelaide Fringe on innovative and rewarding pathways. I completed the Governor’s Leadership course in 2017 and I am currently studying a Leadership Innovation course at MIT in Boston. I look forward to taking the Adelaide Fringe to new heights in 2024.

ADELAIDE GAMES INDUSTRY - AS A CITY, ADELAIDE

IS NOT AFRAID TO BOAST A LIST OF CREATIVE CREDENTIALS AND HAS ALWAYS SOUGHT TO OFFER HER TALENTS UP-FRONT-AND-CENTRE.

TONY LAWRENCE, CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER (CRO), MIGHTY KINGDOM

Adelaide has a decades-long history with games. Ratbag Games opened a studio in the 1990s and had success with its Powerslide games before it was acquired by Midway Games in the mid-2000s, and then closed quite suddenly. Krome, an Australianbased game developer picked up where Midway left off, lasting until 2010 before it succumbed to the effects of the GFC. Soon after, the emergence of new technologies and distribution channels with the iPhone and the App Store changed games globally forever. The aftershocks were felt here in Adelaide.

Following the closure of Krome Studios, several developers started looking to take advantage of the new mobile platform, and even then, were conscious of finding ways to grow a games industry in Adelaide. Ben Marsh (Odd Games), Justin Wight (Monkeystack), James Calvert (Six Foot Kid), Philip Mayes (Mighty Kingdom) and Dr Robyn-Ann Potanin (AIE) were all determined to build a thriving sector here. This second wave has maintained a studio presence locally with Mighty Kingdom now an ASX-listed company and one of Australia’s largest studios, while Monkeystack and OddGames are genre-leading and award-winning games studios.

What have been the key drivers of this growth in Adelaide? Traditionally, access to talent and industry development initiatives have been critical to kick starting a local games industry in other countries, and Adelaide fortunately had access to both. Over the past 10 years, the South Australian Government has invested in growing technology driven businesses, with the game industry benefiting from cross-over technology applications such as, defence industries using game technology, or the simulation industry building digital twins.

Whether it has been the establishment of the Australian Research Centre for Interactive Environments, support and growth of adjacent creative industries such as visual effects, as well as direct support through the South Australian Film Corporation, the South Australian Government has built a technology ecosystem which includes the games industry. All of this is underpinned by tertiary and vocational education institutions providing games education in recognition of potential career pathways including preparing future

game developers for a lifelong career in game development.

All this industry infrastructure isn’t the only differentiator for Adelaide. Another striking difference is the community here and access to decision-makers. The games community has always been collegiate, we’ve always shared our knowledge and our experience so we can all benefit. In Adelaide, it’s at city scale. If you have a problem that needs solving, you can always find someone with the expertise gained from their own industry who can help. Equally in government and among decision makers you can more easily find the right person to make contact with to work towards a solution at an industry scale.

Adelaide is well-known for her vibrant creativity— often crowned on an international stage as the ‘Festival State’. As a city, Adelaide is not afraid to boast a list of creative credentials and has always sought to offer her talents up-front-and-centre. Creative industries are also known for their pragmatic solutions to problems and gritty resilience essential to success. These are also key traits of Adelaide’s entrepreneurs. With a creative attitude, growing technology ecosystem, entrepreneurial mindset and interconnectedness among industry ecosystems, it’s not surprising that the games industry is flourishing.

All of these factors have made Adelaide a growing games hub and industry leading games ecosystem in Australia. The alignment of Adelaide’s gaming entrepreneurs and their vision combined with government policy and industry participation, has formed a nexus of technology and creativity that will see this city scale to new heights well into the future.

Lv4, 141 King William St Adelaide SA 5000

WHAT I’D LIKE TO SEE IS TRUST BEING THE SPECIAL INGREDIENT OF ALL THINGS AUSTRALIAN.

KUBA KABACINSKI – OWNER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF CONSUNET

My parents brought me to Adelaide from Poland at age 12, attracted by the Australian national values of freedom, respect, equality and a fair go.

At age 21, while completing my Information Technology studies at Flinders University, a friend and I bought a fledgling web development business for $200.

Nearly two decades later, my company, Consunet, is a Defence enterprise with over 100 staff winning business against global Defence technology players.

In the unfolding dotcom bust of the early 2000s, the Defence marketplace provided opportunities to create technology and imbued Consunet with a national interest focus. We travelled the world playing with computers, sensors and drones, honing our skills in cyber and Electromagnetic Warfare R&D. We were pioneering UAV use before drones became a commodity item in your local electronics store.

A pivotal point for the company came with the release of the 2016 Australian Defence Whitepaper, with its intent to build sovereign capability and change Commonwealth policy.

This investment in sovereign Defence capability fuelled Consunet’s aspirations to grow and change the world. The 2023 Defence Strategic Review adds further focus and urgency to this objective.

Our boutique IT consultancy focused on an area where we had unique knowledge and experience, an area ripe for disruption: Electromagnetic Spectrum. This critical enabler of modern wireless technologies is experiencing explosive growth driven by autonomous systems and new information technology.

During the industrial revolution, nations that embraced industrialisation prospered, creating an enduring advantage for their people. Today’s information revolution sees history repeating itself with sweeping technology-driven changes, in particular artificial intelligence.

I believe that technology creation is essential for future Australians to enjoy the benefits we have today. Australia has all the ingredients to continue at the forefront of innovation: a well organised community, trustworthy legal frameworks and an education system conducive to training people in the advanced technologies of the future.

I am driven by the desire to help safeguard Australia’s future peace and prosperity and my belief that we can achieve this by creating worldleading technology in Australia. The Electromagnetic Spectrum technology opportunities pursued by Consunet have the potential to both protect and advance Australian interests.

When Consunet succeeded in winning and delivering the Australian Defence Electromagnetic Battle Management capability project in 2021-23, our team

reflected on the effort, skill and measure of good luck that elevated a small business to a medium-sized scale. We recognised our focus on trust, on being a company our customers knew they could rely on to deliver what we promised, every time.

Trust cannot be bought, it must be earned. This is true between people, businesses and nations. What I’d like to see is trust being the special ingredient of all things Australian.

I AM DETERMINED TO HELP MORE WOMEN ENTER THIS EXCITING, WELL-PAYING, AND ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY.

LITSA ADAMOU, HOUSE INSPECT AUSTRALIA WESTERN ADELAIDE

Building and construction are one of the largest industries in Australia, and women account for only 12.9% of its current workforce, with only 2.5% actively working in a trade. It is no secret that women are traditionally underrepresented in the construction industry, but in 2023, these percentages seem unacceptable. As a female Licensed Builder and Building Inspector in South Australia, I am passionate about questioning these norms and I am motivated to change the landscape and narrative of the construction industry.

My experience as a woman in the construction industry has been inspiring and empowering, and I am grateful to have received an array of awards and recognition as a result. However, I have had to work harder than my male peers to prove my capabilities to gain the recognition and respect that any industry professional deserves.

Countless times I have been asked about my qualifications and background while on-site, almost as a way of validating my ability to do my job. My findings were often questioned by males threatened by my confidence and leadership. Networking and training events often being a ‘sea of suits.’ However, I always treated these experiences as opportunities to showcase my skills and carve the pathway for other women in the industry.

If I can leave a successful career in the public service to follow my passion and skillset, why can’t others, and why can’t the next generation of emerging women consider building and construction as a rewarding and successful career?

Imagine walking onto a job site, leadership meeting or construction industry committee meeting and seeing just as many women as you see men! That vision has become my purpose, which has evolved to be more than just the growth of our businesses. I am determined to help more women enter this exciting, well-paying, and essential industry. An industry that is purpose-driven and empowering, whereby you can literally make your mark in building and shaping the landscape of our growing city.

The statistics will not improve overnight. But what we can do is start the change by shifting the mindset of our current workforce and by focusing on the next emerging generation by showing them the possibilities. We need to look at our education system to better enable career choices based on passion and skillset and not gender. Followed by more equitable recruitment practices championed by industry leaders and role models.

In an industry with a significant workforce shortage, the building and construction industry must be portrayed as a ‘profession’, highlighting the varying career pathways to make it attractive for women wanting to achieve a long-term career in this industry. The paths to enter the industry need to be made visible, be it via a trade or through a university qualification.

However, before we make construction an attractive choice for women, the industry must not frown upon flexible working arrangements and part-time opportunities, as retention is as big an issue as an attraction to the industry.

Thankfully, some of these initiatives are already in the works, and I am grateful to be involved. Industry bodies such as the Housing Industry Association and Master Builders Association of SA shine the light on exceptional women in the industry through industry awards. Government-supported programs are reaching young girls and women making career choices, such as the Master Builders Association of SA ‘Born to Build’ program and the ‘Making Her Mark’ program showcasing non-traditional industries. We are slowly seeing more women, role models appearing in leadership and business ownership roles within the industry and gradually more women sitting on industry committees and boards.

This is all a good start, but much work still needs to be done—generational work. We will not be the generation responsible for changing those percentages, yet you cannot be what you cannot see! By sharing stories like my own and continuing to break those glass ceilings, I am confident the next generation, with our help, will make the change that is so desperately needed.

litsa.adamou

Litsa Adamou

houseinspectaustralia.com.au

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS NEW TO OUR WORLD AND I WANT TO CHANGE THAT. MARCO SALINAS,

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER & CO-FOUNDER, HUBBLE

I envision a world where “energy efficiency” is a familiar concept to every single mum and dad. I want transparency in every stage of the construction process, and energy efficiency used as a feature in every property transaction. We want a world where everyone knows the benefits of better energy efficiency and knows how to improve it.

Hubble is a South Australian startup set to disrupt the property industry with energy efficiency. We are a software and a service company. We only started two years ago, but we are already achieving great things. Not only have we helped build the most energy-efficient house in Australia, but we have engaged builders, local government and building suppliers to find the fantastic opportunity to reduce the complexity of energy efficiency for everyone. We have started this initially with the building supply chain, using artificial intelligence and internet of thing devices to help explain the benefits to their clients.

Hubble is quite different from any other company in the market, mainly because we decided to fully understand the science behind energy efficiency, reduce its complexity and take it all back to the homeowners. We’re also the only company using different sensors to understand postoccupancy performance alongside artificial intelligence. What makes us different is we have developed proprietary scorecards to explain the benefits of energy efficiency and more importantly we’re building a lifetime ecosystem. This means we’re trying to maintain the relationship with clients on an ongoing basis, not just trying to estimate the energy efficiency as a once off.

We don’t just stop there. We see the future of energy efficiency focused on personalised solutions to educate and inspire homeowners to opt in for solutions that will reduce their ongoing bills, improve their comfort and wellbeing, in addition to reducing the impact on the Earth.

We are 100% dedicated to inspiring a brighter future and want you to be a part of it.

Hubble has been selected as a finalist for the ‘embracing innovation’ category in SA at the Telstra Best Of Business Awards 2023 - see the link here.

https://telstrabestofbusinessawards.com/finalists/embracing-innovation

DATA + SCIENCE: PUSHING AI AND ML BOUNDARIES TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS. KALE NEEDHAM, CEO, SPIRAL DATA

From a research scientist to an analyst, my career journey instilled in me a deep-rooted passion for solving complex problems through datadriven insights. It became clear to me that academia wasn’t the path for me to make a tangible difference – I wanted to add significant ‘businesschanging’ value. Years later my experiences in the corporate world left me disillusioned; mega-vendors, sales agendas and the plodding speedto-value of data projects. Driven by this realisation, I felt compelled to embark on a new venture, and in 2016 Spiral Data was born.

From the outset, the inception of Spiral Data was rooted in a simple yet powerful idea - to establish a company that would deliver value to our customers with Data Science. What began as a seed of inspiration has now blossomed into an innovative IoT-to-AIML (internet of things to artificial intelligence and machine learning) practice, empowering state government departments, major utilities, defence giants, and private organisations across Australia with the advantage of informed decision-making.

We’ve harnessed the transformative potential of cutting-edge technologies, leveraging AIML algorithms so we can analyse. It allows us to uncover hidden patterns, correlations, and insights that would be nearly impossible to detect using traditional methods. We identify and assess risks in real time, empowering our clients to make informed decisions and take proactive measures to mitigate potential threats.

“We create decision advantage from data - it’s this value that drives our mission to disrupt the status quo”

While we are an AI technology company, we are only as good as our people - the designers, builders and data scientists. I purposely assembled a team of exceptional people, with grounded values who have a shared vision of delivering tangible, impactful solutions. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise foster a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and breakthrough ideas.

We have been doing AIML since 2018 but industry wasn’t really ready for it 5 years ago. This gave us time to focus our mission on creating decision advantage, recruit well, be clear about our values and battle-harden our platform. This includes any use case that customers could throw at us from water utility algorithms that calm their network to advanced manufacturing in defence. Our clients trust and rely on us to navigate the complexities of their industries. A recent national innovation award for Sustainability for optimising ageing water infrastructure has validated our trajectory.

Looking ahead, we’ll continue to drive innovation in the realm of AI and ML by refining our methodologies and expanding our capabilities to stay at the forefront of this rapidly evolving landscape. Our goal is to empower

asset-rich organisations with the tools, processes and people to make datadriven decisions confidently and unlock untapped potential.

With an unwavering commitment to excellence and a relentless pursuit of innovation, Spiral Data is poised to lead the charge in leveraging AI/ML to transform industries, one problem at a time.

spiral-data-group

spiraldata

spiraldatagroup2667

Flinders at Tonsley, 1284 South Rd, Tonsley SA 5042, Australia

Email: info@spiraldatagroup.com.au

spiraldata.com.au

Solar Lighting: A Path to Sustainability and Improved Road Safety

Solar lighting technology has made significant strides, revolutionising smart city development, enhancing road safety in areas without access or limited power and enabling governments to offset its emissions in conjunction with Net-Zero polices.

Driving Uptake of Sustainable Technologies

A larger initiative is needed to combat climate change. Local and Federal governments globally need to legislate offering greater emission offset technology such as solar lighting in planning and tender phases where the technology is feasible to operate correctly. Recent advancements in solar technology means that solar lighting in most cases is more reliable than traditional mains powered lighting if correctly scoped and implemented. For this to happen engineering standards needs to be adopted so that government purchasers can be confident that the specified system will work correctly within the national guidelines.

Educating decision makers

Green Frog Systems consults globally to local, state and federal governments writing best practice standards for technology where solar street lighting is being mandated for upcoming projects. This approach is to ensure education at all levels of the decision-making process, a three-pronged approach: engineer education, government regulation and standards, and proactive promotion of sustainable solutions.

Educating Engineers

Engineers are often hesitant with emerging technologies like solar lighting. By providing evidence from our live cloud data system, case studies and an extensive list of major projects globally we can demonstrate the reliability of solar lighting systems and help engineers understand the technology’s full potential.

In conclusion, the advancement of solar lighting technology has the potential to transform smart cities, road safety, and offer strong emissions offset technology. By focusing on educating all levels of decision making we know we can drive the uptake of sustainable technologies through government regulation and support, we can create a brighter, more sustainable future.

Australia / Asia Pacific 503 Cross Keys Rd, Cavan SA 5094

greenfrogsystems.com.au

WE NEED MORE AWARENESS OF ADVANCEMENTS IN SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY, AND REGULATIONS TO ENCOURAGE ITS USE.

DAVID WILSON, CEO & FOUNDER, GREEN FROG SYSTEMS

Au DNA CAN BE USED AS A TIME MACHINE.

Who are we? Where do we come from? The history of humanity is a complex affair full of twists and turns that shaped our genetic diversity and cultural identity. To unveil or rewrite some of that history, I use ancient DNA extracted from the skeletons of long-dead ancestors as a molecular time machine and travel back hundreds or thousands of years ago, at

times where people arrive in and adapt to new places or meet other people. The study of ancient DNA profoundly transforms our understanding of human nature, including our origins and how our adaption to past climatic, environmental, and social change impact our metabolism, immunity, and even behaviours in present days.

The technical nature of my scientific projects, but also the high level of competition in my discipline, mean that innovation is key to push the boundaries of knowledge and draw the next generation of innovators. Disruptive thinking is also a requisite because ground-breaking results and research excellence will increase the odds of attracting funding, will be published in prestigious scientific journals, and will create opportunities for new collaborations.

Scientific research is full of methodological, technical, and theoretical challenges, and success is enthusiastically celebrated mostly because failure is very common. Additionally, there is a high level of collegiality involved in the development of new ideas, whereby knowledge is often built incrementally from sharing and connecting disparate bits of information. Therefore, my leadership is characterised by a combination of growth, agile, inclusive, and enterprise mindsets. I also put a very strong emphasis on inspiring and training early career researchers, knowing perfectly well that I am just a link in the long chain of researchers and innovators who improve our understanding of the natural world.

My latest research focuses strongly on generating equitable genomic resources that will benefit Indigenous peoples in Australia and beyond. This work is done in partnership with the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics at the Australian National University (of which I am a Honorary Associate Professor) and the Indigenous Genomics team at the Telethon

Kids Institute (of which I am a Honorary Research Associate). Genomics enhances the diagnosis and prevention of rare and common diseases, leading to the development of personalised medicine. Unfortunately, Indigenous ancestries are generally poorly represented in global genomic projects, exacerbating already significant health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. My research, which is highly collaborative, merges cutting-edge genomic and medical science with culturally aware capacity and capability building and aims to shape a more inclusive and equitable future for all Australians.

adelaide.edu.au

WE WANTED TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR COUPLES, TO MAKE FERTILITY TREATMENTS MORE TRANSPARENT AND AFFORDABLE.

DR. JONATHAN HALL PHD, FOUNDER, DIRECTOR & CHIEF SCIENTIST, LIFE WHISPERER

STORY & CHALLENGES

In 2016, I was nearing the end of a frontier research project to combine interdisciplinary knowledge to ask if a biological cell could sustain light circulating inside: called ‘whispering gallery modes’. Could we go further, and turn a cell into a laser, with the hope of it being able to record its own self-diagnostics?

It was a bold conjecture. The resonances were measured, and the burst of light was only just sustainable in one particular type of cell: embryos. But the key to it all was one word – the holy grail of fledging medical technology: non-invasive. What if we could validate our lab simulations, and sell a computer vison program?

It was leading edge technology. What if people could drag and drop embryo images onto a website, and it would give an instant, reliable prediction as to which are healthy? It could disrupt the IVF industry. What happened next though would be an epic adventure.

Crucially, the insights of resonances around the boundary of the egg shell, and my background in particle physics allow me to simplify the problem, identifying the key features of embryo quality, reducing the entropy of the data so that it could be used by almost any camera system. We wanted to improve outcomes for couples, to make fertility treatments more transparent and affordable for couples.

Imagine the doctors who have to come to the waiting room while the patient is crying, not able to explain why this time the IVF didn’t work. What we can do now is provide confidence bands for every single embryo. If you can measure accurately the likelihood of implantation, and of genetic health, you can help couples to prepare and plan, and set realistic expectations for their journey.

With repeated failures, expensive fees and traumatic hormone treatments, morale can become so low that couples can walk away in the middle of their therapies. The priority order of embryo transfer matters in keeping patients enrolled until their first pregnancy - the golden window after their first brave step in seeking treatment can be make-or-break for them. Life Whisperer reduces the risk of disappointments and cost due to repeated difficult attempts to have a much wanted baby, which is such a heart-felt hope for many people.

The future of medical imaging in fertility is non-invasive, objective and instant through deep learning and computer vision, starting from egg quality assessment, linking morphology to genetics, and optimising drug delivery to reduce risks to the embryos, and reduce pain for couples, making the process more cost-effective, reliable, and safer.

Jonathan is an MIT TechReview Innovator Under 35 (Asia-Pacific), winner of the Global Winner One to Watch at TalentUnleashed and InDaily 40 under 40 Entrepreneur, holds a Ph.D in Theoretical Physics and in Embryo Nanotechnology and metamaterials, and holds Associate Investigator / Visiting Fellow at the University of Adelaide.

Dr Jonathan Hall

MR. PRESIDENT, IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU TODAY; HERE IS THE PLAN. BEN BAKER, FOUNDER, BEN BAKER STUDIOS

“Mr President, it’s great to see you today; here is the plan.”

Those are words I have spoken to the past five American Presidents and many other world leaders as a photographer trusted to create iconic images that will stand the test of time.

How did a kid from a working-class house and a city on the far-reaches of the globe and far away from the White House get there, why were the city and people of Adelaide responsible, and why is my story here with other thought leaders and innovators?

It is very simple: creative innovation needs a lab and an environment in which to grow. Adelaide is that lab.

After I experienced new places, new challenges and new ideas, I kept coming back to Adelaide and seeing that we are innovative and influential creators recognized around the globe.

My industry and the world have been dealing with profound changes in how media and images are created and shared. Gone are the days of just the daily newspaper and advertising billboard. It has been replaced with real-time news and communication and hyper-connected social media channels where everyone globally shares ideas instantaneously.

My work has changed from just shooting a magazine cover to creating multimedia projects and sharing layered stories in print and motion, and from camera to screen in hours.

We are all rethinking ways of telling stories and creating powerful pieces of art that connect us all with the rise of these new technologies and newer ones emerging every day, like the dawn of A.I.

The societies that will succeed through these momentous change in communication are those whose creative foundations are strong and who continue to do critical work in deep learning and sharing.

We do this here with world-leading cultural events: the Adelaide Festival, Writers Week, Fringe Festival and more. The world’s leading creative storytellers come to Adelaide to share new ideas and art forms.

Our film industry continues to create brilliant, innovative and powerful stories shared globally. The city is home to numerous digital production houses working on Hollywood and world cinema-leading productions.

Adelaide’s proud history of innovative art and adaptive creators has us placed perfectly for now and years ahead.

I have always acknowledged the Adelaide cultural and photographic foundations for the work that I have created and my existing drive to further innovate technically and creatively.

benbakerstudio.com

DISABILITY DRIVES INNOVATION

I want to see this world thriving with innovation, creativity for good. I say Be the change you want to see in the world.

When the brain doesn’t work the way it used to, the effects are profound and long lasting. You see, it’s not just about the inability to communicate, or move, when your brain doesn’t function, it’s the very essence of your personality, individuality and abilities that are completely compromised.

At just 4-years old, I suffered a massive stroke which left me unable to speak. Aphasia, caused by Childhood Stroke affected not only my production and comprehension of speech, but the ability to read and write. Stroke is among the top 10 causes of child mortality, survivors like me are left with debilitating seizures, speech and learning difficulties and disability. My prognosis for recovery was grim.

Unable to communicate or comprehend my surroundings and with the entire right side of my body paralysed I was told that my brain would somehow have to be ‘rewired’. Essentially my brain would need to make stronger connections between the neurons and cells. Miraculously, I discovered the brain always has the capacity to learn. My recovery would not be predetermined by biology. There was hope.

With the help and incredible strength of my family, I embarked on a painstaking uphill battle, to re-learn absolutely everything. My recovery

called for all of us all to fight. It would take specialists years to develop their understanding of how the brain is affected by neural functions; how they appear to be hard wired in specific localised regions of the and the implications of Neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization, relearning leads to rewiring and promotes function in a way that differs from how it previously functioned. This was central to my lifelong recovery from Aphasia.

Fast forward 30-years and I am an accomplished public speaker. I discovered my superpower is in helping people to triumph over adversity like I did. I now share my story to empower and inspire others so that they too can discover their unique stroke of genius. I’m also especially proud to be working with companies such as Novita, United Abilities, Novita Tech, Accessible Me, Care Window and an Ambassador for All Care Community Support as these companies want to combine creative thinking and technology to enhance human capability.

It’s important to note that as a result of disability, a whole new industry has been fashioned. One that is constantly creating assistive technologies and rehabilitative devices to help people build capacity, achieve independence and make positive social connections. Incredible, life changing technologies that are widely used today exist because of people with disabilities. I’m in awe of the constantly evolving suite of leadingedge solutions, quality products and services designed to enrich and enhance everyday life.

Reflecting on my journey I must acknowledge the amazing people living with disabilities who are bringing their own unique talents and skills to the fore, because they already have a fast paced problem-solving mindset enabling creativity and innovation.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT AS A RESULT OF DISABILITY, A WHOLE NEW INDUSTRY HAS BEEN FASHIONED.

PETER DEMPSEY, FOUNDER, OWN THE POWER

LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, MISSION, VISION, SUSTAINABILITY GOALS, COMPANY VALUES, ETHICAL PRACTICES.

For me these words are more than a fancy poster on a wall, a page on the company website or a nicely-written corporate profile. For me, the importance of aligning concepts such as culture, values, ethics and leadership, defines the identity of a company and its leaders. The great temptation is simply to create these ideas with an expectation that people will comply. But without action, our higher ideals are simply words.

How do we get behaviours off the white board and into our culture?

The one word that will guarantee success is consistency!

To quote the great Greek Philosopher Aristotle, the ‘whole is greater than the sum of its parts’. This does not just apply to business – the same is true for relationships, family, career and life. Success is rare in one of these endeavours without some success in the others.

Every successful company ever created has something in common: strong leadership.

For me leadership starts at the top and is dependent on personal responsibility.

This is best defined by an ancient proverb,’ the fish rots from the head down’. If your company has a culture problem, my advice is, look in the mirror.

Strong leadership is not about management or control – It is about vision and inspiration.

People have to believe in something, especially if you want them to follow. This presents one of the biggest challenges for leaders: today’s generation sees order as control, and predictability as boring.

Since 2020, the world has lost its consistency, its level of predictability. With global pandemics, climate change, war in Europe, threats of nuclear disaster and the death of a world figurehead, life has never been so uncertain.

Predictability has been replaced with uncertainty, and fear is the result.

Today’s generation has been brought up to be permissive. To be free minded, to question everything from the status quo through to the abolition of stereotypes. They see the world as their oyster where anything and everything is possible.

The reality is, this is a fairy tale. Life is not easy, it never has been. To survive or succeed in life we just have to learn to be better.

Leadership is about personal responsibility, ownership and accountability. Everybody should aspire to become the best leader they can be, but it is vitally important to understand the importance of being in a team and knowing your role.

TODAY’S GENERATION HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO BE PERMISSIVE. TO BE FREE MINDED, TO QUESTION EVERYTHING FROM THE STATUS QUO THROUGH TO THE ABOLITION OF STEREOTYPES.

SHAYNE JAENISCH, SA BUSINESS COACHING - HIGH PERFORMANCE

AS ALWAYS, THOSE ALREADY WORKING ON SOLUTIONS WILL BE IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE THAN THOSE WHO DOGGEDLY HANG ON TO OUTMODED THINKING AND PROCESSES.

CRAIG ARNOLD, PHOTOGRAPHIC DIRECTOR, SHE CREATIVE

to consider how to continue to thrive in such a way that benefits the planet.

For decades letting ‘market forces’ decide what is good or valuable has been about exploiting opportunities, often at the expense of long-term societal good.

Much of what could be innovative and beneficial gets pushed aside to ensure profits and power dynamics remain mostly unhindered, but there are better ways to make lasting positive change.

The interconnected environmental processes of our planet are tilting out of balance, and humanity will have to scramble to fix problems that are complex and difficult to rectify.

As always, those already working on solutions will be in a much better place than those who doggedly hang on to outmoded thinking and processes.

Food production, waste management, electric transport, de-carbonisation, health and sustainability- these areas and many others are evolving, and the tides of change will continue to push things along.

A SHIFT OF THINKING

A seismic shift is looming in business and society as new technologies, cultural evolution and climate change present humanity with some of the biggest challenges in our history.

As imperative as it is that we invest in innovation, the word itself is bandied around frequently- almost like a badge of honour in government and corporate circles alike. Still, we need more than sound-bite buzzwords and good intentions.

Innovation has always been about better attuning products and services with the market’s desires but now we need

Traditionally, Adelaide has swung between being consciously conservative and passionately progressive in various areas but now finds itself a magnet for new ways of thinking as start-ups and tech hubs flourish in this accelerating environment.

South Australia is attracting renewed interest internationally, and homegrown industries are stepping up to meet new demands across numerous sectors. As of late March 2023, the unemployment rate for South Australia has hit the lowest on record.

Things are getting noisy for a state that has been a relatively quiet achiever. This publication and the businesses it highlights will showcase how this State of Innovation is shifting gears towards the future.

Since my show South Aussie with Cosi debuted in 2011, I’ve taken great pride in showcasing travel destinations, promoting local businesses, celebrating our unique lifestyle, and fostering community spirit. South Aussie with Cosi has become a household name, not only shedding light on regional and city attractions but also highlighting the essence of South Australia, our history, fabulous lifestyle and everything in between! I’ve witnessed the transformation and I can feel the buzz in the air about Adelaide. As a proud South Aussie, I couldn’t be more thrilled about what’s happening in our remarkable state.

In 2013, I founded Cows for Cambodia, followed by Cows for Botswana in 2018. Through these charitable initiatives, we’ve been able to break the cycle of poverty for hundreds of families, both locally and internationally. I am deeply committed to making a positive difference through charity and tourism.

As South Australia’s most dedicated ambassador, I strive not only to promote our beautiful state and all it has to offer but also to inspire others to embrace the excitement of living in one of the world’s best places – South Australia!

We’ve got world-renowned renewable energy industry, our state is at the forefront of clean energy, with over 60% of our power coming from wind and solar sources. We boast the world’s largest lithium-ion battery, thanks to our collaboration with Tesla.

But it doesn’t stop there. South Australia is also home to a thriving tech startup scene, we have the highest number of startups per capita in the country. Despite our size, we’re punching well above our weight - making a significant impact in the world of innovation. From ground breaking health tech solutions to cutting-edge agritech advancements, our state is a hotbed of entrepreneurial spirit.

Let’s not overlook the vibrant arts and culture scene because Adelaide, the gateway to South Australia is positively bursting with talent, with our artists making waves globally. Adelaide Fringe Festival, is a significant drawcard as the second-largest fringe festival in the world, right in our backyard. We’re also blessed with remarkable museums, galleries, the amazing

Space Discovery Centre. And with the best sporting facilities in our nation, and awesome new events such as Gather Round and Live Golf the eyes of the world are now on Adelaide.

However, what truly sets us apart is our strong sense of community. We South Aussies are a tight-knit bunch, and that, my friends, is something truly special.

So, as a proud South Aussie, I raise my glass of Barossa Valley Shiraz and invite you to join me in celebrating South Australia – the finest state in the country. We may be small, but our heart and innovation are immeasurable. Cheers to the incredible achievements and the bright future ahead for South Australia!

AS A PROUD SOUTH AUSSIE, I COULDN’T BE MORE THRILLED ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR REMARKABLE STATE.

ANDREW COSTELLO, SOUTH AUSSIE WITH COSI

I’M EXCITED TO SHARE WITH YOU MY THOUGHTS ABOUT AN AREA OF TECHNOLOGY THAT I AM MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT - BUILDING THE NETWORK AND DATA

INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE FUTURE FOR AUSTRALIA.

TOM HAJDU, CEO, DISRUPTER

A little over five years ago, I had the privilege of serving as the Chief Innovator of South Australia, a position through which I could catalyze change. During that time, I spearheaded a pivotal initiative, transforming Adelaide into Australia’s first gigabit city and the first city outside the United States to be a part of the US Ignite Gigabit Smart City Community. This was a significant step, but the world doesn’t stop spinning, and technology doesn’t cease to evolve.

Today, as we stand on the precipice of the Web3 era, consider the challenges and the opportunities that this new digital landscape presents. We live in a world where artificial intelligence’s insatiable hunger for data overwhelms our current network infrastructure. Questions around data governance and network security loom more extensive than ever, and the limitations of blockchain technology are glaringly evident: poor scalability, no identity management and other gross inefficiencies. We are in dire need of a transformative, resilient, and adaptable solution.

There is a profound vulnerability at the foundation of our digital networks: the problem of identity. Our 50-year-old network protocols

were designed to allow anonymous and unverified connections. This design conceit has undermined decades of determined efforts to add authentication and validation to important network traffic. I propose a bold yet simple fundamental change -- a network that establishes and enforces identity validation as the basis of all connectivity.

This idea -- “Identity First Networking”, is crucial to producing a futureproof digital infrastructure. Identity First Networking requires that any node on a network can provide cryptographic proof of its identity (or “address”) to any other node before sending or receiving information. Tied to this idea is the requirement that these addresses are static and unchanging. Another vulnerability in the existing IP networking system is that IP addresses are ephemeral -- assigned by the network itself on-the-fly. Making addresses static, in addition to closing up a host of security weaknesses, also has benefits concerning storage and subsequent analysis or auditing of network traffic.

We are poised on the edge of the future, a future we must build today to ensure our relevance and competitiveness tomorrow. I firmly believe that radically new technologies like this will transform Australia’s

network and data infrastructure, opening up a new era of interconnectedness and security. This is an opportunity to provide better public services: from robust networking in remote areas to better first-responder communications -- from transparent access to the levers of government to reduced infrastructure maintenance costs.

If Australia can build a truly next-generation infrastructure, it can strengthen its competitiveness across all sectors and attract new business opportunities. The world is flat. Companies and people can live anywhere and build a global, gamechanging business. The Web3 era is not just about advancing but pioneering, creating, and innovating. Together, by making Australia a global trailblazer in network infrastructure and technology, we can participate in shaping the rapidly evolving digital world. disrupter.com

Email: tom@disrupter.com

reusably.com.au

THE POWER OF REINVENTION: EXECUTIVES TURNED ENTREPRENEURS (ETE)

SAJAN PETER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, OPTUS BUSINESS CENTRE – ADELAIDE NORTH

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape defined by innovation and disruption, a growing number of seasoned corporate executives are embracing a paradigm shift, leaving behind the comfort of their executive roles to embark on the exhilarating journey of entrepreneurship.

This transition represents more than a mere career change; it embodies a deep-rooted desire to challenge conventions, pursue personal fulfillment, leap into the realm of uncertainty, autonomy and limitless potential.

Here is a personal reflection that explore the motivations, challenges, and invaluable lessons that arise when corporate executives transition into the realm of entrepreneurship.

The Call of Purpose: At the heart of this transition lies a burning desire for purpose, self-fulfilment and autonomy. Many corporate executives find themselves yearn for a deeper connection to their work, seeking to build something meaningful and a path that aligns with their vision.

Entrepreneurship offers an opportunity to create something of their own, allows them to align their passions with their professional pursuits, creating ventures that embody their values and vision to chart their own course, and to have a direct impact on the success and direction of their ventures.

Embracing Risk and Uncertainty: Stepping away from the stability and predictability of corporate life requires embracing risk and adapting to a dynamic environment. The unpredictable world of entrepreneurship is not without its challenges and corporate executives-turned-entrepreneurs (ETE) recognize that calculated risks are essential for innovation and growth. By embracing calculated risks, they learn to thrive in an environment that demands adaptability, agility, enabling them to seize opportunities and overcome obstacles.

Leveraging Experience and Networks: One of the greatest advantages executives bring to entrepreneurship is their extensive experience and

robust professional networks. Years in executive roles provide a deep understanding of market dynamics, consumer behaviour, and effective leadership practices. Moreover, their networks become a powerful asset for collaboration, mentorship, and accessing resources. By leveraging their experience and networks, ETE’s can fast-track the growth of their ventures.

Embracing the Learning Curve: Transitioning to entrepreneurship requires a humble recognition that there is much to learn and much required of you. ETE understand and have experienced “wearing multiple hats”, as an entrepreneur you are required to be that IT guy, Marketing specialist, Landscaper/ gardener, financial analyst. Former executives must become perpetual learners, staying abreast of emerging trends, technologies, accounting, marketing and entrepreneurial best practices to stay ahead of the curve. The willingness to adapt and acquire new knowledge fuels their personal growth and positions them as lifelong learners in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Conclusion: The decision to shift from a corporate executive role to entrepreneurship represents a bold move rooted in purpose, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of growth. Executives who make this transition bring a wealth of experience, leadership acumen, and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit to their new ventures. They become agents of change, driving innovation, and reshaping industries. Their stories inspire others to break free from the confines of convention, follow their passions, and create meaningful path. As corporate executives continue to embrace entrepreneurship, they become catalysts for positive change, propelling the business landscape forward into a future.

MANUFACTURING IS NOT DEAD IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. COLIN HALL, INDUSTRY PROFESSOR, FUTURE INDUSTRIES INSTITUTE

In 2017 the Holden plant shut its doors, an economic powerhouse and driver of manufacturing within the state for over 50 years. It had followed the fate of the Mitsubishi plant by shutting its doors. It was a grim period, and a lot of things had to change across the manufacturing ecosystem to accommodate this change. 6 years on and we see life in the manufacturing sector.

Look around the state now, there is a buzz in the air, manufacturing is alive and well within South Australia. Defence is ramping up, Space is expanding – both are attracting major companies to the state and driving business for the manufacturing ecosystem.

Whilst we don’t make cars anymore, the expertise that drove that industry at Holdens, but more importantly in all the suppliers to these car companies, has not left the state. It has changed, shifted and re-imagined itself. Engineers are improving operations across the state. Driving small businesses and start-ups.

RM Williams has taken them and now has lean manufacturing for boots. They have ended up in other companies like MicroX, Valo, Redarc, Bustech EntX, Starke AMG – and they are driving new products and innovation.

Defence and space are providing reasons to invest and opportunities to grow. They are engaging in more R&D, driven by on-shoring and gaining sovereign manufacturing capability.

These companies are looking to innovation to carry them forward. They are more ready to engage with universities and other research providers because the employees have done so in their previous rolls and see the value.

Universities can support manufacturers to realise their goals. I am bias – sitting in one of these research institutes, but the evidence is there. Associate Professor Bedford reported such in a 2021 study, companies that invest in innovation (through patents) are more profitable.

I work with all sizes of businesses. My longest industry collaborator (SMR Automotive) has been over 19 years. SMR is a large multinational –tier 1 supplier to the automotive industry. Their local content has reduced, however, they have invested in innovation and integrated a moulding, lighting, electronics and coating capability to deliver world first products to automotive companies in North America and Europe. SMR have also diversified making electronic components for other industries and medical devices.

Our research also supports start-ups like Three Peaks Medical and small businesses like MicroX – this includes new materials testing, quality

testing, failure analysis and reverse engineering. The universities offer access to expertise and equipment. They can solve problems and can respond quickly, if short term action is required. However, engage with them in the long term and you can co-create a research capability that can drive business for the next 15 years. Look at SMR to see this effect.

Ref - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pacfin.2021.101508

unisa.edu.au

In fact, a culture of innovation must be endemic across a company. It must form part of its DNA, driving the behaviour and thinking of every employee. This is important across all members of the innovation ecosystem, with opportunities to learn through the sharing of ideas in innovation precincts like Tonsley, where Micro-X is based.

Innovative behaviours are contagious –the constant self-challenging of “are we sure there isn’t a better way?” can produce new ways of working in finance, in HR practices and recruitment, in procurement, in manufacturing and in management which can transform corporate performance. Of the nontechnical areas within a business, innovation is perhaps most critical in product planning and marketing.

Innovators seeking to disrupt markets with products based on new technology often encounter unexpected headwinds. Markets, particularly markets which are risk-averse, are often dominated by large companies with a strong and reliable brand and their customers make purchasing decisions in their favour based on a reliable maxim that ‘nobody ever got fired for buying from IBM’. These large companies eschew adoption of disruptive technologies, preferring instead only incremental extensions to product performance.

The reason for this has been termed ‘the Innovator’s Dilemma’ - successful, well-managed companies always listen to their customers but customers rarely demand disruptive products. As Henry Ford remarked, “if I had asked people what they wanted they would have said faster horses”. In this way markets inherently possess a significant barrier to the adoption of disruptive technologies.

Thus innovation in the marketing of new disruptive products is as critical as the innovation in the product’s technology. In ‘Crossing the Chasm’ Geoffrey Moore explores the psychology of the early adopters of new and disruptive products. Early adopters clearly see the benefits of the new technology, which are typically simpler, more convenient to use, more reliable and cheaper than established technology products. They are happy to accept higher risk in purchasing an unknown brand to access these benefits. While great disruptive technology products are designed and engineered to appeal to a wide spectrum of users, they must first be marketed to appeal to the early adopters who will initiate broader success in the market. Innovation in branding, innovation in placement and innovation in promotion is key to securing a successful product launch.

Adelaide has a long-standing reputation for world-class manufacturing. Through the careful fostering of our innovation ecosystem, we are already producing innovative, worldrenowned companies and products. To continue the growth in the sector and make us competitive leaders internationally, we must be brave in our pursuit of the development of disruptive products and particularly fearless in adopting innovative approaches to take them to the rest of the world.

IT’S EASY FOR COMPANIES THAT HAVE DEVELOPED A GROUND-BREAKING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO FALL INTO THE TRAP OF BELIEVING THAT THEIR COMPANY’S SCIENTISTS, RESEARCHERS, AND ENGINEERS SHOULD BE THE ONLY INNOVATORS WITHIN THE WORKFORCE. MAKING THIS MISTAKE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE THE COMPANY’S COMMERCIALISATION TO FAIL.

PETER ROWLAND, CEO, MICRO-X

It’s about solving real world problems. It’s about inventing, reinventing and trying new things. Having a solid business plan is one thing, but you won’t necessarily know what people want until you start getting out there and testing the market.

To me, innovation is really about coming up with a new or a better way to problem-solve. A better and more efficient way of doing things that enhances value and drives growth. As Albert Einstein once said, “You can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” It’s the relentless pursuit of continuous improvement and diversity of thought that drives true innovation.

Without doubt, innovation starts with a brilliant idea. And generally it’s the most simplistic of ideas that tend to be brilliant by the way. I come across many of them on a daily basis. But the knack is to not get distracted by the notion of unearthing brilliant ideas, but rather determine whether or not the brilliant idea will work from a business stand-point. Then if it does make commercial sense, that is when the hard work really comes into it. The immense effort needed to turn that “brilliant idea” into a reality.

Being innovative means that you have to be willing to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. To be curious… really curious! Relentless in fact with your curiosity. You need to be willing to ask the hard questions and to be willing to wrestle with the difficult scenarios. Be assertive and never take no for an answer. Instead of asking “Why?” I prefer to ask “Why not!?”

Adelaide, in my opinion, is one of the best places for innovative entrepreneurs to start their business ventures. The market size is perfect for testing new ideas and business models, the housing and office space is affordable, and the support from government, industry bodies and business leaders is strong.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS NOT JUST ABOUT TAKING AN IDEA AND TURNING IT INTO A REALISATION, IT’S ABOUT HARNESSING OUR ABILITY TO CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES IN ORDER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS COMPLEX WORLD WE LIVE IN.

TAMMY BARTON, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, MYBUDGET

We all enter this world the same, screaming, and naked, as human as each other and as deserving of the same freedoms and rights as the next tiny infant. Unfortunately, people’s access to human rights isn’t as simple as that. It’s dependent on the family you were born into, the postcode you grow up in and other social and economic factors.

As a young kid, I was always aggravated by the disparity of wealth and opportunity that exists in our communities. Why could I, as a 13-year-old girl, access an education without a doubt, when other 13-year-old girls were forced to get married and start a new family when they are still children themselves? This anger turned into activism, dinner table deep dives into political topics and a whole lot of active learning.

I was also under the frustrating impression that, to create positive and powerful change, you had to have influence, power, or money before anyone will even listen to what you have to say. To some extent, that is still true, however, as a teenager I was introduced to another opportunity to create change - the Social Enterprise model. Social Enterprise is a significant sector, representing roughly 1% of Australia’s’ GDP. Social Enterprises are businesses that offer a service or product to consumers, with company profits or investments returned to the community. This is a transformative method of trade, as it takes the commercial focus away from making the “rich richer”, to making our communities fairer and more equitable.

Inspired by this opportunity, in 2017 I co-founded TABOO Period Products, which now sells a high-quality product to consumers and invests company profits and advocacy efforts into providing women in Australia with the dignity of period products, education, and supporting infrastructure. Through the power of business, employing the social enterprise model, I have had the pleasure of leading impactful change before having influence, money, or power. I proved myself wrong. The power never is and never will sustainably sit with individuals, but the power is with the people. Through social business, it can be harnessed to generate positive and powerful change.

DO WE WANT TO SPEND OUR PRODIGIOUS INNOVATIVE CAPACITY BUILDING QUALITY-BASED HUMAN-TECH PARTNERSHIPS

FOR A FUTURE THAT MAXIMISES THE UNIQUE BENEFITS OF BOTH AND ALLOWS EACH TO FLOURISH?

DR. FIONA KERR, CEO AND FOUNDER, THE NEUROTECH INSTITUTE

It also aligns perspectives towards a wider, more complex approach to the problem to be solved or question to be answered as people create new ideas, concepts, and technologies.

The wonderful resource of human abstraction’ is increasingly coupled with technology, and when the partnership is a good one innovation flourishes. The distraction of technology can block abstraction, but when used as an enabler it gives us access to vast amounts of information, can facilitate connection and collaboration, and enables us to realise our ideas. As an engineer, I delight in what it can achieve, whether automating for human safety, assistance, or relief; enabling smart manufacturing; or building remarkable biotech and medical solutions.

My work in the neurophysiology of interaction (human-to-human, and human-to-technology) is fascinating, and helps to clarify the unique advantages both offer, and how to combine them. The results spark new ways to imagine, design and deploy technology; clarify when (and why) humans offer a superior solution; and decipher how to partner humans and technology for truly beneficial outcomes.

With expertise in engineering, the cognitive sciences, and anthropology, I delight in looking at innovation from both a technological and a human perspective, and am fascinated by the intricacies of the process, and how two aspects greatly impact its scope and quality. One is the benefit of deeply understanding the unique advantages that both humans and technologies bring to the table, and the other is the importance of the question or goal around which we innovate.

From the human perspective, connection is critical to enabling that mix of slow hunches and “aha” moments that occur at both individual and joint level, and builds the bricolage of diverse knowledge, experience and thoughts that come together over time to create a new idea. This connection is created by collaboration – both within the brain (intrabrain synchronization) and between brains (inter-brain synchronization) as people synchronize via gaze, voice, touch, movement, and electrochemical exchange. The impact on how we think, feel, heal, solve problems, bond and care is immense, and a deeper knowledge of it offers vastly untouched opportunities for innovation. It sparks creative abstraction, a wonderful cognitive state that allows the brain to wander, disconnect, and create new connections between information and ideas.

Such understanding drives innovation towards quality, long-lens solutions that are human-centric rather than short term, simple goals of profit and attention. It highlights the importance of understanding that our question or goal shapes our innovative path. The good news is that I consistently see quality goals producing cleverer innovative solutions, rather than a quick fix. It pushes us to stay at the forefront of new knowledge; leverage breakthroughs, surprises, and benefits; identify drawbacks and also to understand what not to technologize.

But we have to choose this as our innovative purpose. Do we want to spend our prodigious innovative capacity building quality-based humantech partnerships for a future that maximises the unique benefits of both and allows each to flourish?

I know I do.

THE TIME FOR LEADERSHIP.

MARTIN K HAESE MBA, ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Entrepreneur, Educator and Advocate | Special Envoy to Singapore and Southeast Asia for Trade and Investment | Chair of Premier’s Climate Change Council, Government of South Australia | Lord Mayor of Adelaide (2014-2018)

I am fascinated by the common threads of achievement that come to define an individual’s contribution to their chosen field of endeavour. I am equally fascinated by how communities, cites and nations do the same. I now turn that lens onto my own career in a quest to articulate my own contribution.

After founding a retail business in my mid-twenties, I built the company into a national chain before divesting to a public company. I later managed the Rundle Mall precinct, a busy shopping and entertainment precinct prior to being elected as the 78th Lord Mayor of Adelaide in 2014. With a community service orientated approach, I initiated strong sustainability and technology agendas.

My journey then took me on to become the CEO of Business SA, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry for South Australia, where my leadership and advocacy supported thousands of business owners during the onset of COVID-19. Today, I am the Chair of the Premier’s Climate Change Council, the Special Envoy for Trade and Investment to Singapore and Southeast Asia for Government of South Australia, a podcaster and private investor.

Throughout each chapter, I have remained passionate about the wellbeing of South Australia, its environment and community. I believe in the power of education, leadership, communication and community service and these are undoubtedly my own ‘common threads’. I encourage you to become familiar with your own.

As we look to the future, I encourage you to reflect on the links between the environment and the economy. Climate change is a complex issue that has far-reaching implications for the planet, people and business community.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that the world is heading towards a catastrophic temperature increase of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, which will have severe consequences for biodiversity, food security, public health, and the global economy. It is therefore imperative that we each play our part to address climate change and mitigate the environmental damage as climate change is leading to more extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves. Climate change reduces crop yields, degrades land, and increases the risk of pests and diseases. Moreover, it exacerbates air pollution and poses a threat to public health, especially for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and those with preexisting health conditions.

As Lord Mayor of Adelaide, I ensured that the City of Adelaide became a national leader in addressing climate change. In 2015, I launched Carbon Neutral Adelaide to reduce the city’s carbon emissions, introduced smart city

initiatives such as LED street lighting, smart parking systems, electric vehicle charging stations and increased the city’s green spaces while preserving its biodiversity. As a strong advocate for renewable energy, I supported the city’s programs to install solar panels on many public buildings and provide incentives for residential and commercial property owners and occupiers to do the same. Under my leadership, the city bikeway was upgraded and thousands of trees were planted.

At the United Nations COP21 in Paris in December 2015, I delivered a speech at the Sustainable Innovation Forum and ratified the signing of the Compact of Mayors on behalf of the City of Adelaide. At the World Cities Summit in Singapore in 2018, I delivered a keynote speech on the inter-dependencies between green cities and liveable cities, with Adelaide as the case study.

Addressing climate change also presents opportunities for the business community as the transition to a low-carbon economy requires new technologies, processes and business models which create new markets and industries. As companies take action to address climate change, they are likely to improve their reputation, enhance their brand value, and attract new customers who are increasingly environmentally conscious. Addressing climate change can also help companies reduce their operating costs by increasing energy efficiency and reducing waste.

The Premier’s Climate Change Council is an independent body established by an Act of Parliament to provide advice to the State Government of South Australia on how to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. South Australia is on a trajectory to 100% renewable energy by 2030 and the global green economy has been quantified to reach over ten trillion dollars by 2050. Addressing climate change is both an imperative and opportunity and requires a seismic shift in how we go about addressing our energy needs and industrial processes to reduce emissions.

This shift is laden with opportunity for governments, entrepreneurs, academics, policy makers, investors, technologists and so many others who move first. At various times, it is OK to be a follower. This is not one of them. This is South Australia’s time to lead and lead we must.

Email: martin@martinhaese.com martinhaese.com

We are seeing a surge in creativity as businesses look for new and innovative ways to stay afloat and emerge from this crisis successfully. Now more than ever your social capital counts.

Today’s social climate encourages people to support local small businesses, creating a sense of community among us all. This solidarity within the business space not only supports the economy but builds social capital and trust between customers and clients alike. As many companies shift their focus towards digital technologies, they’re also leveraging their own resources by embracing collaboration internally as well as with external partners. Innovation needs a melting pot of diverse opinions ideas and voices in order to thrive so connecting to and working with the ecosystem around your business is critical to your success.

This new way of doing business post-pandemic will only continue to build a stronger and more vibrant economy filled with inspiring stories of resilience and innovation. As the world braces for the inevitable challenges driven by inflation and market adjustments taking a new lens to old ways of forming and maintaining relationships will be key to those who thrive in the current climate.

For those looking to start their own business or take it to the next level, remember that you can do it by harnessing the power of your community as well as making use of technology and digital resources. Believe in yourself and reach out to others who can help you on your journey. The trick is to work your networks before you need them so you have enough in the bank to make withdrawals down the track as needed. Actively seek to create opportunities for connection and discussion that go beyond selling and you will be amazed at where you end up.

Simone Douglas is a business powerhouse. She is the Publican & Licensee of the Duke of Brunswick Hotel, Owner of the DOB on King William Cafe, Executive Director for BNI Adelaide North, CEO of Digital Marketing AOK, and a bestselling author with her books “Seriously Social - turning your online game into real-world gain” and “The Confident Networker”.

She is a Certified Practicing Marketer with the Australian Marketing Institute and also sits on the branch council for the Australian Hotels Association SA Branch and is co-founder of the Hospo Owners Collective. Her businesses have garnered more awards than can be comfortably included in a bio, and her passion for supporting business, community, and industry is well known. Widely known as someone with extensive networks she credits her proactive approach to social capital with much of her success.

Simone Douglas MAMI CPM

CEO Digital Marketing AOK | Publican The Duke of Brunswick Hotel

Executive Director, BNI SA - Adelaide North

Author | Seriously Social | The Confident Networker

Email: simone.douglas@digitalmarketingaok.com.au

digitalmarketingaok.com.au

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC & ITS RECOVERY HAVE IMPACTED BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN WAYS THAT WE COULD HAVE NEVER IMAGINED. HOWEVER, IT IS ALSO THROUGH TIMES OF HARDSHIP THAT INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE THRIVE. SIMONE DOUGLAS, CEO, DIGITAL MARKETING AOK

DAVID MALLETT, FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, YANUN PROJECT SERVICES

My people have been innovating on South Australian Country for more than 60,000 years. As a proud Ngarrindjeri man from South Australia’s South-East, my ancestors developed smart solutions to support their dayto-day survival within the harsh Australian environment. For example, we would salvage small intricate bird bones to make fishing hooks and thread with strong pieces of reed found on the banks of Lake Alexandrina. The fish caught would be transported, stored, and protected in baskets and bags crafted out of wetland grasses and reed. In later years Ngarrindjeri inventor David Unaipon took out 19 provisional patents, most notably including the shearing machine, which is the basis of modern mechanical shears, and also pre-World War 1 drawings for a helicopter design based on the principle of the boomerang.

Aboriginal people have a connection to Country and land that is deeply spiritual, a relationship formed in the footsteps of ancestors, and which is passed on through our stories and Song lines. I believe stories and truth telling about our history will not only bring to light colonial conflict and dispossession, but also acknowledge the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures. Our stories we hope will become stories told across the nation, embedding the notion that our culture belongs to all Australians.

With 40% First Nation representation within the Yanun team, we naturally build knowledge sharing and respect into our team culture. For example, at team meetings we take it in turns to acknowledge the Country that we meet on, often in the words of the local community. We now have both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal staff who can confidently acknowledge Country in the native Kaurna language. Yanun also have a busy cultural calendar, and regularly attend and speak at significant events.

These are examples of why supporting Indigenous businesses to grow and succeed is so important. We are best placed to foster First Nation’s talent, in a culturally safe and supportive environment, while simultaneously engaging non-Indigenous Australians in the beauty, and pain, of the oldest living culture on the planet.

I believe all Australians have a responsibility to help improve the plight of First Nation people. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait culture belongs to all of us.

David Mallett is the founder and Managing Director of Yanun Project Services. On leaving school, David spent a decade in the Armed Forces, including as a Navy Clearance Diver and Special Ops Sniper, and training the Iraqi Police Force, before building a successful career in managing projects in the construction industry. He launched his own project services business, Yanun in 2020. Yanun means ‘to communicate with others’ in Ngarrindjeri, and David delivers a client-first service that has high quality deliverables at its heart. A proud Ngarrindjeri-Kaurna man, David is passionate about supporting young First Nations people into professional careers.

OUR TEAM IS COMFORTABLE, BUT ACCOUNTABLE. THIS MEANS THEY HAVE THE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY TO TAKE THE LEAP.

MR. OSCAR FIORINOTTO, FOUNDER & CEO, SUPASHOCK ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES

FOSTERING A CULTURE OF LEADERS AND INNOVATION

I was fortunate to have an ambitious father who embedded leadership heavily into my life. I feel it is important for any leader to have a mentor, and this is the reason we focus so heavily on mentorship at Supashock. A mentor is someone you can draw life and business experiences from. Importantly, they will help to embed the mindset that the risk of failure should not prevent you from achieving something great.

I believe in raising a generation of leaders who are mentors within the business, foster our culture and embody Supashock’s values of Passion, Integrity, Respect, Innovation and Determination.

At Supashock, our definition of culture is ‘the ability to empower people to make good decisions in the absence of policy and procedure’. If your team can execute this, that’s when you know the culture is right. We need policy and procedure given the industries we operate in, but our people need to feel empowered to take calculated risk, because I believe that leads to personal growth, innovation and market disruption.

Our team is comfortable, but accountable. This means they have the psychological safety to take the leap. Sometimes the leap does not pay off. A negative business outcome will not result in reprimand for a team or individual. I don’t need people to hesitate the next time they are faced with a decision, but as a team we must make the active effort to complete a root cause analysis to understand why. Armed with this knowledge, we can then move to the next design, or the next opportunity with a further honed strategy to back our decision making and drive innovation.

In my eyes, the key qualities of leadership are belief, the desire to never give up, and a sound strategy delivered by a clear head. It is tough, and a never-ending journey of learning. Everyone thinks they want to be a leader but let me tell you, at times, leadership is a thankless task. Sometimes you ask yourself, why am I doing this, but backing your own ability to have ongoing drive, resilience and a positive attitude is what keeps you moving forward. Seeing your people flourish is incredibly gratifying and the wins are fantastic. Sometimes those wins are accompanied by losses, but if you learn from the loss and maintain belief in yourself and in your team - you will be a successful leader. We need to remember, no leader does anything on their own, you need to bring the best people along with you.

SOURCETOAD AND INNOVATE PARTNER UP FOR GLOBAL GROWTH.

SVEN BOERMEESTER, CEO - GLOBALVILLAGE.WORLD AND GREG ROSS-MUNRO, CEO - SOURCETOAD

Global Village and Sourcetoad have come together in a unique partnership, blending a wide global network with top-notch tech skills to fuel worldwide innovation.

Global Village uses its broad international network to connect with innovative companies around the world. By teaming up with Sourcetoad, a leading tech firm known for software development and CTO consulting, Global Village can tap into the latest tech solutions. This partnership helps both our own growth and provides complex custom software solutions to innovative companies in our network.

Together, they work on exciting projects. These include new apps that improve global travel and trade, help local economies grow, and promote sustainable development. This partnership shows how joining forces across different fields can open up new business opportunities promoting digital transformation across our global network.

HELPING INNOVATORS CONNECT AND GO GLOBAL, IT ALL STARTS WITH SHARING YOUR SUCCESS STORY.

SVEN BOERMEESTER, FOUNDER/CEO, INTERNATIONAL GROUP PUBLISHER - GLOBALVILLAGE.WORLD

How has the ‘Innovate Series’ disrupted print publishing?

The commercial print publishing world has transformed under Sven’s leadership. Gone are the days of pay-to-play advertising; instead, authenticity and inclusivity drive his approach. By adopting a crowdfunded book-buying model, Sven ensures all major players have a voice, and augmented reality videos embedded in the books add a tech-savvy touch. Additionally, the books are available online as free ebooks, with dedicated websites and newsletters sharing the latest and best innovations from around the world.

Partner with ‘Innovate’ to publish the ecosystem of your city or industry.

We are seeking passionate entrepreneurs in each city that can nominate and onboard the innovative stories of their ecosystem while we handle the editing, design, printing, and distribution. Join our fast-growing tribe of dynamic publishing entrepreneurs and ignite your passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. Reach out to Sven Boermeester on LinkedIn, and let’s start the conversation.

We understand going global, let us help you get there faster.

For those looking to go global, Sven recommends setting up a small international branch in Dubai first. This vibrant hub serves as the crossroads of the world, with thousands of businesses starting or relocating there daily. Dubai’s tax efficiency, excellent connectivity, and diverse expat community make it an ideal launchpad for international growth.

We work with Trade License Zone, a one-stop shop for business setup in Dubai and the UAE, ensuring a strong presence in the Middle East and expert guidance for success in the region.

We are thrilled to present Sven Boermeester, Founder and CEO of Global Village Publishing Inc, who is making waves in the world of publishing. With over 20 years of experience spanning more than 100 countries, Sven is on a mission to connect innovators and entrepreneurs on a global scale through the power of sharing success stories.

Sven’s journey began in Antwerp, Belgium, and led him to South Africa, where he kick-started his entrepreneurial career. From publishing trade and industry directories in South Africa to launching the renowned ‘Best of the World’ series in Dubai, Sven’s vision has evolved into an impressive 183 editions across 60 countries.

Now residing in Miami, Dubai, and Cape Town, Sven is disrupting the publishing business by mapping out innovation ecosystems of major cities worldwide and facilitating connections for entrepreneurs to achieve global growth.

info@globalvillage.world tradelicensezone.com/gvp

info@globalvillage.world

sven-boermeester-8605823

GlobalVillage.world

InnovationsOfTheWorld.com

CHAPTER TWO

FUTURE CITIES

THE ECONOMIC HEART OF NORTHERN ADELAIDE

• Vicinity Industrial Base - with national businesses such as Nick Scali, Cahill Transport, Hobson Engineering, Toll, Stevens Group, Lindsay Transport and Rand Refrigeration Logistics.

• Pooraka – accommodating the State’s main wholesale fruit and vegetable market along with food processing, manufacturing and logistics firms such as Auscold Logistics, Goodman, General Dynamics Land Systems Australia, Sigma Healthcare, Huthamaki, Nocelle Foods and

• Salisbury South – hosting a diverse mix of construction, food manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and logistic companies, including Bickford’s, RM Williams, Mayne Pharma, Bega, Michells, Coca Cola, Amatil and RAAF/Army Base.

“We had a choice to move our production operations to either the north or south of the Adelaide business district. We chose Salisbury in the north, because the Council there has been exceptional to deal with in terms of planning approvals. Continuing support from the City of Salisbury enables Bickford’s Australia to further grow our business in this region. As world-class beverage manufacturers, we have been part of South Australia’s heritage since 1839.”

— Angelo Kotses, Managing Director, Bickford’s South Australia, as Australia’s defence state, hosts a significant cluster of world-class businesses delivering many of the country’s largest and most complex projects. Major defence companies across the aerospace, land, systems and maritime domains have their headquarters or significant operations in the State, with Salisbury being home to many of them. With the innovation and defence precincts of Technology Park and Edinburgh Parks, and seven of the top 10 international defence companies located in the City of Salisbury, it will continue to play a pivotal role in the future development of South Australia’s economy.

The City of Salisbury covers 158km2 and stretches from Valley View in the south to Edinburgh in the north, St Kilda in the west and Salisbury Heights in the east. It contributes $8.65 billion to the State economy and nearly 61,994 jobs. Significant employment hubs are located in:

Stegbar.

TECHNOLOGY PARK

Mawson Lakes and Technology Park combine a vibrant world class business centre with great lifestyle and amenities. Home to over 100 companies, it has a critical mass of technology expertise and a hub of defence and aerospace, advanced electronics and information communication technologies. Internationally focussed firms such as Codan, Ellex, Topcon, Sarstedt, Speedcast, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Saab Australia are based in the precinct, along with locally grown businesses like Tindo Solar, elmTEK and Solinnov.

“The decision to locate the company in the Salisbury area over 30 years ago was an easy one given the presence of other major defence contractors as well as defence agencies such as DST Group. It provided excellent access to a skilled workforce and gave our staff a relaxed working environment with plenty of opportunities for growth. In 2002, we opened our advanced technology facility in the area and we have since grown our local workforce to over 350 people. We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Salisbury area.”

—Andy Keough, Managing Director, Saab Australia

Adjacent to the University of South Australia’s expertise and research facilities, Technology Park is ideal for entrepreneurial start-ups and globally focussed knowledge intensive businesses. Based at the Mawson Lakes Campus, the University of South Australia’s Division of IT, Engineering and the Environment is home to several international research institutes and research centres.

These include:

• The Barbara Hardy Institute, the Research Node for Low Carbon Living, the Defence and Systems Institute, the Agricultural Machinery Research and Design Centre and the Laser Physics and Photonics Devices Laboratory in the School of Engineering.

• The Future Industries Institute focussed on building knowledge and capacity in core future industries, which are high value, knowledge intensive alternatives underpinned by unique skill bases and technology solutions.

• The Advanced Computing Research Centre, the Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the Institute for Telecommunications Research (ITR) and the Phenomics and Bioinformatics Research Centre based in the School of Information Technology & Mathematical Sciences.

EDINBURGH PARKS

The Edinburgh Defence Precinct is a key national defence research and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance hub consisting of RAAF Edinburgh base, Defence Science and Technology and Edinburgh Parks. The Precinct consists of four sites and more than 6,500 personnel. It is the largest defence establishment in SA and is undergoing a large-scale transformation.

The RAAF base at Edinburgh is one of only two Defence super-bases in Australia. It is home to 3,500 personnel from the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force and the centre of Australia’s military intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare capabilities.

Edinburgh Parks is Adelaide’s largest modern industrial estate. Its ample land, excellent infrastructure and proximity to transport routes make it a favourite for businesses involved in manufacturing, defence, warehousing, transport, cyber security and logistics. It provides a base for organisations such as Coles, BAE Systems, Inghams, Your DC, Haulmark Trailers, VeroGuard Systems and Nova Systems.

“At BAE Systems Australia, our advanced defence technology protects people and national security, and keeps critical information and infrastructure secure. For 65 years we have searched for new ways to provide our customers in Australia with a competitive edge across the air, maritime, land and cyber domains. We’re proud to have our headquarters in a major defence and technology precinct within the City of Salisbury.”

— Gabby Costigan, Chief Executive, BAE Systems Australia

SALISBURY WATER

The City of Salisbury in Adelaide’s North, has gained a strong national and international reputation for their integrated delivery of urban water management, including a Water Sensitive Urban Development (WSUD) approach tailored to the unique characteristics of their area. This initially involved City stormwater runoff being treated in an extensive network

of constructed wetlands to reduce the pollutant impact on Adelaide’s coastal waters. It now involves harvesting of cleansed stormwater from the wetlands with storage via managed aquifer recharge (MAR) wells drilled into the area’s natural sandy limestone aquifers. The recycled water recovered from the MAR wells is distributed back to the community via an extensive ‘directionally drilled’ purple pipe network. The fit-for-purpose recycled water is used for cooling and greening of numerous school grounds and sports parks, as well as displacing municipal drinking water for a number of industrial uses.

To facilitate this work, the City of Salisbury is a licenced water retailer under the Water Industry Act 2012 and has formed an internal business unit, ‘Salisbury Water’, to manage the operations, quality assurance and retail functions in accordance with all regulatory and resource management obligations. During Adelaide’s notoriously long dry summers, typically over 2,500 million litres of recycled stormwater is recovered for cooling and greening.

The significant benefits of this integrated water management approach include:

• Improved regional drainage and flood mitigation for homes and businesses

• Reduced demand on the municipal drinking water supply

• Significantly reduced cost of water for water-dependent industries

• Attraction of industry to ‘green’ industry parks

• Protection of the sensitive marine environment of Adelaide’s Coastal waters (including the Barker Inlet, Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary National Park – Winaityinaityi Pangkara)

• Increased diversity of flora and fauna in the native vegetation along urban watercourses and the network of constructed wetlands

• Greening and cooling of the urban area, delivering improved liveability for the community

• Passive recreational opportunities including walking, riding and bird watching facilitated by wetland trails and boardwalks

• Nature education opportunities

—

“It struck me how ambitious, methodical and broadvisioned Salisbury has been in developing the water system it now owns and operates. There has been very significant collaborations with the CSIRO, Universities, and with Resource Managers, Regulators and other partners over the years that have underpinned everything that Salisbury has been able to deliver”

Peter Dillon, Hon Fellow CSIRO Land and Water

CENTRAL TO ADELAIDE’S FUTURE ECONOMIC AND POPULATION GROWTH

Salisbury is a City that is growing in output and stature. Population growth sits alongside industry expansion, and both are underpinned by the continuing growth of its knowledge and skill base.

COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

Salisbury provides a strategic base for businesses needing fast and efficient access to local and international markets, and is a location of choice for South Australian transport and logistics firms. Salisbury is also a hub for national and international food processing companies, meeting growing international demand for Australian goods, advanced manufacturing, transport and logistics, and knowledge intensive services. Additionally, the area is home to world leading research facilities, driving innovation and commercialisation across sectors including manufacturing, energy, health, mineral processing and clean technologies.

The strong industry base, excellent warehousing options, crucial transport infrastructure and affordability support an efficient and seamless freight system. With multiple arterial routes, the area offers quick access to Port Adelaide, airports, intermodal terminals and distribution centres.

Unmatched direct connections to the National Highway and to the Northern Connector provide an unimpeded journey from Gawler to Regency Park. The City of Salisbury is the central point for transporting products throughout South Australia.

“Our move 20 years ago allowed our business to grow and operate more efficiently and also offered our customers a better location to facilitate their freight requirements with quicker turnaround times and onsite cold storage facilities. Key things we like are direct access to freight routes, nearby customers such as those in the fresh food sector at the South Australia Produce Market and the meat wholesalers means shorter delivery and pick-up times. With the majority of the truck maintenance centres Kenworth, Mack, Cummins and Caterpillar being within 10 minutes we know we’ve got quick access to local services and less down time.”

The competitive advantages of being based in Salisbury has resulted in a significant uptake of market-ready industrial and commercial land over recent years as the demand for this land across Adelaide experienced a strong upswing. To ensure that the city continues to meet the demand for the supply of employment lands, in 2022 the City of Salisbury prepared a Strategic Growth Framework which identified a staged supply of employment lands to cater for the next 30+ years of growth. Located predominantly in the west and north, the future land supply is well placed to benefit from its proximity to the North-South Motorway and Port Wakefield Road.

—Peter Gilbert, Managing Director, Gilbert’s Transport Service

RESIDENTIAL GROWTH

Salisbury is one of the more populous local government areas in South Australia. With a diverse cultural mix, growth has been driven by popularity with overseas migrants and its affordability for first home buyers, families and investors. Salisbury’s residential population is anticipated to grow from 145,000 to 153,000 residents by 2036. Additional housing supply will be delivered through a combination of urban infill and greenfield development, including a master planned community for approximately 10,000 households at the former Dry Creek salt fields.

Infill development will continue to provide a range of housing options, with Ingle Farm, Para Hills and Pooraka experiencing strong demand over the last five years. Supply of housing from infill will continue in the inner north and expand outwards as these areas reach capacity.

The City of Salisbury is taking a proactive approach to infill by identifying precincts for future infill located near key centres, public transport and community facilities, as well as providing state of the art community and recreational facilities to support liveability outcomes. Future development occurring within Salisbury is underpinned by the existence of a strong education system incorporating early learning through to trades, specialist skills and tertiary education facilities.

THE POLARIS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTRE. THE GUIDING STAR FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS IN SALISBURY

The Polaris Business Development Centre is the hub for entrepreneurial and business support and economic growth in Northern Adelaide. Established in 2001, Polaris has been providing information, advice and mentoring services to thousands of business people since its formation.

The programs and services delivered through the Polaris Centre are supported by significant investment from the City of Salisbury. The Polaris Team provides services to start-ups, micro, small, medium and large sized businesses. Polaris is growing businesses and in turn changing the lives of business owners and operators. The professional yet personal approach ensures authentic impact for business owners and operators that delivers successful and sustainable businesses.

In addition to attracting, facilitating and enabling business and industry to setup and relocate to the City of Salisbury, the Polaris Team ignites the interest of local residents, young people and students to consider entrepreneurship and business as a credible, possible and realistic career pathway by engaging with the community and schools.

Salisbury is an innovative, optimistic and resilient community in which business and industry plays a key role. The City of Salisbury understands this, and is committed to supporting industry, development and investment, and working with all levels of government to facilitate the interests of businesses. Ultimately, business wealth in the City of Salisbury is community wealth.

PRACTICAL SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS

The Polaris Business Development Centre supports economic growth by providing practical information, advice and mentoring to business owners and operators which improves business performance. The Polaris Centre delivers group programs as well as tailored and personalised oneto-one sessions designed to provide business owners with the knowledge, confidence and skills they need to succeed.

“Champagne Glazing Transformations commenced as a client of the Polaris Business Development Centre over 6 years ago. We started with general practical advice to growing our business. We then engaged our Business Mentor Rob Chisholm from Polaris to provide us with one-to-one mentoring which has helped us expand from shower screens to roller shutters, plantation shutters, wardrobes and more.”

— Sam Gilson, Founder and Owner, Champagne Glazing Transformations

FINDING AND NURTURING TALENT

Strong and close relationships with local employment agencies and education providers and an intimate understanding of the local labour market means the Polaris Centre can help business and industry source their current and future labour needs. The Polaris Team actively engages with organisations such as Workforce Australia, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR), AusIndustry and other key stakeholders to keep local residents and jobseekers informed of future employment opportunities.

BUSINESS INTRODUCTIONS

The Polaris Team uses its network of over 7,800 local businesses, as well as State, Federal and local government contacts to facilitate introductions between potential customers, suppliers and stakeholders to expedite the process of doing, establishing and growing business in the City of Salisbury.

“The Polaris Team introduced several businesses such as Coiltek, Attica Homes, Pacer Profiles and more to Car Services Salisbury. These introductions and referrals have been instrumental in growing our business. Car Services Salisbury has been a client of the Polaris Business Development Centre working with Business Mentor, Rob Chisholm for almost 10 years.”

— Jeff Digance, Founder and Owner, Car Services Salisbury

SITE SELECTION AND DEVELOPMENT

The Polaris Team is able to apply its knowledge of the local property market, including zoning, contact with land owners, developers, agents and government bodies to assist with site selection and navigate the process of development. The Polaris Team, the Strategic Urban Planning Team and the Economic Development Officer are co-located at the Polaris Centre and together form the City Shaping Division, which directly interfaces with Council’s development assessment and infrastructure delivery to provide an integrated and seamless service delivery. This is a unique, deliberate and strategic move by the City of Salisbury to support economic development of the city.

“Since commencing as a client with the Polaris Business Development Centre less than 12 months ago, our Business Advisor, Deniz Subasi has helped us develop a business plan and increase our knowledge of the support available, including grants, to grow our business. In addition to this, Deniz helped us find and secure an extraordinary property in the heart of Technology Park at Mawson Lakes to build our manufacturing facility. Manufacturing our own scientific technology products in the City of Salisbury at Technology Park will be a game changer for our company!”

— Gerard McCusih, Founder and Director, Gerard Scientific Pty Ltd

IS RECOGNISED AS A VIBRANT, LIVEABLE AND BUSINESS-FRIENDLY CITY WITH A

With over 11,850 businesses operating and committed to the region, an exciting and sustainable employment base of skilled and committed employees has been created.

The Western Adelaide region is set between the CBD of Adelaide and the coast with a port, airport, a dynamic business environment and an

Charles Sturt is a great place to invest, with a thriving hub of activity, education and employment opportunities.

Located in the heart of Adelaide’s west, the City of Charles Sturt is home to over 124,000 residents and 105 different cultures, who enjoy the diverse experiences and cultural richness the City has to offer.

DIVERSE AND ADVANCED ECONOMY THAT SUPPORTS KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION.

innovative workforce. The Western Adelaide Region contains more than 23% of the State’s manufacturing businesses and is increasingly recognised for its biomedical, advanced manufacturing, office and warehousing opportunities.

The Cities of Charles Sturt, Port Adelaide Enfield, Holdfast Bay and West Torrens collaborate as the Western Adelaide Tourism Alliance and have developed a joint Economic Development Strategy, ‘Building Western Adelaide’, specific to the Western Adelaide region.

There are seven major industrial areas and five district shopping centres within the City of Charles Sturt area.

Charles Sturt’s employment profile demonstrates a rapidly increasing skilled and educated workforce that is the basis for a creative and innovative community. The multicultural backgrounds of our community combined with creativity and innovation, provide a unique and well-connected resource capable of increasing your global competitiveness.

Growth sectors identified in the City of Charles Sturt Economic Development Strategy 2022-26 are:

• Defence and Advanced Manufacturing

• Health

• Urban Development

• Tourism

Strategic Pillars outlined in the Economic Development Strategy to guide economic development efforts are:

• Business Friendly

• Diverse and Advanced Economy

• Knowledge and Innovation

• Vibrant and Liveable City

Key economic initiatives include:

• Western Business Leaders - Working with key business leaders in Charles Sturt and Western Adelaide through Western Business Leaders, the group hosts business breakfasts, strategic networking and industry-based forums aimed at facilitating opportunities for businesses to connect, grow, and innovate.

• Employment Lands – Zoning reviews of industrial lands in collaboration with landowners and operators to increase flexibility and improve infrastructure.

• GigCity Precincts – Two GigCity precincts have been established at Hendon and Welland which feature ultra high-speed fibre connections. The Hendon Creative GigCity Precinct has creative industries focus centred around Sunjive Studios, which specialise in film and media production. The Welland Healthy Living GigCity Precinct includes a multi-functional co-working hub, events space and podcasting studio. The hub supports collaboration between start-ups, businesses and entrepreneurs in the health and wellness industries.

• Urban Renewal Group – Aimed at assisting developers to receive an integrated and streamlined approach to delivering significant development outcomes with the minimum of fuss.

• Place Making and Mainstreets – Working closely with traders to improve and activate precincts.

The City of Charles Sturt developed its first Smart City Plan 2018-2025, to strategically guide the City, stakeholders and partners towards a smart and innovative future. The Smart City Plan improves liveability, sustainability and economic diversity and maximise opportunities as they are presented in areas of technology, advanced manufacturing, the digital economy and creative industries.

Through the AdaptWest Regional Climate Change Adaptation Plan, with the Cities of Port Adelaide Enfield and West Torrens, the City of Charles Sturt is working to adapt to climate change and to reduce their environmental footprint

The Net Zero - Our Map to Net Zero Corporate Emissions strategy details targets and actions to reach net zero emissions across council services and operations and mitigate climate change.

The population of the Western Adelaide is estimated to grow by over 42,000 people over the next 18 years. Urban growth in housing in close proximity to employment and the CBD continues to lure investors and homeowners alike to the City of Charles Sturt.

The redevelopment of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH) and relocation of rehabilitation services from outside the region, will support this growing population now and into the future. Located across the road is The Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, the productive research arm of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

INNOVATIVE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Within the City of Charles Sturt are progressive innovators, such as Complexica, Detmold Group, Fleet Space, Whola, Novafast Holdings, CleanLife, and MacTaggart Scott Australia.

Employing more than 100 staff across 4 offices, Complexica is a leading provider of Artificial Intelligence software applications that can optimise sales, marketing, and supply chain decisions. Complexica were founded upon the research of several world-renowned computer scientists, and have commercialised a modularised software platform called Decision Cloud® that empowers staff across multiple business functions to make better decisions. Decision Cloud® is powered by their award-winning Artificial Intelligence engine Larry, the Digital Analyst®, which was named the 2018 Australian Innovation of the Years.

“Having run three tech companies across three continents during the past 25 years, I can say with confidence and surety that there’s no better place to be located than Australia - it provides the best base from which to build a global tech business in terms of quality of life, access to talent, and business opportunities. Within this great country, I am a passionate South Australian, and within this great state have found West Lakes to be the location of choice for Complexica’s head office. The City of Charles Sturt council area provides an unmatched balance of scenic environments - from lakes to palms to beach sand - with easy access and unparalleled working conditions for our staff. Come visit our new head office building to see what a great environment this is for a high-tech business!” –

Matthew Michalewicz, CEO, Complexica

Another leading innovator within the city is Detmold Group, which is the umbrella of brands, Detpak, Paperpak, Detmold Medical, and Cup & Carry. Detpak developed a new sustainable packaging range for fresh produce, in response to Australian grocery and convenience stores looking for alternative sustainable solutions to their produce packaging. Innovative solutions were implemented to ensure the range was adaptable to the requirements of a range of fresh produce, such as the use of Detpak’s RecycleMe™ technology as a moisture barrier. This was necessary to ensure the product shelf-life requirements were met whilst still allowing the packaging to achieve the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) for kerbside recyclability. The RecycleMe™ lining is exclusive to Detpak in Australia and New Zealand and provides a highly mineralised resin alternative to traditional coatings, backed by extensive testing and international pulping certification. This innovative solution won the Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year award in the 2023 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards.

“The western suburbs of Adelaide have been home to the Detmold Group for over 50 years. Spread across several sites, and with a large focus on manufacturing here in South Australia, the west has provided ample room for growth as a business as well as a central location for our employees. With everything that the western suburbs has to offer, the Detmold Group will continue to flourish as a global business for years to come” -

Sascha Detmold Cox – Acting Co-CEO

Learn more about the City of Charles Sturt:

ADELAIDE IS THE FIRST NATIONAL PARK CITY IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE.

The National Park City movement began several years ago as communities in London and across the world came together to rethink cities, their futures and how we inhabit them. Together with World Urban Parks and the Salzburg Global Seminar, the National Park City Foundation was born. London became the world’s first National Park City in 2019 and Adelaide National Park City (ANPC) status was awarded by the foundation in December 2021. This is not only a remarkable global

all having healthy and sustainable relationships with nature within the urban environment. This includes not only green spaces - parks, gardens, streets, green rooftops and walls, but also blue spaces - rivers, reservoirs, creeks, coasts and beaches.

A defining characteristic of ANPC is that it aims to connect everyone in our community with nature in ways and in places that work best for them. This underpins our byline: everyone, everywhere, everyday.

Sandala by local artist Sue Norman at Brighton Beach during the launch of ANPC

Green Adelaide acknowledges the Kaurna Miyurna (Kaurna People) as the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters of the Adelaide region, upon which we have the privilege to work and connect. We acknowledge and respect the cultural, spiritual, physical and emotional connection that Kaurna Miyurna hold with their land, waters and community, and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Adelaide National Park City Charter

The ANPC Charter is a statement outlining the common purposes of the ANPC movement and its seven priorities. More than 2,500 people and organisations signed the Charter to help make Adelaide a National Park City. Co-designed with Kaurna Miyurna, local governments and other community organisations, the Charter outlines the objectives of the movement.

ANPC is working together for better:

• Thriving urban spaces for nature and people

• Collective decision-making, learning and local action

• Air, land, freshwater and marine habitats for plants and animals

• Connections between people and nature, Kaurna Yarta (Kaurna Country) and community

• Health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion

• Climate resilience

• Shared stories and celebrations

ANPC Mural at Adelaide Airport with muralist Lucinda Penn and Harry

Professor Chris Daniels, Chair Green Adelaide Baord

Dr. Sheryn Pitman, Project Lead Adelaide National Park City

ANPC was publicly launched in June 2022 by many organisations hosting hundreds of local community events, activities and programs engaging thousands of people. These ranged from workshops and forums, on-ground activities, exhibitions, theatre and art, to Reconciliation events with Kaurna Elders, artists and community. A real highlight was the installation of the ANPC artwork at Adelaide Airport by local muralist Lucinda Penn. Travellers are invited to enjoy this work at Gate 19 before take-off or after touch-down. Hundreds more events, including Nature Festival and Grow it Local Festival, contributed to Adelaide as a National Park City throughout the rest of the year. The diversity of events, venues and activities contributing to ANPC celebrates the underlying concept that both individual and organisational connections with the natural world are many and varied, indoors and outdoors, on-ground and online.

Because ANPC works to inspire everyone – individuals, groups, businesses and organisations – to connect with nature, the 50 Ways to be part of Adelaide National Park City provides suggestions spanning far beyond (but of course including) a walk in the park! This list is designed to be a catalyst for ideas and initiatives that everyone can create for their own lives.

ANPC establishment has been spearheaded by Green Adelaide but its future success relies on the continued commitment of all partners and the wider community working together on Kaurna Yarta.

The Green Adelaide team sincerely thanks the numerous groups, organisations, creatives, volunteers and businesses who have contributed to Adelaide being a National Park City. Special thanks to: Adelaide Airport, Botanic Gardens of South Australia, Commercial Retail Group, Kaurna Yarta Aboriginal Corporation and the members of Warpulai Kumangka (Kaurna Advisory Group to Green Adelaide), muralist Lucinda Penn, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Nature Festival SA, and the 17 local government Councils of greater Adelaide.

What’s next?

ANPC is growing, and aims to:

• Continue to influence the world at a global scale by supporting more cities to become National Park cities

• Continue to inspire the greater Adelaide community to enjoy nature and contribute in everyday life

• Build further relationships with government, industry, the research sector, schools and NGOs to build community understanding and enthusiasm

• Engage and involve diverse community leaders.

The team looks forward to the many collaborative opportunities ahead to grow new partnerships and networks.

Green Adelaide

ANPC was spearheaded by Green Adelaide, a government-established board with a vision to create a cooler, greener, wilder and climateresilient Adelaide that celebrates our unique culture. It is Adelaide’s first, and Australia’s only, dedicated urban environmental management organisation.

Green Adelaide was established in July 2020 to counter the challenges facing metropolitan Adelaide, including climate change, increasing urban density and population growth, and loss of biodiversity and connection of people with nature. It is working towards achieving its vision by facilitating partnerships, investing in aligned initiatives, educating about nature, and delivering iconic on-ground environmental projects.

The Green Adelaide region spans 17 metropolitan council areas, stretching from the Gawler River in the north to Sellicks Beach in the south, and about a third of Gulf St Vincent.

Green Adelaide works across seven key legislated priorities, including:

• Coastal management

• Biodiversity-sensitive and water-sensitive urban design

• Fauna, flora and ecosystem health in the urban environment

• Water resources and wetlands

• Controlling pest animals and plants

• Green streets and flourishing parklands

• Nature education

Each of the priorities is connected, highlighting the important relationship between land, water, sea, plants and animals, and people and culture, and this connection is represented in the artwork by local Kaurna artist Allan Sumner.

Urban and semi-urban environments can be designed and maintained to provide valuable habitats for many native species. These environments have a role to play in conserving threatened species, enhancing

biodiversity and facilitating connections between people and nature. Much of Green Adelaide’s work is aligned to 4 iconic programs within its 2021-2026 Regional Landscape Plan (a plan which sets out the board’s strategic direction):

Greening streets, open spaces and backyards: helping to combat the urban heat island effect, increase habitat for native wildlife, and accelerate urban greening to help people connect with nature on their doorstep.

Rewilding urban landscapes: transforming green spaces into thriving ecosystems by restoring and protecting the biodiversity and natural processes of urbanised areas.

Making Adelaide a National Park City: increasing awareness and understanding of nature, and of the unique spaces in urban landscapes where people can connect with nature and each other.

Restoring Kaurna cultural practices: supporting the restoration of Kaurna cultural practices to bring truth telling to the forefront of environmental practices, ensuring Kaurna knowledge is central to creating a sustainable

Zero Waste Sustainability Dinner at Mr Nicks during launch of ANPC

future. Warpulai Kumangka is working in partnership with Green Adelaide and others to support and restore Kaurna ways of working with the land across Kaurna Country.

Green Adelaide’s ongoing work will contribute to increasing the liveability and biodiversity of metropolitan Adelaide for future generations. Through forging strong partnerships and influencing community action, the vision of a cooler, greener, wilder and climate resilient Adelaide that celebrates our unique culture will be achieved.

Rewilding the coastal dunes - ANPC ‘habitat heroes’

Green Adelaide’s metropolitan heat mapping will help prioritise urban greening programs for climate resilience

CHAPTER THREE

INNOVATION ENABLERS

DEFINED BY INNOVATION POWERED BY COLLABORATION

Lot Fourteen is Adelaide’s globally connected innovation district and home to world-leading organisations including Amazon Web Services, Google and Microsoft.

At Lot Fourteen, the community shares the capacity to be curious, leading to new realisations. By embracing this new era of progress across space, defence, cyber, hi-tech and creative industries worldwide, the innovation district celebrates human ambition, tenacity and resilience.

The $2.2 billion development is supported by the Government of South Australia and the Australian Government, with a combined investment of $762 million.

It is a place that harnesses untapped inventiveness, provoking new explorations.

PROJECT AT A GLANCE

It’s a community that strengthens organisations who are ready to embark on journeys with unknown destinations. And even though the power of discovery is not always about knowing the answers, Lot Fourteen is where new and emerging industries come to thrive and succeed.

Lot Fourteen is growing and perfecting an ecosystem that is incubating, nurturing and accelerating these explorations across a range of developing global industries.

It’s a home that welcomes world-firsts, cutting-edge research, and new discovery networks able to solve global challenges that have quantifiable value around the world.

The creation of a culture of determination that combines experience with exuberance, ensures organisations can connect and combine strengths; taking their ambitions to a new level.

Lot Fourteen exists, because the world can only be changed by those brave enough to question it.

COLLABORATIONS SOLVING GLOBAL PROBLEMS FROM LOT FOURTEEN

MICROSOFT HELPS DEVELOP UBIQUITOUS CONNECTIVITY

Microsoft Azure Space is working with the United States Department of Defence (DoD)’s Hybrid Space Architecture, alongside a space partner ecosystem, to integrate best in class commercial and government space capabilities to provide ubiquitous, resilient connectivity and insights anywhere on and off the planet. The Hybrid Space Architecture is essentially building an internet in space.

Using its advanced and trusted cloud capabilities, Lot Fourteen-based Microsoft Azure will help build the US DoD’s ambitious Hybrid Space Architecture vision showing what’s possible when government and industry work together to tackle the biggest challenges in the universe. Crafting a transformational platform to support space-based national security missions is a key outcome of this project.

Microsoft Azure Space’s work also includes satellite communication based access to the cloud from anywhere on the planet; streamlined access to Earth observation data and advanced analytics; a software development kit to create, deploy and operate applications in orbit; and edge processing for space technology.

At Lot Fourteen, Azure Space is partnering with leaders in the space community including the South Australian Government Department for Trade and Investment, Nokia, the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, the Australian Space Agency, Stone & Chalk, and forward-facing businesses that understand the power in bringing together space technology and hyperscale cloud to advance a new generation of digital transformation.

SILICON VALLEY BOARDROOM DEAL INKED BY CYBER FIRMS

When DTEX Systems’ founder and Splunk’s Regional Sales Manager metaphorically ‘collided’ at the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, at Lot Fourteen, the sparks of a future relationship between their companies instantly ignited.

The two companies spearheaded a global strategic partnership which made it all the way up to the two companies’ Silicon Valley boardrooms and continues to go from strength to strength.

The negotiation and inking of the deal has meant that the global enterprises can access superior data, helping them defend against the increasingly sophisticated and prolific issue of insider related cyberattacks and breaches.

The partnership joins the world’s richest enterprise data source (DTEX) with the world’s best enterprise data platform (Splunk).

With better, richer and cleaner datasets, Splunk now delivers superior services to their enterprise clients, with less reliance on ‘noisy’ data.

Security consolidation will future-proof enterprises and offer advanced analytics and reports, accelerated response times and diminished manual operations.

FIRST STATE-OWNED SATELLITE IN AUSTRALIA BUILT AT LOT FOURTEEN

Improving and monitoring water quality, crop health and bushfire resilience are all outcomes for Kanyini, a $6.5 million, groundbreaking South Australian space services mission lifting off in 2023.

The satellite, built at Lot Fourteen, will become the first to be launched into space by an Australian state government.

The Government of South Australia is partnering with South Australian space industry companies to send the locally manufactured small satellite into low Earth orbit.

Headquartered at Lot Fourteen, the SmartSat Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), is leading the mission and application prototyping. Two other Lot Fourteen tenants are working on the mission. Inovor Technologies are designing, building and testing the satellite and Myriota are providing Internet of Things (IoT) capability.

The information gathered by the satellite will provide valuable intelligence from across the state’s vast landscape and will be used for applications including emergency service and disaster management response, mining, and environmental monitoring.

SPACELAB AT LOT FOURTEEN SEES FOURFOLD INCREASE IN JOBS

High growth space companies based at Lot Fourteen’s SpaceLab this year announced that they’ve collectively seen a four-fold increase in new jobs created since moving to the innovation district.

QuantX Labs, Inovor Technologies, Sitael Australia, CyberOps and Neumann Space have all realised significant growth in just a couple of years, in part, due to co-location with the Australian Space Agency, SmartSat CRC and other space-related organisations in the district.

Quadrupling staff numbers has been no mean feat for the companies who work together in different capacities at their home in the SpaceLab building at Lot Fourteen.

The predominantly South Australian-owned companies have also expanded their offices, lab spaces, cyber ranges and clean rooms to continue building world-leading technology, driving growth in South Australia’s space industry.

With over 100 space-related companies based in the state, South Australia is a centre-of-gravity for Australian space activity.

The Kanyini mission will strengthen the competitiveness of South Australian businesses in the small-satellite supply chain and pave the way for external investment and future industry growth in Australia and abroad.

saspacemission.com.au

lotfourteen.com.au

CubeSat: Kanyini in orbit (artists impression)

FIRST NATIONS ENTREPRENEUR HUB AT THE CENTRE OF SA’S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Supporting First Nations entrepreneurs, businesses and emerging First Nations business owners with support and advice is at the core of what The Circle does; creating opportunities to build capacity, capability, and connections to thrive.

Alongside this, The Circle also provides a single point of contact for industry, government, and non-government organisations (including neighbouring universities) looking to engage First Nations businesses in their supply chains or to employ First Nations People.

Located within the Lot Fourteen innovation district in the heart of Adelaide, is a vibrant and welcoming First Nations entrepreneur hub called The Circle.

A partnership between the Australian and South Australian Governments, and funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency, The Circle is positioned at the centre of the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Launched in August 2021, The Circle offers a range of free services to support and respond to key business challenges identified by First Nations businesses; including business development support, expert business advice, capability growth, access to new market opportunities and the physical Hub at Lot Fourteen.

The physical Hub was established and continues to be operated with almost 75 per cent First Nations suppliers.

The Circle’s brand is representative of inclusivity, collaboration, trust, connection, and strength; developed in consultation with The Circle’s Design and Delivery Team, an advisory group comprising 12 First Nations business owners, and delivered in partnership with Aboriginal businesses, Ochre Dawn Creative and We Create Print Deliver.

Membership growth and success

Having reached their target membership numbers for the first year of operation within a few months of launching, The Circle’s First Nations business member base continues to grow steadily.

Members come from various industry sectors including building and construction, food and beverage, defence, education, creative industries, tourism, and hi-tech.

Being located at Lot Fourteen and part of the growing innovation ecosystem inspires new generations of First Nations entrepreneurs to chase their dreams.

It also opens opportunities for The Circle’s members to benefit from the experience and positioning of the Stone & Chalk Startup Hub, also located at Lot Fourteen, and their business networks.

And to be co-located with the Digital Technologies Academy and the Entrepreneur and Innovation Centre and Innovation Hub; working alongside the Australian Space Agency, Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre, Australian Institute for Machine Learning, and MIT bigdata Living Lab.

Not to mention being surrounded by some of the world’s most innovative corporate brands and businesses, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure Space and the CommBank Technology Hub to name a few.

Achieving economic independence

Business ownership continues to be an effective way to achieve economic independence for First Nations families and communities.

Underpinned by thousands of years of trade and commerce experience, the flow-on benefits of First Nations business ownership are significant; building family and community wealth, creating employment opportunities, encouraging the uptake of education, increasing possibilities and the chance to engage with a globalised economy.

First Nations businesses are also playing a critical role in South Australia’s economy, with The Circle’s members employing thousands of people; with at least a quarter of their workforce being First Nations employees.

The Circle’s contribution supports the growth of business-to-business relationships, encouraging the circular economy and keeping the dollar in community for longer; delivering opportunities such as the First Nations Business Showcase, held during Indigenous Business Month.

As The Circle’s membership grows, specific services will continue to be engaged to meet the needs of the First Nations business sector; these services are available across the state, in collaboration with the existing business support ecosystem.

The Circle continues to nurture a community of First Nations businesses in South Australia with the ultimate goal of a First Nations business sector that is connected to a culturally safe, professional, and opportunity-driven service that fosters innovation, engagement, growth, and business success.

This art piece represents a community where people come together, and ideas flow naturally. The large abstract-coloured shapes help to display a swirling pool of creativity that eventually comes to meet to form a circle. This is a subtle acknowledgment of the company name - ‘The Circle’. The symbols in this piece are representative of places of gathering and the people that go there. You can see the people towards the bottom left are Kaurna as they are standing proudly amongst the Kaurna shields. The people in the top right are visitors that come to pay their respects and to share and develop their knowledge. The white circular elements are collaborative meetings taking place while making connections with other groups. This piece reflects movement towards an innovative collaborative future.

Email: thecircle@sa.gov.au

thecircle.sa.gov.au

This artwork was created by Kaurna, Narungga, Ngarrindjeri artist, Lawson Dodd for The Circle - First Nations Entrepreneurs Hub

THE INNOVATION FACTORY:

South Australia’s Most Innovative Coworking Space

The Innovation Factory has redefined coworking with its cutting-edge approach that’s taking the industry by storm. Founded in October 2020, this coworking space has quickly become a hub for entrepreneurs, startups, and freelancers who are seeking an innovative and collaborative work environment.

What sets The Innovation Factory apart is its focus on fostering creativity and collaborating through its state-of-the-art facilities and expertly curated community. Its sleek and modern design, advanced technology, and high-speed internet make it a top choice for startups, businesses and digital nomads.

The Innovation Factory’s unique approach to community building is also a major draw for its members. The space hosts regular events and workshops to facilitate networking and knowledge-sharing, as well as one-on-one mentorship sessions with experienced entrepreneurs and industry leaders.

One of The Innovation Factory’s core values is sustainability, and the space is designed with this in mind. From the use of energy-efficient lighting to the recycling and composting programs, the space has made a commitment to minimising its environmental footprint.

In addition to its physical facilities, The Innovation Factory also offers a range of virtual services to support remote work and digital collaboration. This includes virtual offices, mail handling, and video conferencing capabilities.

But what truly sets The Innovation Factory apart is its commitment to innovation. The space is constantly evolving and adapting to meet the changing needs of its members and the broader business community. It’s this forward-thinking approach that has earned The Innovation Factory a reputation as a leader in the coworking industry.

As one member noted, “The Innovation Factory is more than just a coworking space. It’s a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about innovation and collaboration. Being a part of this community has not only helped me grow my business, but it’s also given me the opportunity to learn from and connect with some of the brightest minds in the industry”.

The Community Manager of The Innovation Factory Mr. Alfredo Cabada, said “Collaborating in a coworking space that is invested in fostering your success is a paradigm shift. It’s not just about getting

a desk, rather it’s about being in a dynamic environment that curates events, builds connections, and propels you towards achieving greatness - this is the space to join and grow your business from. Keep in mind, if you are not consistently being challenged outside of your comfort zone, then what is the point? You may as well be working from the comfort of your own home.

The Innovation Factory has truly ushered in a new era of coworking, one that’s focused on innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. With its state-of-the-art facilities, expertly curated community, and commitment to innovation, it’s no wonder why it’s quickly become a top choice for entrepreneurs, startups, and freelancers alike.

GIVE YOUR IDEAS AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE

ThincLab is the University of Adelaide’s business incubator and provides start-ups with a dynamic space and community in which to nurture ideas, develop entrepreneurial skills and knowledge, and facilitate valuable connections and networks with mentors, investors, and experienced entrepreneurs. ThincLab supports students, alumni, staff and the wider community create and scale innovative ventures.

INTERNATIONAL NETWORK

There are a variety of locations in which the ThincLab operates including Adelaide, Waite, Loxton, Singapore, and New Zealand.

ThincLab Adelaide

ThincLab Adelaide (headquarters): Based in the Adelaide Central Business District, ThincLab Adelaide is a modern and vibrant facility on the main campus of the University of Adelaide and houses over 70 start-ups

ThincLab Waite

ThincLab Waite: Located at The University of Adelaide’s Waite campus which has the largest concentration of expertise in the southern hemisphere in agriculture, food and wine, has significant networks in the AgTech sector, in South Australia, nationally and internationally and works closely with other Agri accelerators and programs across Australia.

ThincLab Loxton

ThincLab Loxton: Based in the Riverland regional of South Australia, ThincLab Loxton supports regional entrepreneurs to further build the South Australian economy by assisting new and existing businesses to innovate.

ThincLab Singapore

ThincLab Singapore: Partnered with Accelerating Asia, a venture capital fund and accelerator firm based in Singapore, it invests in start-ups from the Southeast Asia region and beyond. ThincLab Singapore is a base for Australian start-ups looking to launch in SingaporeThincLab Canterbury.

Positioned within University of Canterbury, the newest node of the ThincLab network strengthens collaboration and opportunities between Australia and New Zealand.

OUR HISTORY

ThincLab is the University of Adelaide’s incubator and is the longest running university business incubator in Australia. Established in 1993 in the Thebarton Research Precinct, the ThincLab was established to help students establish businesses while studying entrepreneurship at the University. Building upon this experience, in July 2017 when ThincLab was moved to the city and relaunched, its scope was expanded to include entrepreneurs from other universities and the wider community generally, as well as to assist its students, staff, and alumni commercialise their innovations.

ThincLab’s scope is to work with students across all disciplines, staff, alumni, and members of the community, to create innovative, highly scalable companies. ThincLab’s cumulative 29 years of operational experience has resulted in a deep understanding of what is needed to ensure successful new venture incubation and the growth acceleration of entrepreneurial ventures – whether as stand-alone ventures or within a corporate environment. The entrepreneurial ecosystem provides quality physical facilities as well as consistent in-person entrepreneurial learning, support, and knowledge-rich networking opportunities for its members.

Thinclab is a key component of the entrepreneurship commercialisation ecosystem at the University of Adelaide that engages with communities to facilitate research commercialisation and the exchange of ideas and to create value and impact in those communities

STUDENTS BUILDING BUSINESSES: THE AUSTRALIAN ECHALLENGE

The Australian eChallenge is ThincLab’s flagship pre-accelerator/preincubation entrepreneurship and innovation program. The eChallenge is the longest running and most successful program of its kind in Australasia and has been operating for 22 years. The eChallenge is designed to stimulate entrepreneurial activity through encouraging fresh and innovative thinking to solve real world problems. It is a premium three-month, intensive structured program that is designed to encourage and support innovators by teaching them how to assess and identify market opportunities, while accelerating innovation development, and the path to commercialisation of those innovations. The eChallenge offers cash and prizes to assist with further developing the opportunity.

In 2022, Ag Science students Liam Van Schaik, Tom Gameau and took out first prize with their business TraitSelect which allows farmers to better select livestock at auctions.

“Our focus is to ensure buyers attending sales across the entire nation have a user-friendly experience with our tailored app.”

“Using statistics, we reduce the required time farmers and stock agents spend finding their desired breeding animal, by simply implementing a genetic filtering system that gives you or your stock agent access to individual lots, nationwide.”

Team TraitSelect took home a total prize package of $15,000, which includes $10,000 cash, $1000 worth of consultancy services from ThincLab sponsors such as Madderns Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys, with a package worth $4000 which includes permanent residency for 12 months and Accelerator business workshops at ThincLab.

In 2022 more than 300 students across multiple programs, degrees & disciplines participated in the pre-accelerator program and competed for $62K + in cash and prizes. ThincLab are excited to see the future innovation in upcoming years.

Australian eChallenge

ECHALLENGE SUCCESS STORY: TOM WELSBY, RESVU

ResVu started at ThincLab, when founder and CEO, Tom Welsby, who was studying a Bachelor of finance at the University of Adelaide at the time, undertook the eChallenge in 2017 and was awarded the $10,000 prize, and a residency in ThincLab.

Resvu is a world first CRM platform for property and community management companies built to provide significant improvements in customer engagement and service delivery, all through a proven ROI and custom branded solution.

Winning launched his business. And Tom attests it was the eChallenge program that provided the foundation to launch.

“The eChallenge was a brilliant opportunity, providing me with the tools to help me establish my own business,” he says.

“Everything that I put forward in our eChallenge finals presentation still exists. We haven’t changed the vision that was presented, and what was still a base product in the eChallenge is now powering almost 450,000 apartments.”

“Looking to the future, we could be looking at half a million to a million buildings in the next 12 to 18 months, which is going to be really exciting.”

Since winning the eChallenge and undertaking Thinclab incubation, ResVu has gone from strength to strength. They raised significant funding from real estate company Maxsoft and have just launched in the US (Florida). ResVu has expanded their team and are scaling fast.

ThincLab supported Tom and the ResVu team from ideation, traction and to scale, via its incubation programs, mentoring and support, including the ThincLab International Incubator Program.

Tom has also been named the winner of First National Real Estate Innovation Award in the 7News Young Achiever Awards and was a winner of the 40 under 40 in South Australia.

Tom Welsby

AGTECH FOCUSED STARTUP: JORDY KITSCHKE, FLUX

Within ThincLab, there is a strong emphasis around innovation in the agriculture technology industry.

Jordy Kitschke, University of Adelaide agricultural science graduate has developed his start-up, Flux, within ThincLab. Flux has a focus on replacing pesticides using robotics. Jordy has plenty of experience under his belt in building deep-tech, having built another AgTech startup from the ThincLab previously.

Flux is building an ecosystem of robotics products that will enable farmers to manage their crops in entirely new ways. Through the identification of individual weeds, herbicides can be targeted through computer vision systems that are attached to an autonomous robot. Considering that over 4 billion kilograms of pesticides are used each year, Flux’s technology is an innovative solution to the increasingly problematic chemical usage.

The main driver behind Flux’s incredible speed in bringing products to market is through working with some of the leading farmers in the country to develop its technologies. “We also attract some of the best engineers in the country as they see it as a challenging and meaningful problem to work on”, says Jordy.

Jordy believes that the next revolution in agriculture will be driven by the unlocking of intelligent machines. According to Jordy, “having machines that are able to sense and manipulate in a paddock with millimeter accuracy, 24 hours a day, unlocks a whole new range of options in terms of how you can manage the production system. Our first focus is on high precision weed removal, but the platform we’ve built could be used for a heap of different applications on farm.”

fluxrobotics.ai

The University of Adelaide ThincLab Adelaide, Ground Floor/10 Pulteney St, Adelaide SA 5000 Tel: 8313 7131

adelaide.edu.au/thinclab/

Jordy Kitschke

Innovation without limitation.

Women in Innovation (WINN) is a notfor-profit initiative that exists solely to support female innovators in South Australia. We champion all women bucking trends, disrupting status quos, attempting the new and making changes to the old, wherever they work. Then, we bring them together.

Across every sector, for all types of work, we are an inclusive community for innovative women striving to make a difference. We proudly advocate for women in business, bureaucracy and boardrooms; in labs, studios, libraries and on the land.

While women have worked tirelessly to create their own seats at the table, if we’re to reach targets of gender equity in Australia by 2030, there’s more work to be done. And who better to do it than the women themselves?

At WINN we believe the best formula for female success is coming together to grow, learn, support, collaborate and share with one another.

Since 2014, our Women in Innovation Awards program has showcased some of South Australia’s leading female innovators. Many of them use this platform to push their successes even further. We’re passionate about supporting those who are willing to break boundaries, experiment and be their authentic selves.

When asked, our members told us they joined Women in Innovation SA because they wanted to connect with like-minded people, contribute their knowledge and wisdom to help others excel, and be active participants in a social change movement. The best part is, they receive the same in return.

What a winn membership brings:

Connection

Connect with like minded and motivated professionals with a passion for innovation. Learn from others and inspire the next generation.

Community

Sharing in other innovator’s success and be a part of their journey – the ups and the downs.

recognition

As a member of Women in Innovation you are eligible to enter this year’s Women in Innovation Awards!

Discounts

Receive members only discounts on innovation related programs and events and hear about great innovation news and opportunities.

Discover

A vibrant, dynamic community and be part of a movement that is trailblazing a path for more innovative women to succeed.

opportunity

As a male or female champion of change, an employer of choice, or as a leading thinker in innovation you could open new local and global doors.

Giving back

Help the State’s economy blossom through the contribution of innovators that put South Australia on the map globally.

Advocacy

Be a voice in advocating for greater awareness, promotion and opportunities for female innovators in STEAM. industries.

inspiration

Be exposed to creative and curious thinking and expertise that will inspire new achievement and challenge your assumptions.

The Women in innovation Board

Kate O’Fathartaigh Shakhlo Rasulova Amber-Rose Sharley

Sally Woolford Nathan Flaman Paula Turbil Melinda Parent

Our members benefit from the vast network of

opportunities

WINN fosters, here in South Australia.

Our organisation thrives on elevating and supporting innovative women, but it is our deepest belief that this needs a collective approach.

We value your diversity of thought, your approach, personal style and individual experience.

We know that what makes you uniquely you, has the power to help others on their journey.

So whether you’re a successful business person, a parent interested in changing the status quo for their daughter, a male champion of change, a woman working in S.T.E.A.M, an intrapreneur changing the game at work, or an entrepreneur creating your own work.

We’d love you to join us.

Women In Ovation In

The Stone & Chalk Group is the largest innovation community in Australia.

Since its inception in 2015, Stone & Chalk’s mission has been to transform Australia into a sustainable, technology-driven economy.

As a not-for-profit, purpose-driven, and sustainable organisation, Stone & Chalk works to support startups, scaleups, corporations, and governments through every stage of their innovation journey.

The Stone & Chalk capital G know that great ideas and companies can be born anywhere, so in an era of abundant entrepreneurial talent, the

Stone & Chalk Group is fostering a community of founders, mentors, experts, corporates, partners, and collaborators, that support each other, and help entrepreneurs and businesses grow and commercialise ideas. Stone & Chalk is ensuring the Australian innovation ecosystem has everything it needs to adapt and thrive in an age of technological disruption.

The Stone & Chalk Group is: Australia-wide and growing

Opening new hubs across the country, Stone & Chalk is working to meet the evolving needs of its thriving community of:

• The most promising high-growth startups and scaleups that are shaping Australia’s future; and

• Local and international enterprises that want to drive intrapreneurial spirit and leverage cutting-edge business models

In the first few years of Stone & Chalk in South Australia, the state has seen the startup community go from strength to strength. Early stage startups and scaleups such as the Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI), Australian space startup Equatorial Launch, and renewable energy retailer, iO Energy, that are part of the Stone & Chalk programs, now directly employ over 600 people and have raised over $100m in capital.

Stone & Chalk aims to grow Australia’s ecosystem of emerging tech ideas and companies, to make the state of SA and the country a leader in the global economy and improve the lives of Australians, now and in the future.

Not-for-profit and Sustainable

As a not-for-profit, Stone & Chalk is committed to always putting the needs of the community first, is a proud recipient of a 100% carbon neutral certification through Climate Active. Striving to do the right thing by the planet, economy, society, and country is an important part of Stone & Chalk’s mission, with sustainable emerging technology at the heart of what they do.

A Thriving Community

The Stone & Chalk Group community has over 515 startups and scaleups nationally, with more than 60 in Adelaide. Collectively across the entire Stone & Chalk community, they have raised over $1bn in capital since joining and have created over 100,000 jobs nationally. With over 6,000 residents across Australia, these entrepreneurs are making a real impact in industries such as SpaceTech, AgTech, FinTech, MedTech, AI and many other industries.

The Stone & Chalk Hubs throughout the country have quickly become a real centre of gravity for those seeking to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. In 2022 alone, Stone & Chalk’s Adelaide hub has had over 20,000 people walk through its doors. Group Executive for Strategic Growth Programs, Chris Kirk, is particularly excited about the growth of innovation precincts around Australia, such as Lot Fourteen in Adelaide.

Chris Kirk, Group Executive, Strategic Growth Programs

Stone & Chalk endeavours to support businesses at every stage of their innovation journey, which means supporting scaleup growth from startups, all the way to global corporations.

Collaborating with federal, state, and territory governments that want to advance innovation, Chris believes that Adelaide has tremendous potential to really model how cities can reorientate their economy around solving some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

The support of the government represents a crucial factor in supporting the growing emerging tech ecosystem within South Australia and beyond. “Innovation hubs, with the support of the government, have

“At the Stone & Chalk Group, we see Adelaide as an innovation leader for Australia. Our South Australian Innovation Hub, based at Lot Fourteen, brings together a diverse group of ecosystems and ecosystem builders. From here we are able to provide our full range of ecosystem support services, from acceleration, to incubation to scale up, and innovation advisory for entrepreneurs, corporates, and the government. There’s no better place to be to connect with innovative South Australians who are looking to grow and expand.”

the ability to inspire the next generation of Australian entrepreneurs as well as to equip people from all walks of life to understand and embrace future technology.”

As well as the government, the Stone & Chalk Group works with corporations that have a desire to facilitate innovation. Supporting emerging tech means working with founders regardless of their innovation maturity, serving everyone from the novice to the master.

— Michael Bromley, Group CEO

EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND DRIVING EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

Located in the heart of Adelaide, South Australia, Moonshots Innervation is a game-changer in the world of business incubators.

Founded by Shane Yeend, a very successful entrepreneur in the entertainment and aviation industries, who was Australian Entrepreneur of the Year in 2008, and Rick Carter, a seasoned professional with decades of experience working with and for entrepreneurs. Moonshots Innervation is rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship. Nestled within the Imagination Building on Hyde Street, this innovative hub is on a mission to cultivate globally successful entrepreneurs, setting itself apart as a beacon of innovation in South Australia.

Australia’s economic growth, innovation potential, job creation, and societal progress are deeply intertwined with the culture of entrepreneurship. At Moonshots Innervation, we understand the crucial role entrepreneurs play as problem solvers, risk takers, and change catalysts. They drive innovation and reshape industries, improving lives along the way. Our mission goes beyond merely starting businesses; we strive to make a lasting impact on society.

Distinguishing ourselves from traditional incubators that focus solely on startups, Moonshots Innervation fosters an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive and create globally successful ventures.

We are committed to developing entrepreneurs with the mindset, skills, and vision to make a significant impact on a global scale.

Acknowledging the high failure rate of startups, we prioritize creating a supportive ecosystem. We believe that failure is not the end; it is an opportunity for growth and learning. By providing guidance and assistance, we help entrepreneurs navigate challenges, learn from failures, and emerge stronger.

In our effort to mitigate risks, we take a unique approach by identifying and importing innovative and disruptive businesses from around the world. We have been appointed by the Government of SA to do so. By leveraging the knowledge, proven models, and products of these international businesses, we aim to create a positive impact on the Australian economy and society. Additionally, we offer the opportunity for foreign entities to earn an Entrepreneurs Visa and grow globally from Adelaide, bringing fresh ideas, methodologies, and technologies to Australia.

However, our commitment extends beyond international businesses. We equally value and support local startups with promising potential. Moonshots Innervation acts as a bridge, connecting these budding entrepreneurs with established businesses that have the potential for global growth. This symbiotic relationship benefits both parties, as startups gain valuable insights, resources, and networks from established businesses, while injecting innovative ideas and a fresh perspective.

Membership in the Moonshots Network is exclusive and by invitation only. We believe in curating a community based on trust, commitment to creativity, and a shared drive for excellence. Our aim is to foster deep relationships and meaningful collaborations among like-minded individuals. The Moonshots Network serves as a supportive platform where members connect, share insights, and learn from each other’s experiences. The collective knowledge, expertise, and diverse perspectives within the network create a powerful environment for growth, innovation, and mutual success.

Through carefully curated events, monthly members’ dinners, and exclusive gatherings, the Moonshots Network provides valuable opportunities for members to engage with peers, industry experts, and successful entrepreneurs. These interactions foster collaboration and inspire innovative thinking, acting as a catalyst for ideation, partnership formation, and knowledge exchange. The network propels members’ entrepreneurial journeys to new heights.

Moreover, the Moonshots Network provides access to resources and support services tailored to the specific needs of entrepreneurs. From mentorship programs and business development services to strategic guidance and introductions to key stakeholders, we ensure our members have the tools and support they need to succeed. Our comprehensive support empowers entrepreneurs to overcome challenges and seize opportunities with confidence.

and UK, our global network enables connections with potential partners, investors, and customers from around the world. We are even planning to open an office in Singapore soon, providing a gateway to Asia.

By facilitating these connections, we help members expand their reach and access new markets, fostering global growth and impact.

In summary, Moonshots Innervation focuses on building global entrepreneurs through our Entrepreneurs Visa program and support for local startups. We believe in the transformative power of entrepreneurship to drive economic growth, foster innovation, and address societal challenges. Our exclusive Moonshots Network serves as a foundation for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and mutual support among exceptional entrepreneurs and successful businesspeople. Through our network, we provide valuable resources, connections, and opportunities for members to thrive and make a lasting impact on the global stage. Together, we shape a future where entrepreneurship flourishes, innovation thrives, and South Australia becomes a hub for globally successful entrepreneurs.

Membership in the Moonshots Network also opens doors to international collaboration and expansion opportunities. With our Advisory Board comprised of members from Australia, Singapore, USA, moonshotsinnervation.com

Adelaide might seem an unlikely epicentre to redesign the way startups get built, but that’s exactly what local firm LeapSheep are attempting in pursuit of their vision to radically transform startup success rates globally.

LeapSheep founders Kirk Drage and Kathryn Heaton explain “startups fail in such numbers it’s like having a mass extinction event every year”.

Friends for over 20 years, Kirk and Kathryn incorporated LeapSheep in 2016 after finding their first paying customer a year earlier in Thailand which provided some initial validation of their business.

“We regularly hear about startup success in the media. What we don’t hear is that startup ecosystems the world over are fundamentally broken.” says Drage.

“To be a startup founder you need a contrarian world view, you have to believe something few others believe, otherwise you wouldn’t be trying to change the world.” explains Heaton.

“Startup ecosystems are broken. That’s our contrarian insight, and what an opportunity” says Drage.

Having lived and worked in Silicon Valley, and headed up the Microsoft Asia Pacific startup arm, Drage knows a thing or two about startups.

Heaton explains “2021 was a record year for venture investing - $681b was spent pursing startup building. When you consider 95% of startups fail, that’s a lot of wasted capital. Creating a more efficient market with numbers of this scale is a huge opportunity.”

Kathryn Heaton, Co-Founder & COO and Kirk Drage, Co-Founder & CEO

TRANSFORMING STARTUP SUCCESS RATES WITH SCIENCE

She goes on to explain, “Startup failure rates are baked into startup building models. They are an accepted cost of innovation. This works for top investment firms who seek out those rare rough diamonds we call unicorns. The true cost to produce these unicorns is borne by every founder and investor that’s not successful.”

Drage asserts, “The little discussed fact in the world of startups is most startups don’t fail because their technology is too fanciful. They overwhelmingly fail for mundane and completely avoidable reasons. If only they could access highly specialist startup guidance, success rates would transform.”

Drage describes two fundamental barriers. First, specialist startup support is typically sourced from lived experience - successful startup founders. This is a scarce and difficult to replicate resource, constraining supply.

Secondly, because of constrained supply, most startup support is just re-packaged from the world of small business entrepreneurship designed to create copies of proven business models. Startup entrepreneurs have different challenges, they must manage a plethora of innovation risks.

LeapSheep’s solution, to create a software-based Startup Building body of knowledge. This includes specialist startup diagnostic tools to enable completely personalised support. Using these diagnostic tools allows LeapSheep to prescribe best practice startup building approaches. The usage data LeapSheep collects makes the system better, and better, and better. The goal isn’t to replace human advisors, rather give them superhuman capabilities – like a chess computer.

To date, LeapSheep has supported over 200 startup subscribers from around the world. Jed Durdin, co-founder and Director of Maximum Energy said “LeapSheep is the best guide to get us from idea towards a future exit for our business”.

Silicon Valley produces an impressive 40 unicorns a year. You can see why they’d be happy with the status quo. This is why Adelaide is such a great place to attempt this. Innovation always comes from the edge.

CHAPTER FOUR

BIOTECH & LIFE SCIENCES

SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S BURGEONING HEALTH AND MEDICAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Welcome to South Australia, a land of natural beauty, rich history, and thriving innovation. Offering world-class healthcare facilities, cuttingedge research and development opportunities, and a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs, innovators and partners in the health and medical innovation sector.

South Australia and its capital city Adelaide is fast becoming a destination of choice for innovators, researchers, and industry partners who are transforming brilliant health and medical discoveries into new-to-world innovations to improve lives globally.

The $4 billion Adelaide BioMed City is one of three Health and Medical Innovation Districts in the heart of Adelaide, comprised of leading-edge anchor institutes and companies, that cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators and accelerators.

Adelaide’s competitive advantage includes significant investment and committed future plans for capital developments, forming a connected locale of mixed-use infrastructure. The government is introducing a new state-wide innovation model to strategically connect the state’s three growing innovation districtsAdelaide BioMed City, Lot Fourteen and Tonsley, to capitalise on South Australia’s competitive advantage in emerging sectors of advanced manufacturing.

South Australia has rapid regulatory pathways, and globally accepted quality data systems which is attractive for conducting world-class clinical trials. Adelaide’s central business district hosts a connected network of clinical research organisations, clinical trial sites and analytical services.

South Australia has advantageous Research and Development manufacturing incentives and is ranked as the most competitive city to do business in the Asia-Pacific regions (KPMG), with labour costs at 9 per cent below the Australian average.

Geographically, South Australia is centrally located to other domestic cities and an accessible launch pad to key fast-growing Asian markets, such as China, India, and Southeast Asia. It’s also a great place to live, with Adelaide named #3 on the world most liveable cities list, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2021.

The city is home to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, a technologically advanced hospital which offers a range of specialties including cancer treatment, cardiac care and neuroscience. Other leading healthcare facilities include the Flinders Medical Centre and the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, both of which are dedicated to providing exceptional care to patients and their families.

Australian Bragg Centre

South Australia is also a hub for medical and health-related startups, with a growing number of entrepreneurs and innovators choosing to base operations here.

The Government of South Australia with the SA Chief Scientist, Professor Caroline McMillen, has introduced EXCITE, its 10-year strategy to position the state in the top quartile of OECD nations by 2030, for key performance measures in the research and innovation value chain.

Part of this strategy is the $3 million Adelaide Intermediary Program, an initiative delivered by MTPConnect, designed to support the growth of South Australia’s health and medical innovation sector.

Working with the broad range of stakeholders across South Australia’s healthtech sector, MTPConnect’s Adelaide team forge strategic connections, build capacity and foster a culture of innovation and translation.

Services include:

• One-on-one consultations, where the team provide advice and identify prospective collaborators and funding opportunities

• Business development support in the way of national and international connections to prospective partners and investors

• Major projects coordination for state-wide bids to secure funding, infrastructure and programs that position South Australia for future success

• Knowledge sharing, skills development and networking opportunities through roundtables, events and professional development activities

• Creating and amplifying sector intelligence through sector reports, case studies and media platforms including podcasts and news updates

The Adelaide Intermediary Program has become the go-to one-stop-shop for connecting and empowering SA’s health and medical innovation ecosystem, while also increasing the profile of South Australia’s efforts around the globe.

Connect with the AIP team, led by Jo Close, AIP Director – adelaide@mtpconnect.org.au

BRINGING TOGETHER TECHNOLOGIES, INNOVATORS AND PATIENTS”.

ADELAIDE BIOMED CITY IS THE HOME OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S MOST TALENTED PEOPLE WHOSE IDEAS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE TRANSFORM THE FUTURE OF HEALTH WITH WORLD-FIRST SOLUTIONS TO UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS.

At Adelaide BioMed City, researchers, clinicians, and students work together within our universities, medical research institutes and academic teaching hospitals, with world-class infrastructure interfacing with entrepreneurs and leading industry players to collaborate, create and commercialise world-first innovations.

Adelaide BioMed City’s goal is to make South Australia the best place in Australia for biomedical researchers, healthcare professionals, industry partners and governments to take on the health challenges of tomorrow - today.

Adelaide BioMed City (ABMC) is a $4.2 billion health innovation and translation district comprised of world class universities, medical research institutes and companies, that cluster and connect with entrepreneurs, start-ups, small and medium-sized local enterprises, multinational corporations, business incubators and accelerators.

ABMC leverages its strong local, national, and global connections, to promote South Australia’s unique biomedical strengths and attract the investment, talent, collaborations and partnerships vital to growing and sustaining our healthcare industry.

TOGETHER,WE WILL TRANSFORM HEALTHCARE”.

Modelled on the best practices of innovation districts around the world, ABMC provides the foundation for ground-breaking health innovations to flourish. Within its world class infrastructure and facilities, ABMC focuses on bringing together the best people to discover, collaborate and commercialise transforming technologies and businesses.

The cutting-edge innovation taking place within ABMC is changing the face of the world’s most significant healthcare challenges and is delivering improved healthcare for our South Australian community and globally.

Interconnectivity, Colocation and Convergent Technologies

Adelaide BioMed City is part of the South Australian ecosystem of Innovation Districts that include the Tonsley Innovation District and Lot Fourteen.

Inter-district connectivity is a key priority for ABMC to foster collaboration and drive innovation, growth, and economic return.

Inter-district connectivity, collaboration and knowledge transfer allows ABMC to leverage SA’s acknowledged strengths in emerging and convergent technologies for the benefit of healthcare. These technologies, coupled with ABMC’s excellence in biomedical research are increasing productivity, developing new-to-world products and services. Working together, South Australia’s Innovation Districts are developing solutions for complex multi-disciplinary problems,delivering improved, more affordable healthcare.

Importantly, co-location of infrastructure and expertise supports genuine collaboration, which, on the global stage, has proven to drive

productivity, economic growth, social prosperity, sovereignty and industry resilience. ABMC’s proximity to Lot Fourteen, with their focus on big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health, and to Tonsley, with their focus on modern manufacturing, assistive technologies and MedTech, perfectly positions South Australia to significantly impact health innovation and improved patient care.

Harnessing SA’s Technology Strengths for Biomedical Excellence

Technology convergence is driving the growth of the global therapeutic, diagnostic and medtech industries. Combining technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital health, wearable devices and data analytics, has exponentially increased the development of new high-tech medical devices and services. Using bioinformatics, AI and machine learning together with South Australia’s renown and well-curated health data enables us to explore new approaches to improving health outcomes.

By promoting inter-district connectivity, collaboration and a focus on multi-disciplinary projects, ABMC is supporting and growth of convergent technologies within South Australia.

TOGETHER, WE TURN COURAGEOUS IDEAS INTO BRILLIANT HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS”.

ABMC’s approach is helping South Australia take a leading role in Australia’s healthcare innovation.

Technologies such as robotics, augmented reality/virtual reality, AI, imaging, wearable devices and therapeutics provide a new opportunity to address some of society’s greatest health challenges such as ageing, obesity, cancer, declining mobility and mental health. A chance to elevate standard of care through personalised approaches.

This convergence of technologies also drives convergence of sectors in the quest for innovative solutions. Health, the arts, and mathematical sciences can effectively combine in the realm of immersive technologies to present new clinical interventions in mental health, performance medicine and creative experiences.

Continuing infrastructure development within the ABMC district, like the seminal Trinity City project, supports this convergence of technologies and sectors by providing opportunities for multi-disciplinary teams, innovation district support services such as commercialisation and IP professionals, and industry all within the same best-ofclass infrastructure. These assets attract global leaders and health industry looking to benefit from South Australia’s strengths in clinical trials, curated health data and convergent technologies.

ABMC sees the totality of this convergence providing many opportunities in the clinical setting, leading cell therapies, vaccines, therapeutics, surgical robots, wearable devices and artificial limbs and joints, to interface with pathology services such as genomics, spatial transcriptomics and immunoprofiling to infer previously unmatched clinical information for disease diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis.

It’s a transforming time for the health and medical innovation sector in South Australia. Research excellence and clinical care, coupled with a network of rapidly expanding best in class innovation districts provides the perfect platform for South Australia to play a significant role in global health innovation. ABMC is a key part of South Australia’s innovation community, bringing economic benefits and job growth to the state, and most significantly, providing improved outcomes for patients locally, nationally and globally.

HIGH QUALITY, COST EFFECTIVE MICROBIAL PDNA AND MRNA DEVELOPMENT AND CGMP MANUFACTURING SOLUTIONS

BioCina Pty Ltd. is a global end-to-end biologics Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), focused on the development and clinical and commercial manufacture of microbial, pDNA and mRNA biological products.

BioCina’s mission is to combine world-class science with efficient and cost-effective delivery, to enable their clients to bring their therapies on time to the patients who need them.

The BioCina Adelaide facility, formerly a Pfizer/Hospira plant, includes fit for purpose spaces for GMP manufacturing, process development, warehouse, and administration, supporting clinical and commercial programs for microbial, pDNA and mRNA modalities.

The Adelaide site, approved by the FDA for commercial manufacturing in 2020, has 40+ years of manufacturing and development experience, high batch capacity for 40+ batches per year (clinical and commercial) and has cloned and expressed 60+ different microbial products.

The team has extensive experience and proven capabilities in microbial process development and manufacturing, with expertise from early process development to commercial manufacturing.

BioCina has an enviable history manufacturing biological products approved for commercial use by the US-FDA, EMA and Health Canada, and experience manufacturing of API for use in all stages of clinical trials. Licensed for GMP manufacture by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), BioCina is the only GMP manufacturing facility of its kind in Australia that has successfully passed a US-FDA inspection.

In 2022, BioCina expanded its CDMO service offering to include the manufacture of plasmid DNA (pDNA) in a new dedicated GMP suite, equipped with up to 300 L single use fermentation capacity and suitably scaled downstream processing equipment. To complement GMP manufacturing, a broad range of analytical methods was developed to support in-process, release and stability testing of pDNA products. This was a very important and timely addition that enabled BioCina to work with its industry partners to further develop RNA vaccines and therapeutics as well as cell and gene therapies.

BioCina’s decision to expand its service offering into pDNA development and manufacturing was driven by the global increase in demand for GMP grade pDNA fuelled by the exponential growth in vaccines and therapies in the cell and gene therapy markets and RNA platform. These factors, combined with the CDMO industry’s dearth of capacity and access to high-quality cGMP pDNA manufacturing expertise, made this a clear path forward underscored by BioCina’s depth of experience in microbial manufacturing.

In 2022 and 2023, BioCina was awarded a total of over $13M AUD in combined grants from the Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) and the South Australian State Government, to fund the build-out and establishment of an end-to-end mRNA process development and clinical manufacturing offering.

In terms of future growth plans, BioCina has defined a five-year growth vision, which includes adding mammalian process development and clinical commercial manufacturing capability, and large-scale biologics fill-finish.

The company’s strategic vision also includes significantly expanding its microbial scale and capacity and adding additional facilities.

BioCina serves clients globally, and their portfolio already includes clients based in APAC, Europe and the United States.

HOW DO SURGEONS TRAIN, THAT IS THE QUESTION?

Knowing the founder of Fusetec for almost three decades, it’s been a pleasure to witness first hand, the transition from a vison to become a world leading global business, in just five short years. I must say, the journey that Mark and John embarked on was not conventional, nor was it easy, but they had the drive and passion to fulfil their goals and the experience to overcome all obstacles.

The first decision they decided was; they wanted to solve a global problem, this lead them to a research mission to discover a unique problem worthy of dedicating their remaining working years.

Once they identified their problem, ‘’how do surgeons train?’’ the next question was, ‘how do we solve this problem?’ Cadaver training has been the cornerstone of students and surgical training for centuries, but cadaver training is limiting. Cadavers don’t bleed, which limits training on an aneurysm, cadavers cannot be easily accessed with complex anatomies or pathologies (diseases) they are costly, culturally sensitive and highly regulated with ethical issues. The next question is, ’how do we disrupt cadaver training, globally?’

Mark Roe and John Budgen, Founding Partners

In search of solutions, Mark travelled to the USA, studying the latest in advanced manufacturing, then after several month of analysing and strategizing, they documented their path to success and founded Fusetec, in 2017. Realising they had a skills gap, they employed a talented group of individuals with specialised knowledge and led a research and development team, over a five-year period, to design, engineer, develop advanced manufactured surgical training models.

But it wasn’t that simple, after two years and quickly running out of cash, Mark offered me a 20% stake for $600,000, which I determined to be, too high a risk. A decision that I have lived to regret. Like Mark and John, I should have backed the right people with determination, passion, experience and true grit. As I look back, it’s really the creativity

and foresight that sets them apart, coupled with a healthy dose of self-confidence, backing themselves with an all-in bet.

As Covid began to break in late 2022, Fusetec accelerated, as surgical training resumed. Taking another leap of faith, continuing to back their own abilities, Fusetec opened the world first ‘Advanced Surgical Training Clinic.’ The first clinic globally, to utilise exclusively advanced manufactured models for surgical training. Free from the risk of potentially harmful bacteria, an environment where you can even bring your kids and enjoy a glass of wine while training.

Surgeons are traveling from across the globe to train on rare pathologies that have been illusive in all previous training. Fusetec is truly disrupting the cadaver markets with alternative solutions. Fusetec has successfully develop surgical training models across most surgical disciplines, from neuro and spine, ortho upper and lower limb, to gyno and ENT to name a few. Today they export to many countries around the world and are consistently winning awards and commissions. One such award in late 2022, was the AusBioTech / Johnson and Johnson –Emerging Company of the Year Award.

As I have known the boys for the best part of three decades, we share some common friends. To quote a President of the Global Medical Device company, “I’ve been in this U.S. Market for 46 years and this may be one of the most innovative offerings that I have seen.’’

A global innovation manager expressed, ‘Mark is a creative genius, he always finds a solution.’’

A head of medical education stated, ‘Fusetec’s reputation in Europe is impeccable.’’

With a personal reputation and company brand awareness of this caliber, my decision, not to invest, is one that weighs heavily on my mind. But I must congratulate the boys and the Fusetec Team, they deserve their imminent success. Mark and John are truly achieving their goals, turning their vison into reality and changing the world to be a better place. I look forward to seeing all they can achieve… signed Broke Mate.

Mark Roe, CEO

Life Whisperer

Life Whisperer uses state-of-the-art AI and computer vision technology to help select healthy embryos for IVF. Using Life Whisperer, a clinician can drag-and-drop microscope images of embryos onto the website for an instant report on the likelihoods that the embryo is genetically healthy, or will lead to a pregnancy.

Infertility is increasing globally, and IVF is commonly used as an assisted reproductive technology worldwide. One of its biggest stumbling blocks is identifying healthy embryos, and currently relies on a subjective assessment with the human eye.

With repeat failures of IVF being rife, the traumatic drugs and devastating costs, morale can become so low that patients often walk away from their therapy, not being able to bear any more. The priority order of embryo transfer matters in keeping patients enrolled until their very first pregnancy.

Unlike invasive genetic tests, the AI system runs instantly from an image snapshot, it does not require a biopsy (cutting or damaging the embryo).

AI to help patients struggling for children

The novel AI methods used by Life Whisperer and effectiveness have been published widely in Oxford University Press’ Human Reproduction, Nature Scientific Reports and Reproductive BioMedicine Online.

It is a testament to the diligence and steadfastness of the team to have created such an innovation. Each person in our team is very driven to excel and that, combined with a high level of competence and experience, has been the predominant reason for the growth we have seen.

Life Whisperer combines AI engineering, software, medical science, data analysis and quality assurance to help shorten the time to a first pregnancy and provide objective information to patients.

We use a collaborative approach to create new AI products. Data centres, clinics and hospitals can join Presagen AI Open Projects to help co-create new medical products, knowing their data is safe, and can share in the royalties for their data contribution. By pooling the knowledge of many distributed data centres around the world, each with a small amount of data, the combined knowledge is both comprehensive and diverse, without ever moving data at all.

Life Whisperer is currently being used around the world, but its synergies are increasing strengthened by developing new AI to help in other areas of IVF as well. With the core technology of Presagen relying on a number of key patents across medical imaging, data cleansing and federated AI learning, development is well underway for a human egg assessment AI - where more high-quality embryos might be obtained by assessing the quality of the eggs before fertilisation.

A suite of linked, scalable AI products across the whole IVF process makes it more cost-effective, reliable and safe.

Life Whisperer is a world-leader in the application of AI in IVF. The Life Whisperer Viability and Genetics AI based embryo assessment tools are the first to be commercialized in a series of applications that encompass the complete IVF journey. Life Whisperer aims to improve IVF success rates at every point and, as a result, reduce time-to-pregnancy, making IVF more affordable and accessible to patients globally. Life Whisperer is being used in IVF clinics around the world.

As Global Winner One to Watch at TalentUnleashed, with judges Richard Branson (Virgin) and Steve Wozniak (Apple), the company made the finals at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Australia, and has been mentioned in Scientific American, Time Magazine, and Wall Street Journal, and more recently was named Top Big Data Company by Data Magazine (UK), Top 20 AI/ML startups by StartupLanes, and awarded Frost & Sullivan Global Product Leadership and Global New Product Innovation.

SPACE RESEARCH FOR REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS

Pushing the boundaries of medical research all the way into orbit, Numedico’s latest business venture is a partnership with satellite infrastructure provider ResearchSat to explore new methods to administer medication. The extreme environment in space with its microgravity and intense radiation creates results that cannot be replicated on earth, greatly accelerating the time it takes to develop, refine and then apply alternative ways in how drugs are delivered and digested.

While this process usually takes about ten years, completing it in half the time could have massive advantages in terms of affordability and accessibility. And despite the sci-fi methods, Numedico’s ultimate objective is to transform the lives and health of the millions of people who administer medication every day. This includes diabetics and patients who suffer from high blood pressure—imagine what it would mean to them if they could have an injection once a month instead of once a day, and at a fraction of today’s costs.

Calvert, founder and Chief Executive Officer

THIS ADELAIDE-BASED MEDTECH START-UP HAS FOUND GLOBAL RECOGNITION WITH MORE EFFICIENT, SAFER AND AFFORDABLE DRUG DELIVERY METHODS.

Neville

INNOVATION TO IMPROVE EVERYDAY PRODUCTS

Other developments in Numedico’s pipeline may be more down to earth, but they follow the same innovative, can-do approach. As Neville Calvert, Founder and CEO, explains, “We are dealing in innovation, not invention. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel but to take something that’s already there and make it better, smarter and cheaper.” Something as simple and ubiquitous as a syringe, for example.

In an effort to increase cost efficiency in administering Covid vaccines, US President Joe Biden urged medical staff to look for syringes with the lowest ‘dead space’, which is the small amount of liquid left over after patients have been given their shots. This wastage means that a vial of seven doses often only stretches to five or six patients. Numedico is currently trialling a more efficient safety syringe, equipped with the company’s own patented TrueZero™ technology and capable of injecting drugs at a rate of nearly 100% (almost 0% wastage). For a cancer patient whose treatment costs thousands of dollars, this amounts to significant savings. In addition to these financial advantages, the system is also more sustainable as it minimises waste.

BASED IN ADELAIDE, FOCUSED ON THE WORLD

Neville Calvert, a lifelong entrepreneur, founded Numedico back in 2016 out of concerns about the imminent closure of the Holden car factory in Elizabeth. “18,000 people were going to lose their jobs,” he remembers; “these people needed somewhere to go.” Calvert chose the medical industry because Jay Weatherill, then Premier of South Australia, had plans to make the state a centre for medical manufacturing. While changes in government meant these plans weren’t followed through, the sentiment has given rise to a locally based medical technology company who is now improving the lives of healthcare workers and patients across the world.

With safety and sustainability as key priorities, Numedico started producing safety syringes with retractable needles. These syringes are typical of Numedico’s quest to develop highly utilitarian medical devices. They are easy to use, intuitive, simple and safe—creating their own sharps container around the retractable needle after use, thus preventing any needlestick injuries. This has been a welcome safety measure for healthcare workers who are prone to these sometimes-hazardous injuries.

After constant efforts to evolve to meet market needs, the company won a large contract with the California Department of Public Health to supply and transport diagnostic equipment for Covid. Numedico is a globally focused company and has an established market across the world today, with 99% of their products sold outside Australia. Neville Calvert, however, still describes his company as a “start-up, continuously innovating by partnering with organisations in other fields”—such as AI or space technology.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO GOOD

There is humility in Calvert’s choice of words—and a desire to make a difference in an industry that often seems to be focused more on making a profit. “If you think you’re there, you’re never ever there,” he explains of his dedication.

Numedico wants to challenge the status quo in the world of Big Pharma. In doing so, a huge emphasis is put on partnerships with other innovators, often from completely different sectors, resulting in mutually beneficial and eminently practical solutions.

The four key elements to innovation—collaboration, ideation, implementation and value creation—are present in all of Numedico’s activities and are essential to the company’s success, but they are always driven by Calvert’s dedication to help people by finding ways to save money and resources. Ultimately, patients benefit from cheaper drugs delivered more safely, while health systems benefit from reduced waste and expenses by freeing up funds for other causes.

A GREAT STATE TO BUILD A BUSINESS

With virtually all their products being sold on foreign markets, Numedico would be forgiven for relocating to a more central location overseas. But Neville Calvert seems to have taken SA’s tourism slogan to heart, insisting that this is a great place from which to build a business.

Yes, they do have offices in the US, the UK and Malaysia, but the head office remains right here in Adelaide. And while the company’s innovators are sent overseas to research the market and meet with stakeholders from across the world, they are encouraged to export the local corporate culture and company values everywhere they go.

With patient shareholders and amazing supply chain partners, Calvert has built a business model which can hold its own on a global scale. However, he does see further opportunities for others to add depth to Adelaide’s investment environment by researching the market environment of other countries and adapting their offerings accordingly.

SUCCESS IS RECOGNISED

Based on their first and main product on the market, the ClickZip™ safety syringe range, Numedico has received its fair share of international recognition. 2021 was a particularly successful year for the company, having been named as one of the ‘50 Most Influential Companies’ by CEO Views, listed as one of the ‘30 Most Fabulous Companies of the Year’ by The Silicon Review and voted in the ‘Top 10 Medtech Start-ups in Asia’.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

But if their CEO’s mindset is anything to go by, Numedico puts a lot less stock in what was, than in what lies ahead. Using the collaboration with ResearchSat as a platform to develop their own drugs and partnering with other drug development companies, the company has identified disease prevention as another area of opportunity. Future collaborative efforts will include nano-manufacturing technologies focused on early intervention for ovarian and endometrial cancer as well as technologies to counteract antibiotic resistance.

“Based on our company values such as common sense, curiosity and creativity, our vision is to focus on safety and sustainability,” says Calvert, “challenging ourselves to be better tomorrow than we are today.”

Bringing Cure from the Cosmos

Space has been humankind’s ‘next frontier’ to explore – and new discoveries are made daily. Medical research in space is today’s ‘bold frontier’ for human health. Going the extra mile (or 125km to low earth orbit, to be exact) for medical patients of the future takes on a totally new perspective.

Microgravity environments provide scientists with environments that can radically alter and accelerate medical research. One Australian startup is shooting for the moon – and beyond – to enable researchers around the world to conduct experiments in space affordably and efficiently. ResearchSat has put Adelaide on the world map for medical research – and taken one giant leap forward for Adelaide’s future.

OUT OF THIS WORLD

ResearchSat was founded in 2017 by RaviTeja Duggineni and Jibin Jeffrey Dhanaraj with the belief that every experiment they enable has the potential to change the world for the better. This company provides end-to-end services that enable space science research in the form of satellite platforms for researchers and organisations to run experiments in space. These payloads facilitate conditions for drug design and development for pharmaceutical companies on a commercial scale as well as provide opportunities to all academic researchers who are interested in space biology research.

The company’s scientists, engineers, and developers have created innovative proprietary technology that is truly out-of-this-world in the form of scientific CubeSats. CubeSats are small, standardised research modules that carry the potential to conduct meaningful science experiments in a reliable manner in microgravity environments.

Through CubeSats, ResearchSat’s mission is to explore the unique characteristics made available by microgravity and the company’s working to make space research accessible for all researchers and organisations.

RaviTeja shares his motivation for launching this company in Adelaide: “One of the major risks associated with space missions and conducting experiments in microgravity is an astronaut carrying different kinds of bacteria into space. Research has shown that bacteria in space becomes more aggressive and infectious – and this poses a huge risk when performing scientific experiments. We at ResearchSat offer an alternative to conducting experiments on-board the International Space Station.”

According to Jibin, the ResearchSat platform can perform experiments in a confined space and controlled environment, making it more viable and affordable for researchers and organisations. “These experiments allow scientists to better understand and control the behavioural changes of microbes in spaces, as well as aiding in the development of new pharmaceutical products,” Jibin explains. “CubeSats support experiments ranging from microbiological and chemical to pharmaceutical and agri-product development.”

MISSION: POSSIBLE

Why the mission into space for medical research? In the microgravity environment, things behave differently and unexpectedly. This unique environment has the potential to be the birthplace for cures to existing diseases, new medicines, and production of material to enable humankind to evolve and pursue better health and prosperity.

Microgravity presents a wide range of effects on disease-causing organisms. Microorganisms inflate, cell walls expand, and biomolecules are forced to reorganise their internal structures to adapt. Microgravity gives microorganisms new properties. Dormant genes suppressed on Earth can activate in space. Yeast grows faster. Bacteria mutate more rapidly. These effects produce an opportunity to design disease models and test them at a more rapid pace in space. This helps to develop drugs faster than compared to on Earth and accelerated research can help pharmaceutical companies get to market faster than their competitors.

Space provides unique environs that challenges the fluid dynamics affecting the living cell dynamics. Exploring these changes will provide new insights that may advance life-science technologies and therapeutics. The benefits of microgravity research in space for researchers are impactful and intellectually interesting projects, interdisciplinary research, opportunities for new research papers and citations, and knowledge creation and reputation.

For industries, microgravity research offers tax benefits (such as R&D tax incentives and R&D grant 1:1 match funding), the development of next-generation apparatus for experiments, more effective drug encapsulation at low costs, and reputational boost in the community.

ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND

The company has the capabilities and services to take lab experiments into space, reliably and affordably. It offers affordable satellite platforms, space hardware for experiments, controlled environments (such as radiation, pressure, and temperature), modular platforms (that scale up to 12U size), and shared IP for commercialisation.

ResearchSat are specialists in developing microhabitats for microbes and chemicals. It has expertise in developing satellites platforms for chemical and microgravity research in low earth orbit and in outerspace.

In November 2022, ResearchSat with their new suborbital space science mission demonstrated Australia’s capability to source required materials and services to build a space science payload and acquire experiment results that are intriguing intellectually curious communities.

Part of the company’s core technology is an advanced microfluidic chip integrated with a state-of-the-art electronic sensor suite and data acquisition system. These experiments allow the platform to understand

and control the behavioural changes of microbes in spaces, as well as aiding in the development of new pharmaceutical products.

ResearchSat provides a turnkey service so that researchers can focus on the thing that matters the most: their experiments. RaviTeja and Jibin’s teams can co-design with researchers and organisations through collaboration to develop the microfluidic chip and sensor suite based on the needs of that particular experiment. The company also offers launch logistics: all logistics related to the launch, including regulatory requirements, insurance, and transportation will be taken care of. What’s more, ResearchSat’s platform has proven to deliver results in near real-time, with data feedback fully translated from the payload’s sensors, monitoring equipment, and specimen delivery data.

In solving challenges, thinking outside the box for RaviTeja and Jibin mean thinking outside of our planet. ResearchSat is taking Adelaide –and medical research – to ever greater heights. Humanity will benefit from the extraordinary efforts of this company’s vision.

ResearchSat aims to bring back cures from the cosmos, by using micro-gravity to accelerate research in the field of life sciences.”

THE SABRN GROUP OF COMPANIES IS MULTIFACETED, INNOVATIVE AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN.

The Group was founded in South Australia and is based in Adelaide. The Group aims to provide maximal benefit to our planet and its inhabitants. The Group prioritises the health and wellbeing of individuals, community and planet, with subsidiary companies.

SABRN EDUCATION

SABRN Education is a subsidiary of the SABRN Group of Companies. The overall objective of SABRN Education is to supplement the traditional education and training available currently for the next generation of doctors, nurses, and other clinicians (in particular for Military and Trauma settings). One of the educational techniques is using immersion into different artificial environments using Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality technologies – SABRN AES (Artificial Environment Simulations).

PEOPLE & PLANET FIRST

The significant global stressors (including the COVID pandemic, Russo- Ukraine conflict, climate crisis and inflation) have impacted on most people globally. Centralisation of services (including education, health, and waste management) over the past decades has amplified these impacts to reach crisis levels. In Australia, these impacts are magnified even further because of the small population density on a geographically sparse land mass.

The SABRN AES arm aims to use immersive technologies to enhance the education and training of future clinicians. The 10,000 hours necessary to become an expert in a field is more difficult because of safe working hours, and the increasing litigious environment makes the training process much longer. The younger generation of surgeons has trained in an era of super-specialisation, and is more familiar with minimally invasive surgical procedures used in elective settings. As a consequence, they are less familiar in dealing with areas outside of their speciality, and will not be comfortable dealing with military or trauma related surgery. The SABRN AES arm will help significantly in the exposure and training of younger doctors.

The SABRN AES arm uses deep reinforcement learning to rehearse various clinical procedures (that are traditionally not in the scope of the clinician) in order to

prepare the military or trauma surgeon. Gamification of the procedure with built-in pitfalls enables the junior clinicians to up-skill rapidly. The junior clinicians can also be exposed to external stimuli (such as noise or be immersed into a cold, warm or wet environment) to further challenge their coping skills.

The SABRN AES concept also allows the development of ‘an expert team’ rather than a ‘team of experts’, thereby increasing the chances of a positive outcome for the patients. SABRN AES also reinforces the importance of assessing currency as well as competency for particular skill sets necessary to save lives.

SABRN HEALTH

SABRN Health, another subsidiary of the SABRN Group of Companies, has the primary purpose to improve the health of individuals, groups and communities. SABRN Health is undertaking a number of projects:

1) Development of a transportable life-support-pod, the SABRN E-LifePod (multiple variants including one for serving people on extraterrestrial environment colonies);

2) Development of a system of detection and prioritization of injured people according to severity in mass casualty incidents using robotics, advanced sensors and artificial intelligence algorithms; and

3) Development of an autonomous surgical robot independent of any human input (proofof-concept initially).

The SABRN E-LifePod challenges the traditional healthcare delivery paradigm – instead of the ‘patient-to-hospital’ model, the E-LifePod creates a ‘hospital-to-patient’ model.

The E-LifePod has an integrated ED-ICU-OT capability that is vehicleagnostic, i.e. transportable by land, air, or water to areas of need. This enables trucks, trains, planes, helicopters, boats and ships to become health multipliers. The E-LifePod will contain superior diagnostic, monitoring and treatment capabilities in comparison to tradition emergency evacuation systems. It will be developed to have CBRN countermeasures, as well surgical capabilities. With built-in advanced telehealth and augmented reality capabilities, the E-LifePod will enable moment-by-moment clinical and medicolegal support to be provided to the on-board clinician by the surgical hospital teams.

The E-LifePod is applicable for regional and urban. It can address the tyranny of distance that exists with regional, rural, and remote communities. With urban communities, the E-LifePod can be invaluable when increased tempo results in overwhelmed conventional healthcare systems.

The E-LifePod will also be applicable in military settings. We know that 25% of all soldiers killed in action during the Middle-East conflicts were potentially preventable deaths. Despite the Allied Forces having overwhelming air superiority during the 20-years of conflict, the surgical capabilities were too far away and the ‘Golden-Hour’ was too long for these casualties. The Russo-Ukraine conflict is demonstrating that aeromedical evacuation is no longer a viable option with modern munitions having the capability of destroying most retrieval helicoptions. As a consequence, injured soldiers will need to be managed in the field for longer periods during the transit to the hospital. The E-LifePod will be the ideal solution for it.

The E-LifePod can be invaluable for provision of humanitarian aid, nationally and internationally, and can be used as an important political asset with Australia’s neighbours and Allies.

The objective is for the E-LifePod to be built in Australia. This will further enable development of Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability, and create local employment opportunities (directly and indirectly).

SABRN CIRCULAR

SABRN Circular is a subsidiary of the SABRN Group of Companies. Its purpose is to reduce the environmental impact of end-of-life materials such as plastic waste by creating circular economies.

The Founder of SABRN Circular, Professor Abhilash (Abe) Chandra, is a practising Vascular, General and Military Surgeon in Adelaide. His diverse entrepreneurial interests resulted in a number of early-stage purposedriven companies being founded (SABRN Circular, SABRN Education, SABRN Health, and SABRN Tech) that are packaged into the SABRN Group of Companies. The overarching objective of the SABRN Group is to use innovative technologies to improve the health of the planet and its inhabitants.

SABRN Circular established its ‘proof-of-concept’ at Port Lincoln, a small town located in the Lower Eyre Peninsular about 650 km from Adelaide. The region has a significant plastic waste problem, especially from fishing, aquaculture, agriculture, and mining industries. The region has no infrastructure to address this environmental and social problem.

In early 2022, SABRN Circular set up the Port Lincoln plastic remanufacturing facility with the objective to develop a circular economy

E-LIFE POD

E-LIFE POD

E-LIFE POD

from the plastic ‘raw’ materials. Over time, SABRN Circular introduced a variety of upstream and downstream manufacturing equipment that were co-located to convert the end- of-life materials into high-grade plastic products. By experimenting with different technologies such as sheet press, injection moulding, rota-moulding and 3D printing, and exploring

the different properties of the ‘raw’ plastic materials, SABRN Circular has been able to develop a range of products. SABRN Circular @ Port Lincoln is still at the pre-commercialisation phase, having converted several hundred tons of HDPE and polypropylene materials in sheets or granules. However, the future looks promising.

SABRN Circular’s short-term goal is to make simple products (such as home- ware or materials for mining or industry) but longer term, SABRN Circular aims to develop much more complex products. SABRN Circular also intends to develop a sustainable, scalable, resilient sovereign manufacturing capability that empowers communities whilst creating local employment opportunities. The replicable model can provide similar capabilities to other regional centers, bringing social, environmental, and economic benefits to their communities.

In late 2022, SABRN Circular Founder, Professor Abhilash (Abe) Chandra was a finalist for the SA Environmental Awards in the Innovation category. There has also been interest in SABRN Circular from other avenues, including from ‘Developing Northern Australia’. Over time, SABRN Circular intends to replicate its SABRN Circular @ Port Lincoln model to other parts of South Australia and Australia, thereby making a greater impact from an environmental, social, and economic point-of-view.

Email: abe.chandra@sabrntech.com Suite

abe_chandra

sabrntech.com

NEXT GENERATION CLEANING TECHNOLOGY

Soniclean is an established multi-award-winning medical device company boasting over 30 years of ultrasonic technology research and development for the primary purpose of cleaning surgical instruments. Soniclean’s commitment and focus is on user and patient safety, providing a machine with this intent.

Soniclean was established in 1993 by WahTong Lee and his beloved, now late wife, Susan Lee—a Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) nurse educator turned entrepreneur. Her background in nursing was instrumental to the product’s market entry. WahTong, a first generation Australian had studied product design in the 1970s at the old South Australian School of Art, where he designed an ultrasonic cleaning machine for his final year project.

PIONEERING PULSE SWEPT POWER TM

In 1988, Soniclean’s founding R&D company, Transtek Systems, was awarded a Government Industry Research and Development (GIRD) grant. This led to the development of ultrasonic technology now known as Pulse Swept Power™ replacing fixed standing waves ultrasonics for cleaning purposes. This approach is now accepted as best practice globally.

Innovation explores unexplored areas of value and usage.”—

Co-founder, WahTong Lee

WahTong’s background as a pianist, a potter visual/3D artist brings a unique understanding and approach to the technology.

Soniclean’s design philosophy of being friendly to the environment and integrating future proofing design decisions, benefits health care providers in over 40 countries. These machines are also used to facilitate scientific research outcomes, and widely used in food and beverage manufacturing, industrial, mining, space, defence and laboratory settings, where deep yet gentle precision cleaning is required.

According to WahTong, the essence of good design is minimal impact on the environment when a product is used, generating “best possible practice always.”.

Soniclean’s DNA in design and position in the medical device category recognises the challenges central sterilization services departments (CSSDs) are tasked with of helping ensure non-single use instruments are safe to re-use, while meeting the challenge of preventing degradation and preserving the functionality of expensive instruments.

Single product, single focus, single outcome.

Co Founders WahTong Lee and Susan Lee

We urge and support designers of medical devices and instruments to consider cleaning and reprocessing challenges when designing.” — CEO, Robyn S. Lee, GAICD

A CONTINUING GENERATION AND CULTURE OF COMMITMENT

Soniclean’s research & development team have been turning their focus towards the complex question of “how clean is clean?”, optimising performance to quantifiable repeatable cleaning results.

Eldest daughter and current CEO, Robyn Lee, works with her father continuing Soniclean’s custodianship and commitment to user and patient safety contributing towards a better, safer world through design.

soniclean sonicleanaustralia soniclean.com.au

1. Xing, K., Ness, D. (2015). Manufacturing Servitization in the Asia-Pacific (pp.155-174) Edition: 1, Chapter: 8, Jing Wang, Michitaka Kosaka, Ke Xing (Eds). Springer.

Soniclean CEO Robyn S. Lee and Co Founder Wah Tong Lee

Would you like a robot to hold your hand when you die?

Would you rather have a human? What is the neural and physical difference – is a human more beneficial, and if so, why? How would we maximise the use of both humans and technology here? How does it reflect on us if a robot becomes the normal or only option?

And what about the strategist solving a complex problem or the soldier in the field making a moral decision - do they do better with trusted automation or a human to assist? And why do we connect differently over screens?

Chelsea Nicholls, Office manager, Dr Fiona Kerr, CEO, Hugh Gockowiak, Corporate Psychologist

In our ever-increasingly technologised society, the NeuroTech Institute is an independent entity established to investigate and advise on the neural and physical effects of human interaction and proximity, how technology changes both and in turn how this impacts the complex dynamics of human systems. The focus on how humans connect, feel and think, and the changes that occur via technologization helps to develop innovative solutions for effective adaptation in changing environments (and is underpinned by expertise in engineering, psychology, cognitive science and anthropology).

Every industry and sector benefits from understanding the unique advantages offered by both humans and technology. A deeper understanding of each allows for better use of both. It also prompts the innovative design of brandnew, ground-breaking technologies. It inspires us to ask better questions about how we want to live and work, and feeds creative discussion.

That knowledge also needs to be accessible and engaging for society in general, and NTI’s work includes public and media discussion on the benefits of human interaction / proximity, and how to manage technology as a true enabler (one very popular example is “The Art and Science of Looking Up”, published as part of the ‘Look Up’ collaboration with OMA).

Day to day, NTI works with a wide range of organisations and industry sectors (AI, defence, health, education, ageing, the arts) to help clarify what is unique about humans, when they are the most effective option, when technology is the best choice and how to create partnerships that best leverage both. Our unique expertise in understanding the cognitive and physiological impacts of both direct human interaction and proximity and interaction with technology has become even more relevant across almost all sectors today.

In the business world, work is constantly changing, but some things remain the same. Maintaining a focus on trust, adaptive leadership, consistent values and foresight are as important as understanding how technology can help and hinder us to navigate our dispersed, virtualized and ever-changing environment. Virtualization and technological communication require even higher levels of trust and alignment, yet makes them more difficult to achieve and maintain. FOCUS NTI (Neurotech’s consulting arm) combines applied research and years of operational experience to help people build good practices and use technology to full advantage in hybrid and blended workplaces. We provide solutions tailored to the situation to ensure that individuals and entities can adapt and flourish in current and future environments.

NTI is also involved in research and implementation projects across sector change, and recent projects include human-autonomous-systems teaming design; the impact of human proximity, positive collaboration and minimal manning on complex problem solving; the complexities of building accurate brain computer interfaces; maximising blended learning; parental programs on cognitive development and managing technology as an enabler; the neurophysiological impact of touch and eye gaze on healing and trust; the blend of human/tech intervention to maximise patient health outcomes and positive behaviour change, and ways to ensure direct interaction in psychosocial settings.

CEO and Founder of NTI, Dr Kerr’s unique perspective on the power of human cognition and interaction and the transformative capacity of technologization from an individual and systems perspective, results from qualifications in (complex) systems engineering, anthropology, psychology and cognitive science, and experience gained over almost 40 years in a variety of companies and sectors in Australia and overseas. She works with a broad international list of clients across corporate, creative, government and defence sectors, and holds board/advisory positions in AI (design, ethical use), health, ageing, robotics, and cultural trends. Her honorary academic positions include Adjunct Senior Fellow (University of Adelaide’s School of Psychology) and Research Fellow (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). Fiona is an international keynote speaker, writer and science educator, appearing regularly on national and international media.

Tech and sleep aren’t necessarily always good bedfellows but in this case, they can be.

Sleep health is undergoing a digital and technological innovation transformation. Developments are set to revolutionise the way sleep disorders are diagnosed, monitored, and treated.

From the development of improved treatment identification platforms for doctors, to wearable devices that reliably track sleep patterns, new lighting systems that can shift body clock (circadian) patterns, the use of virtual reality and app based CBTi therapies for insomnia, technology is providing new tools and insights with the potential to help people improve their sleep and health.

GETTING YOUR Z’S FHMRI SLEEP HEALTH is tech-ing up sleep

THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES

Sleep disorders have a huge impact on the health, productivity and safety of people around the world. The two most common disorders (obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia) along with inadequate sleep cost Australia—by conservative estimates—over $60 billion per year.

As submissions to the Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into Sleep showed, people have difficulty seeking effective diagnosis and treatments, with some frustratingly taking years.

This has considerable consequence not only for a person’s health, their work and quality of life, but also their families.”

“We need Australia to wake up to these issues so FHMRI Sleep Health are taking on the bold goal of revolutionising sleep science to improve people’s lives.”

Advancements in data analytics and artificial intelligence are enabling our researchers to better understand underlying causes of sleep disorders and identify new and effective treatments. These digital innovations are not only aiding work in sleep health, but they are also making it easier for people to access the care they need to achieve a good night’s sleep.

In Adelaide, led by Matthew Flinders Professor Danny Eckert, the multidisciplinary team at FHRMI Sleep Health is at the centre of these innovations.

HOME TO EXCELLENCE

FHMRI Sleep Health (formerly Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health) has its origins at the Repatriation Hospital where it was very clear to the team that patients across the country were having trouble accessing sleep health services.

Moving onto today, the need to help people with their sleep problems has only grown.

FHMRI Sleep Health, a dedicated research and clinic facility is made up of approximately 900sqm of cuttingedge research, laboratory and clinic spaces including a fully configurable sixbedroom, acoustically treated laboratory equipped with the latest technology to measure respiratory and brain function.

We also have a state-of-the-art driver simulator room and virtual reality area providing the tech-driven spaces needed to test for the impacts of environmental noise on sleep, conduct live-in sleep deprivation and circadian experiments and drive improvements in treatments for respiratory and non-respiratory sleep disorders.

But perhaps the most significant advantage of our facility is its ability to facilitate trans-disciplinary scientific collaborations in translational sleep health research.

Our transdisciplinary group of more than 60 researchers, medical doctors, psychologists, epidemiologists and engineers are working with industry partners, national and International Universities and consumers to develop new, cutting-edge evidence-based technologies to better measure sleep, screen for and treat sleep disorders, and manage sleep health in the community and in health clinics - including our own Sleep Health Clinic, a forerunner in effective CBTi Insomnia treatment and precision medicine for sleep apnoea. This will be featured in an upcoming 3-part series to be aired on SBS titled Australia’s sleep revolution with Dr. Michael Mosely.

Firefly BIOTECH

RESEARCH TOOLS THAT ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD

Firefly Biotech is an Adelaide start-up that targets a growing niche between medical research and engineering. They specialise in space medicine and research tools. They also offer advice, expertise and inspiration to the next generation of aspiring space scientists. Founded by Dr Giles Kirby, a thought leader in space medicine and top 100 Australian innovator 2022, Firefly Biotech has already achieved great advances in a very short time. Upon its’ conception, Firefly Biotech was successful in winning a prestigious place on the Venture Catalyst Space program, offered by the Innovation and Collaboration Centre (University of South Australia).

On-shore research, development and manufacture has been a priority and their equipment has generated excellent capabilities within Australian universities that are quickly translating to excellent science results. Firefly Biotech is paving the way to translate innovative approaches into excellent medical solutions for space travel. Part of their core offering includes the development of tools and approaches that tackle Earth-based medical needs in a unique and new way. The fields of cancer biology and developmental biology are already showing strong promise using tools developed and tailored by Firefly Biotech.

Founder, Dr Giles Kirby, was identified by ‘The Australian’ as one of Australia’s top 100 innovators in 2022. By driving development in a key area at an opportune time he has helped place Australia at the leading edge in the new and fast-growing sector of space medicine. By collaborating with experts in their respective fields, Firefly Biotech is driving and supporting Australian research. Adelaide has provided the foundation required with its’ thriving space sector and wonderful living conditions.

Ideally, space research would be conducted in space but cost is a significant factor. It’s critical to optimise a payload and send the most useful experiments to space to obtain the best results. This is where ground-based studies are critical. It is possible to simulate the effects of microgravity on Earth under certain circumstances, however, doing it well and planning appropriate experiments remains a challenge. Firefly Biotech does the heavy lifting, the tool development, and the validation. They work with customers to develop and plan the most useful experiments for their application and develop tools that integrate well with biology and real scientific workflows. No other provider makes these methods this accessible to researchers.

Firefly Biotech currently produces innovative tools, approaches, and software for groundbased research but their sights are set towards the stars. They plan to translate their capability to space medical solutions for advanced health monitoring and remote medicine. Firefly Biotech has a clear pathway for growth. Their company tag-line “Offworld healthcare and medical research” clearly articulates these lofty goals.

Dr.

Giles Kirby, Founder

In just 10 years, average people like you and me will be working and living in space. We critically need to accelerate development of the medical knowledge and infrastructure to support this new space lifestyle.”

We’re not just engineers; we’re biologists, chemists, medical device specialists and more. We intimately understand the problems we’re tackling and can effortlessly communicate our solutions to users and help them get the most out of new capabilities.”

—

Dr. Giles Kirby

LIFE-THREATENING VASCULAR STENTS PROBLEMS MAY SOON BE A THING OF THE PAST.

TekCyte’s next-generation medical device coating technology BIOINVISIBLE™ is helping to create safer and better outcomes for patients.

Currently, vascular medical device complications result in implant failure rates of up to 30%, leaving many patients requiring additional medical intervention and surgery. These complications can cause patients significant discomfort, morbidity, and in some cases, even death.

Tackling this issue is Adelaide’s own TekCyte, a public unlisted company based at Mawson Lakes. In collaboration with the University of South Australia (UniSA) and the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN), TekCyte has developed BIOINVISIBLE™, a globally patented coating technology based on a hyperbranched polyglycerol polymer, which is ultra-thin and highly hydrophilic, that can be chemically bonded to medical device surfaces such as stents and catheters. It is antithrombogenic, anti-proliferative and evidence also now demonstrates an extreme reduction in the formation or microbial biofilm. The new coating technology is attracting significant investment interest from both Australia and overseas.

Led by Dr Tony Simula, TekCyte is supported by an esteemed board of directors with decades of combined experience including local identity and former Chief Scientist for South Australia, Dr Leanna Read.

Dr Read has executive, board and investment experience across a range of technology-based enterprises, particularly biotechnology, and was formerly CEO and Chair of the CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing (CTM CRC) that established TekCyte in 2018.

“We developed BIOINVISBLE™ to be easily applied to any existing metal stents. The coating process is scalable to meet future commercial demands, providing medical device manufacturers a reliable, safe and drug-free alternative to coated stent” says Dr Tony Simula, CEO at TekCyte.

Implanted medical devices are often perceived as a foreign object by the human body, which in turn causes a reaction which can range from inflammation and fibrosis through to life-threatening thrombosis (blood clot), depending on the location of the implanted device. Most drugcoated stents approved for peripheral vascular disease are coated with a drug (e.g., paclitaxel, sirolimus), very potent cytotoxic agents. While the drugs are effective in mitigating restenosis, the implications of the drug delaying normal tissue repair are not well understood. However, stents and other vascular devices coated in BIOINVISIBLE™, a stable and drugfree coating, have shown in multiple laboratory studies to markedly reduce thrombosis and restenosis (blocked vessels), which can lead to better outcomes for patients and more durable treatments.

BIOINVISIBLE™ has also been shown to significantly reduce the risk of microbial biofilm on coated surfaces, which could help reduce infection or device failure caused by biofilm. Helping guard against the development of biofilm reduces the likelihood of later medical complications. At the same time, the protective qualities of this worldleading technology also enhance the durability of the medical device that the coating is applied to.

Biofilms are estimated to be responsible for more than 65% of nosocomial infections, almost 80% of chronic infections, and approximately 60% of all human bacterial infections. Biofilm treatment is very challenging because treatment with antibiotics is often ineffective. Implants are very susceptible to the formation of biofilm, which can develop over days, or even over several months. Once established, surgical intervention to remove/replace the device/implant is the usual course of action.

Many researchers have tried to target microbial biofilms to reduce their impact on patient outcomes, unfortunately current conventional antimicrobial strategies don’t work well to counter biofilm development.

“Our research shows that BIOINVISIBLE™ has the potential to address complications associated with biofilm buildup, without the need for drugs or other active agents,” says Dr Simula.

The coating is being considered and applied to a variety of devices

that are implanted into the body. TekCyte researchers are also able to investigate and design bespoke coatings that have tailored surface properties and functions to match specific requirements.

“It is clear that BIOINVISIBLE™ has significant possibilities to address current challenges and we’re excited by the prospect of working with major device companies to bring to market the first truly biocompatible medical coating” says Dr Simula.

The patented BIOINVISIBLE™ is proudly manufactured in Adelaide and is able to be produced at scale and ready to meet commercial demands. TekCyte is paving the way for better patient experiences and outcomes, and already has a proven history of creating and delivering solutions for the medtech industry both nationally and internationally.

CHAPTER FIVE HEALTHCARE

The Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health (CEIH) is the lead government agency for innovation in South Australia’s healthcare system. With a focus on continuous improvement and disruptive thinking, the CEIH is working to create a culture where new ideas are welcomed and encouraged.

To achieve its vision of “Together, let’s create better healthcare for South Australians”, the CEIH is committed to maximising the value of innovation. It recognises the blend of continuous incremental improvement combined with disruptive strategic thinking, that encourages new ways of working with more courageous, curious, and open minds. The CEIH supports a culture of innovation that unlocks potential and connects people to turn ideas into action.

The CEIH brings consumers, clinicians, and other collaborators together, to gain new perspectives towards better healthcare. It has a direct reporting relationship with the SA Minister for Health and Wellbeing and consists of a multi-disciplinary team of experts and deep networks integrating collective skill sets across allied health, acute care, primary

CEIH IS THE LEAD GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR INNOVATION IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

care, informatics, communication, change management, project management, innovation, evaluation and business analysis to name a few.

Located in the heart of the city, the CEIH links to the Lot Fourteen innovation precinct in the east, and the BioMed City precinct to the west, offering proximity to hospitals, public-health, academics, innovators and consumer communities. This brings ideas, experiments, and trials coupled with a direct connection to clinicians, consumers, and public and private health care providers, enabling the CEIH to observe and influence the journey of solutions from bench to bedside, from study to service and from pilot to practice.

The CEIH released a discussion paper: ‘A Culture of Innovation’ (2022) that recognises “only a system-wide agenda of innovation that pervades executive, managerial and operational echelons of the health system can accelerate the improvement agenda at a pace and scale required to achieve world-class standards”. In addition to publishing its discussion paper, the CEIH is progressing a portfolio of activity that includes the

release of A Guide to Innovation (2022), creation of an Innovation Model, the establishment of the Innovation Collaborative and the evolution of an Innovation Institute. More information about these resources are available on the CEIH website.

Excellent healthcare doesn’t happen by chance; it requires proactive collaboration to achieve innovation at scale. In this context, the CEIH is focused on developing formal statewide networks to build and nurture productive relationships between clinicians, communities, consumers, carers, and others who interact and intersect with the health system. Innovation is encouraged and supported throughout the networks, creating a unique nexus between the ‘thinking’ and ‘doing’ of health care.

Innovation involves deep consideration and insight into the needs, experiences and perspectives of the people involved. This understanding drives the design of solutions, where those impacted by each decision are at the centre of the conversation.

In addition to the state-wide clinical networks, the CEIH has also established a Community of Consumers, through which it engages with patients, carers, and the community to provide a stronger consumer voice to advise on patient experiences in the healthcare system. This group influences the work of the CEIH by ensuring consumer and community engagement is timely, meaningful, and effective.

The CEIH is also in the process of developing a Statewide Patient Reported Measures (PRMs) program, whereby patients’ perspectives of their own health and experiences will be collected and used to improve their health outcomes and quality of care.

The CEIH strives to provide clinicians with easy access to the insights, data, and tools they need to provide

the best care. Its data scientists, data architects and clinical informatics specialists are focused on maximising and enhancing the health sectors’ rich data assets, using data driven innovation and insights, building capability in clinical informatics, and providing better access to timely, reliable data across the health system to inform the creation of better healthcare.

We put imagination to work to advance healthcare for all South Australians.

ceih.sa.gov.au

INNOVATION-DRIVEN WORLD-CLASS CARE AND RESEARCH

Built around the needs of patients

Innovation sits at the core of South Australia’s Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).

Not only do we apply the latest evidence in health, education and research to ensure our patients receive world-class care, but we’re also creating the healthcare of the future.

Our clinician scientists have designed a scientific breakthrough that transplants living cells under lab-made skin to provide vital insulin for diabetics.

We’ve developed and trialled new treatments to target brain tumours that are currently lethal for 95% of patients within five years.

Our specialists created a bespoke clinical protocol that defies global statistics to save lives of high-risk lung transplant patients with COVID-19.

But innovation at the RAH runs even deeper. From clever, patientfocused architectural layout, automated diagnostic services, digital connectivity and data-led patient management, the RAH is a true exemplar of contemporary, bespoke infrastructure and hospital operating systems in practise.

With over 800 beds, the RAH is South Australia’s largest research and teaching hospital. Operated by the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and located within Adelaide’s BioMedCity Innovation district, the RAH is South Australia’s flagship hospital. It provides a comprehensive range of the most complex clinical care to an estimated 85,000 inpatients and 400,000 outpatients each year.

The RAH is a globally recognised healthcare service, placing 14th in the World’s Best Hospitals 2023 rankings compiled by Newsweek and Statista Inc, a respected global data research firm. Recommendations from medical experts make up over half of the score, indicating national and international recognition of CALHN’s commitment to deliver excellent patient care driven by world-leading research and innovation.

The RAH was planned, designed and built around the needs of patients, and provided a much-needed update to its predecessor hospital founded in 1840. It opened on its current site in September 2017.

At the RAH we collaborate with world-leading researchers and international partners to provide our patients with access to innovative, evidence-based treatments.

Our research is delivering new ways to tackle the growing burden of chronic disease and improve patient care.

New way forward for treating diabetes

Professor Toby Coates is Kidney and Transplantation Director at CALHN, leading a RAH trial to advance a new clinical approach that offers a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. The exciting method implants insulin-producing cells into an artificial skin layer in the patient’s arm.

In diabetes, islet cells in the pancreas fail to produce normal levels of insulin, making patients reliant on an external source of insulin, typically injections, to stay alive.

While a method involving donated replacement islet cells being implanted into patient livers has achieved some success, the approach has several challenges.

“The quest around the world has been to come up with alternative sites where the cells might be more likely to survive, and that’s what led us to start working here, looking at implanting into the skin,” said Professor Coates.

Working with former Director of the RAH Burns Unit Professor John Greenwood, Professor Coates combined cutting edge skin science with models for diabetes care to create the innovative new approach for diabetic patients.

Compared to other cell-based diabetes treatments, the new trial treatment is less invasive, less risky for the patient, less expensive and can be established under local anaesthetic. An initial trial with patients is showing promise.

Fresh hope for brain tumour patients

A RAH clinical trial is testing a crucially-needed fresh approach to treat deadly brain tumours known as glioblastoma multiforme. The innovation has been developed by clinicians and scientists at the Centre for Cancer Biology, an alliance between CALHN and the University of South Australia.

The planned trial is highly unique, bringing over a blood cancer treatment approach called CAR-T therapy. CAR-T involves harvesting the patient’s own immune cells, educating them to attack the cancer cells and then putting them back into the blood of the patient where they can travel around the body to take effect.

Professor Toby Coates

Professor Michael Brown is Director at the RAH Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, and Head of the Translational Oncology Lab at the Centre for Cancer Biology. Working with colleagues, he has made significant advances in applying CAR-T therapy for patients with glioblastoma multiforme, as well as for children with a rare, currently untreatable brain tumour.

“This laboratory work has laid the ground for us to open trials of CAR-T cell therapy for adult and paediatric patients with aggressive brain cancers to offer these patients the opportunity to participate in clinical studies of new therapies,” said Professor Brown.

Beating the odds after lung transplant

An innovative, targeted protocol enacted at the RAH to manage lung transplant patients during the COVID-19 pandemic defied global fatality rates.

Compared to international studies showing up to 45% mortality rate for lung transplant patients who contracted COVID-19, the RAH’s bespoke protocol ensured equivalent survival rates remained very close to zero in South Australia.

CALHN’s Lung Transplant Unit is a multidisciplinary unit which delivers ongoing specialised care for SA’s more than 200 planned and post-lung transplant recipients, as well as centralised expertise and resources for all SA physicians and health care professionals. The plan they developed to minimise risk for lung transplant patients in this state was highly unique, proactive and patient-centred, and supported by a specialised team led by physicians and senior outpatient and inpatient nurses.

CALHN physician and SA Lung Transplant COVID Response Lead, Professor Chien-Li Holmes-Liew says the expertise of the team and regular consultation with patients and families underpinned the protocol’s achievements.

“It was recognised early on by the unit that a world-class standard protocol regarding a dynamic situation required continuous improvement and updating, with rapid changes often necessary to improve and fine-tune the strategy,” said Professor Holmes-Liew.

Care for patients before and after surgery

Overseen by CALHN surgical lead Professor Jane Andrews, the application of preventative, holistic health strategies as well as live data monitoring to ensure the very best outcomes for surgical patients.

In advance of surgery, a unique approach referred to as Pre-Hab – short for prehabilitation - encourages patients to undertake steps prior to surgery to decrease complications which can delay or impair recovery.

“The aim is to have patients link in with their surgical team and their GP, to identify and address risk factors such as smoking, weight, frailty and poor nutrition as this will help to lower the risk of complications and reduce their stay in hospital,” said Professor Andrews

Consumer feedback on Pre-Hab indicates it is a pragmatic, novel, innovative and scalable approach to addressing the hidden pandemic of post-operative complications, highlighting the place of CALHN as a global leader in digital perioperative care.

Once patients do have surgery, the RAH is one of the first public hospitals in Australia to apply an innovative digital approach to ensure their recovery is optimal.

Developed by medical doctors and computer scientists, the artificial intelligence (AI) technology monitors recorded data such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and pathology results, and then creates an integrated picture of patient health. When a deterioration in patient status is detected, the AI automatically alerts medical staff, allowing them to intervene quickly.

“The system uses excellent logic from a clinical perspective and expedites our ability to make decisions that benefit patient care,” said Professor Andrews. “This will become part of our normal safety standards and give us an uplift in bringing care forward.”

New approaches to manage atrial fibrillation and kidney disease

Clinical staff at the RAH are trialling a unique new model of care for atrial fibrillation, a heart disorder that affects around half a million Australians every year.

CALHN researcher Professor Jeroen Hendriks is the Principal Investigator for the iCare-AF trial, which aims to determine the effectiveness of integrated care management in atrial fibrillation patients.

Professor Michael Brown

“The iCARE-AF Clinic is based on the concept of integrated care and uses a patient-centred approach to educate and empower people with atrial fibrillation to support them in self-managing their care which includes lifestyle modification,” Professor Hendriks said. “I’m expecting we will see improved data on hospitalisation, use of healthcare services but also mortality.”

CALHN is also developing an innovative new approach to improve clinical care and support of women with chronic kidney disease who are considering pregnancy.

Up to three per cent of pregnancies are affected by chronic kidney disease, which significantly increases the risks of serious complications for mother and baby.

CALHN researcher and RAH Clinical Associate Professor Shilpa Jesudason has been awarded a research grant to develop and evaluate a novel, evidence-based toolkit for pregnancy-related care for her patients. The toolkit will be built with specific national and hospital data, along with experiences of clinicians, patients and their partners.

“What we’re trying to do is generate really solid data so that we can help both clinicians and patients navigate through some of this challenging decision-making,” said Associate Professor Jesudason.

Building a healthy future through innovation

Innovative research, novel scientific discoveries and tailored technologies have led to new treatments, better patient outcomes and effective pandemic management, as well as revitalised ways of thinking, providing care and operating public health services at the RAH and other sites across Central Adelaide Local Health Network.

These results are made possible through the work of academic clinicians and their colleagues across all layers of the healthcare system, in combination with appropriate technologies that create contemporary and responsive healthcare services.

Innovation at the RAH will improve health of current and coming generations and shape tailored, ongoing development of our healthcare system in South Australia. In turn, together we can build wellbeing and resilience for our communities in the face of any challenge the future will throw at us.

Adelaide SA 5000 087-074-0000

rah.sa.gov.au

Professor Shilpa Jesudason

Is South Australia’s independent, not-for-profit health and medical research institute

SAHMRI is South Australia’s independent, not-for-profit health and medical research institute. It sits at the nexus of health and medical research in South Australia, facilitating diverse and innovative collaborations that deliver better, more equitable, health and health care to people across the state and beyond.

SAHMRI was created in 2009 to bring focus and scale to the health and medical research industry in South Australia. Innovation and collaboration are central to SAHMRI’s vision to conduct inspired research leading to better health for all. The organisation works closely with South Australia’s three major universities and is embedded within the state’s major public hospitals to ensure its research is driven by clinical needs and leads to clinical improvements.

By the time SAHMRI begun operations in late 2013, it had already made an indelible mark on Adelaide through its iconic headquarters, – nicknamed ‘The Cheesegrater’ because of its thousands of distinctive triangular window hoods.

The Cheesegrater was far more than just an architectural statement. It spoke to the embryonic institute’s desire to innovate; to challenge norms and to do things because they were what was needed, not what was easy or expected.

The building’s 15,000+ windows speak to the very DNA of SAHMRI. It is an institute that wants the world to look in, to be curious about, and to direct, the work that it is doing. Similarly, SAHMRI’s researchers are expected to look out at the community they live in as a constant reminder of why the work they do is so essential.

The extraordinary diversity of SAHMRI’s research agenda is rare among health and medical research institutes globally. SAHMRI is home to groups investigating diabetes, cancers, heart disease, dementia, mental health and wellbeing, perinatal conditions, Indigenous health issues, visceral pain and much more. These disparate targets for research are, however, bound by a common denominator – they are the most common health challenges that people everywhere are facing today.

The Hon. Hieu Van Le AC CHAIR

Professor Caroline McMillen BOARD MEMBER

Professor Justin Beilby DEPUTY CHAIR

Mr. Edward (Eddie) Fry BOARD MEMBER

Professor Steve Wesselingh EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mr. Ross Haslam BOARD MEMBER

The power to measure and improve healthy ageing

Imagine a simple test that could reveal how well you are ageing.

A research team at SAHMRI, led by Dr Tim Sargeant, has developed a blood test that is a giant step in that direction. It is a test to measure autophagy which, in simple terms, is the recycling system that operates within every one of our cells, every second of every day. It makes sense that the better our cellular recycling system is operating, the healthier we are. The gradual decline of our autophagic system over time is a key factor in what people generally refer to as ‘ageing’.

This innovative blood test measures the effectiveness of a person’s autophagy system at any point in time. Better yet, it can be measured regularly allowing for comparisons – and opening the door to an enormous array of clinical trials to investigate the impact that a particular intervention can have on autophagy. Already, the team is involved in a trial to determine the impact protein has on autophagy, while another is testing how autophagy is affected by dietary interventions like intermittent fasting and caloric restriction.

And that’s just the beginning of what’s potentially possible thanks to this world-first blood test.

A simple solution for a better start to life

Preterm birth can cause complications that have an acute impact on a baby’s start to life, and the wide-ranging effects can persist well into adulthood.

Despite rapid advancements in health care and medical knowledge, the prevalence of preterm birth across the world has shown few signs of improvement … until now.

SAHMRI’s Women and Kids theme, under the guidance of Professor Maria Makrides, has discovered that omega-3 – the readily available, inexpensive, easy to administer nutrient – can play a major role in helping babies arrive on time.

Like many of the world’s great discoveries, this one was more serendipitous than by design.

Professor Makrides’ team had been investigating the association between omega-3 and cognitive benefits for newborns. While analysing data, researchers identified a stunning and unexpected trend among – participants who received omega 3 supplements showed a distinct reduction in preterm births.

Armed with this information, Professor Makrides and her team conducted a systematic review scouring the globe for any clinical trials involving pregnant women who had been given omega-3 supplements. The review supported the hypothesis that a pregnant woman’s omega-3 level is an important factor in helping carry their baby to full term.

But questions remained about who could benefit and how those people could be identified.

Ms. Jennifer (Jenny) Richter AM BOARD MEMBER

Professor Robert Saint BOARD MEMBER

Professor Benjamin Kile BOARD MEMBER

Ms. Kathryn House AM BOARD MEMBER

Several more years of painstaking research unlocked the answers, with Professor Makrides’ team developing a simple blood test to measure a pregnant mum’s omega-3 levels, with supplementation recommended for those who are low.

This knowledge is now being further tested with a real-world trial across South Australia. It’s a trial that jurisdictions across the globe are watching with interest, with a view to rolling out the program for their populations.

More effective cancer treatment with fewer side effects

One of the most insidious aspects of cancer is that the treatment can be worse that the disease itself.

Proton therapy is at the vanguard of radiation options to treat solid cancers, delivering a concentrated, highly precise dose that targets the tumour while largely preserving surrounding healthy tissues.

Minimising dosage to healthy tissues reduces side-effects and reduces the chance of secondary cancers developing as a result of the radiation treatment.

The precise nature of proton therapy makes it an optimal treatment for cancers that are close to sensitive organs like the brain, eye and spinal column, and makes it a game-changer for a range of child, adolescent and young adult cancers that are extremely difficult to treat with traditional x-ray radiotherapy, which can cause severe and long-term side effects.

Proton therapy treatment has become more common across the US, Europe and more recently Asia, but until now hasn’t been an option in Australia.

SAHMRI is a key part of a dynamic partnership that is delivering the Australian Bragg Centre for Proton Therapy and Research, to be housed in a newly constructed building adjacent to the institute’s famous Cheesegrater

Once fully operational, the centre will treat up to 700 patients each year, with the majority of those to be children, adolescents and young adults. The centre will comprise three treatment rooms but is much more than just a treatment unit – and that’s where SAHMRI’s involvement comes to the fore.

SAHMRI will lead the research’ aspect of the centre. As a relatively recent treatment technology, the untapped potential of proton therapy is vast. The number of conditions it is known to provide beneficial treatment for is still relatively small. It remains a highly expensive treatment option also, owing in part to the size of the infrastructure needed to enable the proton beam to manoeuvre around the patient to achieve the optimal treatment angle.

Among other research projects, SAHMRI’s proton therapy research will prioritise development of a technologically advanced mechanical treatment chair that will enable the patient to be moved, rather than the beam. The ability to use a fixed beam will dramatically reduce the cost and complexity of constructing proton therapy units.

What lies ahead

SAHMRI is leading cutting edge research that continues to evolve through growth fields such as data science and artificial intelligence, genomics and integrated clinical trials. The institute’s innovative expertise are supported by some of the most advanced technology in the world including South Australia’s only cyclotron, the latest genomics infrastructure, Australia’s first photon-counting CT scanner, Australia’s only proton therapy unit and one of the world’s first Magnetom Cima.X MRI scanners.

Though little more than a decade old in operational terms, SAHMRI’s achievements in delivering improved health and health care are considerable. Just as significant as the research outputs are the strong local, national and international partnerships that have been fostered to provide for even greater contributions to better health in the future, as SAHMRI strives to deliver the right interventions to the right people at the right time of their lives to optimise health.

Ken Saman, CEO

Personify Care is a flexible and scalable health tech platform that accelerates health services to transform their patient experience whilst simultaneously reducing the administrative and cognitive burden on our frontline staff.

Led by South Australian CEO Ken Saman, Personify Care’s approach is to support healthcare teams to rapidly adapt and shift their digital patient pathways according to their patient, clinical, and administrative needs. The novel technology does this by converting traditional phone calls, paper forms and manual triaging algorithms, into a seamless digital experience that patients can access on any device.

Personify Care automatically screens a patients’ health history to flag clinical risks like Blood Thinners, VTE, BMI, Allergies, COVID19, and more. This eliminates the burden of manually reviewing and chasing paper forms so health care teams can spend more time on high value care, with the high-risk patients.

CO-DESIGNED, PATIENT-CENTRED PATHWAYS LEAD TO RAPID RESULTS IN HEALTHCARE

By working with clinical and administrative teams across hospitals and clinics, Personify Care’s Digital Patient Pathways provide a unique opportunity to relieve the current pressure on health service whilst setting the foundation for digitally-enabled models of care. Patients benefit from an enhanced experience that connects them in real time with their caregivers and ultimately, seeks to deliver better health outcomes for Australians.

Thorough pre-admission assessment is critical to optimise patient access to healthcare. Whether health teams collect patient health history on paper or with digital forms, traditional risk calculation is a manually intensive process. Our platform can help move beyond simple data collection, so health services can spend more time on high value care.”

— Ken Saman

INNOVATIVE HEALTH TECH PLATFORM ENABLES PATIENTS TO ACCESS THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE, BEYOND THEIR HOSPITAL STAY.

PATIENTS ARE DEMANDING CONVENIENT, DIGITAL ACCESS TO CARE

Convenient, omni-channel access to care is no longer optional.

“As patients spend more of their health journey away from face-to-face encounters, hybrid models of care (virtual care and in-person) need to be embedded into the operating model of a health service, that’s where we can help” says Ken Saman.

Personify Care’s digital patient pathways provide scalable data-driven model to dynamically adjust to the clinical needs and preferences of healthcare consumers. All without manual intervention, additional administrative burden or limiting the therapeutic relationship between patient and clinician.

Personify Care supports health services to rapidly adopt patient-centred models of care that are scalable and don’t require IT support. Each patient experience automatically takes into account the individual’s risk profile, procedure, treatment, and their progress against clinically defined guidelines.

“Underpinning Personify Care is a learning system that uses patient interaction data to continuously optimise patient response rates. This enables the timing, frequency and medium (e.g. SMS, email, in-app prompt) of interactions to be tailored to reach a patient when it’s most convenient and ensures clinicians have real-time visibility into their progress. Clinical and administrative teams can control and update the pathways they deliver to their patients, without delay.

“We’re pleased to be continually expanding the pathways in our platform throughout the patient journey and across speciality areas; from genomics to cancer care, orthopaedics to antenatal. We look forward to supporting clinical teams developing new models of care that will reduce patient wait times whilst ensuring that frontline nurses, clinicians and staff can spend more of their time on high value care to the patients that need it most”, says Ken

Saman, CEO of Personify Care.

BRINGING MEDICAL INNOVATION TO LIFE!

AusHealth® is an Australian-owned health and wellbeing organisation that provides workplace drug and alcohol testing and debt collection services to hospitals, while turning its profits wholly to locally led, globally recognised medical research.

Since establishing in 1985, AusHealth ® has contributed more than $47 million into South-Australian led research towards pain management, cancer, and diabetes - commercialising new medical technologies from researchers at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and SA Pathology.

In the last 38 years, AusHealth ® has assisted with the formation of several notable Australian companies (collectively valued at $1.5 billion) through the licensing of valuable intellectual property.

Since then, our three divisions have made a major impact on the community. AusHealth® Work has become a leading provider of drug and alcohol testing for workplaces across Australia, conducting more than a million tests since 2020. AusHealth ® Hospitals serves more than 80 hospitals nationally across five states, saving $17 million in lost and unpaid patient fees. AusHealth ® Research continues to pursue amazing Australian-led research.

Here’s what we’ve been working on, in Adelaide’s very own backyard...

THE ADELAIDE PHAGE THERAPY CENTRE

One of the most exciting projects AusHealth is working towards is the Adelaide Phage Therapy Centre – using the viruses of bacteria (phage) to eradicate hard-to-treat infections and the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

It’s long been understood that phages have exquisite selectivity for their specific host bacterium and can kill the host bacterium upon infection. This makes them a possible alternative to antibiotics for treating bacterial infections.

Established in 2020 by the University of Adelaide and the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CAHLN), the Centre is working towards developing phage-based treatments for a variety of clinical purposes. The Adelaide Phage Therapy Centre has developed an expanding biobank of phages against a variety of clinically important bacteria.

Greg Johansen, Managing Director & CEO

It’s hoped that the Centre will assist in finding solutions that assist in treating conditions such as serious respiratory diseases, bone infections, diabetic ulcers and Cystic Fibrosis.

AusHealth® is providing funding and services to establish the Centre’s operations.

In partnership with AusHealth ®, the Adelaide Phage Therapy Centre is currently developing its ability to develop and manufacture phages and is also working towards obtaining regulatory approval for the use of this new class of antibacterial agents in humans, with the expectation that the Centre will be able to provide phage to hospitals for use in treatment in the near future.

TREATMENT OF DIABETES

AusHealth® is developing new technologies to revolutionise the way we treat Type 2 diabetes.

One project involves the modification of agents naturally present in the venom of platypus and echidna to develop new drugs that regulate insulin production with reduced side effects. The other AusHealth ® project involves the use of a newly identified regulatory system in the body associated with insulin regulation. Both projects involve a collaboration with the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Health and Medical Institute (SAHMRI).

In these collaborative research projects, AusHealth ® is currently supporting ‘proof of concept’ studies to develop these potential new drugs for treating Type 2 diabetes.

CARMENTA PREGNANCY SCREENING

Advancing health screening techniques is another primary focus of AusHealth® — commercialising more effective and lower cost screening test to benefit the community.

One such test is the Carmenta Down Syndrome screening — promoting healthy mothers and babies through a pre-natal blood test.

For around three decades, the pre-natal Down Syndrome screening test has been conducted through a ‘triple-test’ screening — measuring certain blood markers and other specific characteristics of the developing foetus to identify a potential Down Syndrome pregnancy.

Typically, further chromosomal testing is then performed to determine whether the pregnancy is affected or unaffected. This existing test largely depends on testing the fluid of the womb, potentially impacting the foetus.

However, AusHealth® Carmenta technology aims to provide a simpler and more accurate screening test without relying on measuring the characteristics of the developing foetus.

Researchers from SA Pathology at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH) have discovered that a blood sample from a mother with a Down Syndrome pregnancy has an altered profile of lipids (fats) in the blood which can be detected to assess the risk of Down Syndrome. The technology utilises state of the art mass spectrometry to detect these altered lipids and can be performed earlier in pregnancy.

AusHealth® has partnered with SA Pathology to fund the research and provide commercial development.

The Carmenta technology is currently undergoing large-scale validation and the technology is expected to be commercially developed in the near future.

CANCER PROGRAMS

AusHealth® is supporting the development of various new cancer projects.

In partnership with our licensee, Telix Pharmaceuticals, we are supporting clinical trials at the Royal Adelaide Hospital utilising the radiolabelled APOMAB antibody as a diagnostic agent and a treatment for ovarian and lung cancers. The APOMAB antibody was developed by researchers at South Australian hospitals and binds to dead or dying cells, meaning it can be utilised in conjunction with some existing cancer treatments to image and treat some cancers.

In addition, AusHealth® is collaborating with researchers at the Centre for Cancer Biology, an alliance between SA Pathology and the University of South Australia. We are supporting the development of new antibody drugs for treating pancreatic cancer and some cancers arising from bone marrow.

And we’re not stopping there.

AusHealth® is also proud to support a number of other projects alongside other Australian researchers. We’re passionate about finding local projects with merit and nurturing them with guidance,

intellectual property protection and funding towards eventual commercialisation.

AusHealth® is proud to be aligned with Adelaide medical researchers working in the public health and university sectors to advance cancer, pain, diabetes, and other world first medical technologies. AusHealth® has a unique business model it takes medical research inventions, develops the intellectual property, commercialises and launches these technologies overcoming the ‘valley of death’ – a point where most medical research meets it demise due to lack of funding, commercialisation expertise and lack of IP support.

AusHealth® brings medical innovation in Adelaide to life.

The AusHealth® head office is located at 65 Hardys Road, Underdale 5032.

aushealth.com.au

CHAPTER SIX

EDUCATION

What is a Lumination Learning Lab?

Built within schools nationally Lumination Learning Labs are automated, multi-purpose and immersive smart classrooms students and schools in achieving exceptional results using immersive learning.

How are we revolutionising the learning experience?

The future of the workforce depends on effective education and continuous upskilling, meaning education, industry and government must work together to create equitable access to emerging technologies.

Increasing student engagement, retention, creativity and collaboration in the classroom, Lumination Learning Labs equip students with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce.

Access to educational experts and teaching resources empower teachers to lead with confidence creating transformational learning experiences in today’s classrooms.

REVOLUTIONISE THE WAY YOU TEACH, LEARN AND WORK.

Who is Lumination?

Lumination is an immersive technology company that was started with the goal of disrupting one of the oldest practices in history — the conventional classroom.

Pioneering the use of immersive technology; Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), Lumination is revolutionising the way we teach, learn and work.

After centuries of “chalk and talk’’ teaching methods, immersive learning is a game-changer for education. Building extended reality technology that enhances the physical world around us, its products enable the most effective way to learn, through experiences.

Fast Facts:

1. A PwC study shows virtual reality training is 4x more effective than traditional teaching methods.

2. By experiencing content instead of consuming it, users learn and retain information more effectively.

3. Developed in line with the design thinking framework, Lumination Learning Labs enable educators to achieve the best learning outcomes directly linked to the curriculum.

4. Lumination provides ongoing educational and technical support following the installation of a Lumination Learning Lab, including professional development sessions with subject matter experts to enhance the user’s skill base.

5. Over 2,600 schools have either visited our Lumination Learning Lab or used our technology in the classroom, with over two million students served.

Our team of engineers, educators, designers and software developers are on a mission to fundamentally change the landscape of learning. Experts in building immersive technology, Lumination is taking learning to the next level on the world stage.

What educators and students are saying about us

“Immersive technology was starting to feature in the world of work… This new immersive technology does not just feed our students with content; the technology engages our students to be curious and enables every learning area to engage differently.”

—

to launch in industry

Research shows that students learning through VR need less time to understand concepts, are more engaged, have increased confidence, as well as a stronger emotional connection to the content being taught.

Taking this educational blueprint, Lumination’s global team now works with Education, Government, Defence and Industry to implement immersive technology products. For example:

Industry Labs: For defence, government and enterprise use, Lumination’s Labs are transforming the workplace, converting high-risk, high-cost training environments into low-risk, low-cost XR simulations.

Overlay: An AI-driven object recognition platform and the first instance of democratised object recognition. Overlay provides real time information about the world around it, meaning any user has access to real time information at scale, on any device.

How we’ve used this as a blueprint

Alistair Brown, Principal, Adelaide Botanic High School

“The immersive VR really helps students empathise with what they are trying to learn within the curriculum and gives them real world examples of how that learning can benefit them in the long term.”

— Lottie Penno, Maths and Technology Teacher, Goolwa Secondary College

UNISA AND ACCENTURE PARTNER TO PLUG THE DIGITAL SKILLS GAP

THE BACHELOR OF DIGITAL BUSINESS IS TRAINING THE BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE FUTURE

Digital innovation is transforming the business world at an unprecedented rate, and while it is an exciting time in many ways, keeping up with that rapid change is a daunting prospect for many people working in the sector.

Increasingly, the skills modern professionals require now lie at the intersection of technology and business, including working with artificial intelligence, analysing big data and understanding how online interactivity is changing the relationship between service providers and their clients.

Recognising the need for the business workforce to keep pace with industries shaped by digital disruption and emerging technologies, Fortune 500 professional services company Accenture and the University of South Australia (UniSA) recently launched a joint venture to help transform the provision of business education and digital skills in Australia.

The Innovation Academy in Digital Business combines the best of Accenture’s global practice and expertise with UniSA’s proven leadership in transformative, industry-informed business education and research.

UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd says the Academy delivers bespoke innovative curriculum and training programs, drawing on

the skills and expertise of Accenture’s global workforce and UniSA’s established position in online education.

“UniSA is delighted to be working with Accenture to bring the Innovation Academy to life,” Prof Lloyd says.

“The Academy is educating a new breed of business professionals, informed by best practice and insight from one of the world’s leading technology and strategic consulting companies.

“Our students are gaining invaluable skills, and are not just studying with the best, they’re learning from the best as well.”

EDUCATION TAILOR-MADE FOR INDUSTRY

The Innovation Academy is addressing known and emerging skills gaps to enhance productivity in Australia’s strategic growth areas.

The Bachelor of Digital Business is the first degree to emerge from the Academy, and the degree’s program director Dr Sarah Chua says 25 per cent of the content has been co-developed and designed by digital specialists from both partners, who also deliver the program.

“Students learn everything from the fundamentals of data security and technology, to how to apply emerging technologies to solve current and future business challenges,” Dr Chua says.

Professor David Lloyd, Vice Chancellor and President

Tom Steer, Chief Academic Services Officer

“The world really will be theirs for the taking, as this program distinctively positions students to excel in wherever their career will take them,” Dr Chua says.

Accenture Operations Lead Australia & New Zealand, Jordan Griffiths, says Bachelor of Digital Business students will graduate with highly indemand credentials.

“We are thrilled to be working with UniSA and believe the Innovation Academy will transform how we think about digital business education, locally and globally.

“The Academy will give students real-world applicability to their studies as well as contributing to the upskilling of Australia, by developing talent that is equipped for the technology-driven future.”

AUSTRALIAN INNOVATION FOR A GLOBAL AUDIENCE

While the Innovation Academy has a strong focus on boosting Australian business, Accenture’s global scale and reputation, coupled with UniSA’s expertise in quality education delivery means the Bachelor

of Digital Business is designed to produce graduates who will meet skills shortages worldwide.

UniSA Chief Academic Services Officer, Tom Steer, recently launched the degree in Malaysia and India, and he says the relevance of the content and interest in the degree from industry and prospective students is universal.

“This degree is designed to meet changing workforce needs across the globe,” Steer says. “Not only that, but it will also produce future business leaders capable of leveraging digital technologies to create real business value in the new digital economy.

“Because there is industry content from day one of the degree, it has the potential to be a game-changer in producing job-ready graduates who will transition seamlessly into employment, armed with practical knowledge and the ability to solve real-world problems.

“We look forward to welcoming our next cohort of students in the Bachelor of Digital Business, both online and on-campus here in Adelaide early in the year.”

BUILDING A BRIDGE BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIA

UNISA’S NEW ENTERPRISE HUB PROVIDES BUSINESSES WITH STRAIGHTFORWARD ACCESS TO THE UNIVERSITY’S FULL RANGE OF SERVICES

Universities have a lot to offer industry – research and technical expertise; technology commercialisation; start-up mentoring and incubation; executive education and business development; student internships, placements, and graduate recruitment.

Despite this, many people acknowledge that partnerships between industry and academia can be difficult to establish and maintain.

Too often, the path from industry-based needs to university-based solutions is complex and obscure, reliant on individual relationships rather than institutional connections.

This can limit the scope of industry-university partnerships to single disciplines or researchers, when industry partners often have needs that cross the spectrum of services offered by universities.

Recognising this, the University of South Australia (UniSA) recently undertook a major restructure of its industry engagement process, launching a new public facing entity aimed at providing businesses, communities, and organisations access to the full range of UniSA services.

Called the Enterprise Hub, the new entity brings all UniSA’s industryrelevant services together in one place, providing a single point of contact that delivers partnership information in a language that makes sense to industry.

UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Enterprise, Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington, says the Enterprise Hub’s aim is to make the University accessible to a wide range of community partners.

“The Enterprise Hub provides a physical and virtual door to enter into collaboration with UniSA, whether you’re a startup, a not-for-profit or social enterprise, a large-scale business or a business wanting to scale up,” Prof Hughes-Warrington says.

“It is a one-stop-shop where our experts across all disciplines can help companies to grow and entrepreneurs to develop a great idea.”

EMBRACING INDUSTRY AND OPPORTUNITY

For UniSA, the Enterprise Hub is a logical next step for an institution that’s always had industry at its heart. UniSA recently ranked number one in Australia for industry research income, building on a long tradition of focusing academia on practical outcomes that stretches back to the 1800s with the creation of the SA School of Art and the SA School of Mines and Industries.

Head of Enterprise Hub operations, Director: Enterprise Partnerships, Peter Stevens, estimates he’s spoken with hundreds of industry partners since initial consultation on the project in 2020 and, overwhelmingly, feedback on the new initiative has been positive. “Right from the start, this initiative took an outside-in view,” Stevens says.

“Our partners don’t operate in academic structures or language. We need to look at the way our partners view us, not the way we view ourselves –defining success and value in industry terms.

Professor Marnie Hughes-Warrington AO, Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise

Peter Stevens, Director Enterprise Partnerships

“There are countless opportunities when you start to engage with partners based on what they need, rather than what you have.”

By working so closely with industry, according to terms that industry is comfortable with, UniSA is not only better able to provide the services that help grow Australian businesses, the University also gains valuable insight into specific business needs and industry trends, providing new opportunities for academic staff.

“No other university institution – at least that I’m aware of – has taken such a holistic approach to this problem,” Stevens says.

“The cultural values that sit at the core of our University – partnerships, engagement with industry, access and equity – this is what we’re trying to bring to life with the Enterprise Hub.”

In addition to providing a new focus for the full range of UniSA’s expertise, the Hub also brings together a number of the University’s previously existing industry services, including UniSA Ventures and The Innovation and Collaboration Centre.

Prof Hughes-Warrington says the Enterprise Hub’s primary goal is to help South Australia accelerate its trajectory of growth, attracting the best and brightest from industry to the state, and increasing the likelihood they’ll invest here, employ here, and help to grow the economy.

“That’s our job,” Prof Hughes-Warrington says. “We’re the University of South Australia – we want the economy to continue to grow, we want young people to know this is the place to be, and we want the people of South Australia to see the Enterprise Hub as part of our contribution to creating a greater understanding about the state’s capabilities.

“This is about an absolutely positive belief in South Australia – and getting the world to believe it too.”

MAKING DIGITAL AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, EVERYWHERE.

In a world where traditional education models are struggling to meet the needs of a rapidly changing job market, 42 Adelaide has emerged as a big player in Australia. This innovative coding school was created in 2013 by Xavier Niel, a successful French serial entrepreneur, and has now become an international reference for students and companies.

In 2021, 42, was ranked #1 most ethical school in the world and 10th most innovative in the Top 100 of the World Universities with Real Impact (WURI). 42 has campuses in over 25 countries and was brought to Australia, by social entrepreneur, Louise Nobes.

Louise first came across the 42 model in late 2018, when she went searching for the best global education models that advanced vulnerable youth and addressed the critical digital skills shortages. It took a brave and unwavering focus for her organisation, KIK Innovation, to license the model, raise the funds and open in Adelaide.

Louise’s philosophy is that all young people can be great, no matter their lived experience. This belief is at the heart of 42 Adelaide’s mission, which has aspirations to be the number one tech school in Australia for diversity and inclusion.

The school’s focus on these values has helped it attract a wide range of students from different backgrounds, who are eager to learn and grow in the tech industry.

42 Adelaide first opened its doors in June 2021 and has already seen remarkable success. Over 550 students have completed the pre selection process via a 28 day boot camp (called a piscine), with more than 300 receiving a place in the school. This is a testament to the school’s unique approach, which offers completely free learning with no classes, no teachers, and a 24/7 CBD campus.

The structure of learning at 42 Adelaide is also unique. The school uses a gamified learning approach, with over 200 projects. As students complete projects, they move on to the next one, until they are able to choose between different paths to acquire different skills. This approach allows each student to have a unique and engaging learning experience.

Louise promotes 42 Adelaide’s success to the partnerships that helped us open our doors, like Inaugural partner Uniting Communities, founding partner Loftus Technology and funding from the SA Government.

Since opening its doors, 42 Adelaide has secured many sponsors who fund the costs of the school, ‘we wouldn’t be here without them, that’s a fact’. This year we celebrate the success of our relationship with our original Platinum sponsors, SRA, who based on the amazing results of their first year round of 23 cadets, have agreed to move beyond sponsorship and make a strategic investment in 42.

“We see the sponsorship with 42 Adelaide as fundamental to our growth plans. In a tight labour market, with skills shortages and diminishing volume of graduates coming from universities, SRA made a move last year and took on 23 cadets. One year on and we’ve made the decision to increase this and escalate the sponsorship to a true partnership by making a strategic investment for long term growth, diversity and sustainability.”

Tim Chopping Chief Executive Officer for SRA

Partners SRA: Top Left CEO Tim Chopping and bottom left CPO Steven Smith, 42 Adelaide CEO Louise Nobes (top right) with students Rikki Mount (Left), Leighton Mells (Centre) and Raphael Alvaro (Right)

Their flagship product, HEX Ed, is an “innovation gap year” program for high school leavers, recognised by leading global universities and in partnership with global tech giant, Atlassian.

HEX exists to unlock the captive talent in the global economy – exposing students to hyper-relevant ideas, tools and networks, so they can become the innovation leaders and founders of tomorrow. They are providing an alternative education pathway for high-school leavers that prepares them for in-demand innovation and startup careers. Just as

Google’s 6-month ‘Career Certificates’ are recognised as the equivalent of a degree when hiring at Google, HEX intends to establish their HEX Ed program as the equivalent of a degree for other tech and innovation employers around the world. It offers students the most up-to-date, in-demand learning, and an in-built professional network. With one in seven high school leavers in Australia taking a gap year, and in the US, 40% of Freshmen considering taking a gap year, HEX gives students the industry experience they need AND the academic credit they think they need at a price point accessible to millions.

Is a global, multi award-winning EdTech startup working to close the gap between a digital future that is exponentially changing – and traditional education institutions which are struggling to keep up with this change.

Chris Hoffmann, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer Jeanette Cheah, Co-Founder & CEO Jaclyn Benstead, Co-Founder & CXO

Underpinning HEX Ed is the novel IP called ‘Exponential Intelligence’ (XQ) designed to help young people explore their own current and potential capabilities for the world of work so that they can identify and choose their best learning and career options armed with selfknowledge and self-efficacy. An individual’s personal XQ profile draws together specific mindsets, skillsets and toolsets that HEX believes are critical for young people to hone, so that they can drive supercharged change and create exponential growth in the digital economy.

HEX is working toward eight of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and partnerships for the goals. They are also a proud

member of Pledge 1%, a movement which inspires philanthropy right from the early-stages of a business. As a Pledge 1% company, they give 1% of their product and their employees’ time to support better access to education and mental health initiatives.

As an education partner of the Atlassian Foundation, HEX is supporting the Foundation’s mission to prepare 10 million disadvantaged youth for the workforce of the future.

Thinclab, Ground Floor, 10 Pulteney St, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia

Email: hello@startwithhex.com

startwithhex.com

Empowering Adelaide’s Youth through STEMSEL Foundation’s Revolutionary runlinc Technology

STEMSEL Foundation Inc is a not-for-profit organization based in Adelaide that is dedicated to empowering the youth through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Founded by engineer and educator Peng Choo and Miroslav Kostecki in 2014, the foundation strives to engage and inspire young people to pursue STEMrelated careers by providing a wide range of workshops, programs, and resources.

STEM education is crucial in preparing young people for the future workforce, as many industries increasingly require employees with skills and knowledge in STEM fields. However, studies have shown that there is a significant skills gap within the STEM industry, particularly among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is where the STEMSEL Foundation Inc steps in, bridging this gap and empowering young people to reach their full potential.

Dr Victor Lawrence introduced runlinc to Ohio Google District National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Schools (NIHFSS) which call runlinc a Game Changer. He is a Senior Fellow of IEEE, an inductee of American National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) and a former VP of AT&T Bell Labs managing 500 scientists and engineers.

The foundation offers a variety of programs, including workshops for schools, community groups, and individuals. These workshops

cover a wide range of topics, including robotics, coding, and electronics. Designed to be handson and interactive, these workshops encourage participants to engage with STEM concepts in a fun and stimulating way.

In addition to workshops, the STEMSEL Foundation Inc provides a range of resources for teachers and educators. These resources, such as lesson plans, teaching guides, and educational kits, are specifically designed to make it easier for teachers to incorporate STEM education into their classrooms.

One of the foundation’s most groundbreaking initiatives is the deployment of runlinc, a revolutionary IoT AI development platform. What sets runlinc apart is its accessibility—it is a web page integrated within a WiFi chip, which means it can be used on any browser device, including phones, tablets, and various laptops, such as Chromebooks. This remarkable technology has the potential to transform the world, as affirmed by a

STEMSEL advocate Charles Figallo OSJ OAM NOVAFAST CEO and STEMSEL IoT competitions judge RAAF Wing Commander Fernando Gonzalez with Peng Choo STEMSEL Foundation Inc CEO at Royal Adelaide Show 2022.

STEMSEL Young Inventor Alex Farmer ITEX23 entry called LIVETRACK won Gold medal at ITEX23

runlinc has been designed to make STEM education more accessible and engaging for novices, including students in upper primary and high schools, tertiary institutions, and ICT businesses. With runlinc, the process of designing, building, and programming STEM-embedded electronic and robotics projects becomes quick and simple. What might typically require hundreds of lines of difficult coding can now be achieved in just six lines of runlinc Easy Coding.

The capabilities of runlinc are truly impressive. For instance, a basic runlinc program can activate a Tello Drone as a Smart Alarm, capturing video of an intruder and sending it to the police, while simultaneously issuing an AI voice warning message: “Police on the way. Your video & GPS position are sent to the police. Go away or go to jail.” This demonstration showcases the power and ease of use that runlinc offers.

Recognizing runlinc’s potential, IoT STEM leaders at the Inventors Hall of Fame STEM Schools in Ohio have hailed it as a game-changer, particularly for Chromebooks. With over 50 million Chromebook users, many of them students, runlinc has significantly impacted STEM education by enabling quick coding of IoT STEM AI projects using only a few lines of runlinc Easy Coding. This accessibility empowers students to excel in IoT Coding STEM AI competitions, opening up opportunities for scholarships that alleviate financial burdens for their families.

Furthermore, runlinc technology plays a crucial role in combating AI game addiction, commonly known as AI drug addiction, among teenagers. The foundation employs a strategic approach by conducting one runlinc drone demonstration each day, promoting more engagement with STEM and reducing excessive gaming. The versatility of runlinc allows users of various browser devices, including phones, tablets, and laptops, to swiftly code IoT STEM AI projects using runlinc Easy Coding, significantly enhancing their chances of winning scholarships.

To raise awareness about STEMSEL Foundation and runlinc, the organization has implemented a daily runlinc drone demonstration strategy. Individuals who wish to witness the potential of runlinc firsthand are encouraged to contact the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Miro, to arrange a live demonstration. The CTO can be reached via WhatsApp at +61 425 868 353 or through email at miro@stemsel.com.

in the field of STEM. This transformative technology enables quick and accessible coding of IoT STEM AI projects, inspiring creativity and innovation among users.

STEMSEL Foundation Inc remains dedicated to empowering young people and bridging the skills gap within the STEM industry. Through their tireless efforts and the utilization of breakthrough technologies like runlinc, the foundation is revolutionizing the way we approach STEM education. Their unique approach aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators, ensuring that young individuals are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

In summary, STEMSEL Foundation Inc is committed to empowering young people and transforming the STEM education landscape. Through the deployment of revolutionary technologies like runlinc, the foundation bridges the skills gap in the STEM industry and inspires the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators. By embracing the powerful combination of technology and education, STEMSEL Foundation Inc paves the way for a brighter and more innovative future for all.

WhatsApp: +61 425 868 353

Office: +61 8 8231 5966

By leveraging the breakthrough runlinc technology, which is accessible through a web page on a WiFi chip, the foundation is empowering individuals of all ages and backgrounds to achieve their full potential stemsel.com

Email: enquiries@runlinc.com

Miroslav Kostecki, Engineer, Educator and Founder

STEMSEL helped ITEX 2022 Malaysian school winners use runlinc competitive advantage

Defence Skilling STEM Strategy manager who likened its impact to that of WiFi.

CHAPTER SEVEN

DEFENCE & AEROSPACE

EMPOWERING DEFENCE WITH AGILITY IN ELECTROMAGNETIC OPERATIONS

Solinnov, an Adelaide-based company specialising in embedded signal processing systems, delivers advanced solutions in electromagnetic operations for Defence and Law Enforcement organisations. They are at the forefront of designing groundbreaking real-time signal processing algorithms for software-defined radios (SDRs) that interpret and transmit signals. The company’s expertise enables efficient and accurate processing of signals, enhancing the performance and functionality of SDRs. By pushing the boundaries of signal processing, Solinnov empowers clients with state-of-the-art solutions that optimise signal interpretation and transmission in various applications.

Solinnov’s team of self-confessed “geeks” focuses on innovation in SDR for Electromagnetic (EM) operations, revolutionising defence capabilities. SDR technology offers a wide range of benefits that significantly enhance defence operations. Its flexibility and reconfigurability allow defence forces to adapt quickly to changing operational requirements, efficiently utilising the electromagnetic spectrum. By adjusting radio frequencies, waveforms, and modulation schemes, defence personnel

can optimise communication, radar and, electronic warfare, capabilities, improving situational awareness and mission effectiveness.

Furthermore, SDR promotes interoperability among different communication platforms, facilitating seamless integration and coordination between defence units and allies. Supporting various communication protocols and standards, SDR systems enable effective collaboration and information sharing, even in multinational operations. This interoperability strengthens joint operations and coalition efforts, enhancing overall mission success.

Security is another advantage of SDR technology. Sensitive information transmitted over SDR systems can be encrypted, safeguarding it from unauthorised access and ensuring data confidentiality. Additionally, anti-jamming capabilities enable defence forces to maintain operational effectiveness in dynamic electromagnetic environments, countering intentional interference and electronic attacks.

SDR also provides greater resilience to defence operations. Its softwarebased nature allows for rapid updates and reconfigurations, facilitating quick adaptation to emerging threats and technological advancements. This agility ensures that defence systems remain up to date and capable of addressing evolving challenges. Moreover, the inherent flexibility of SDR reduces reliance on specific hardware configurations, making it easier and more cost-effective to upgrade and modernise defence communication systems over time.

Solinnov’s expertise extends beyond EM applications. They aim to

promote an AppStore ecosystem, showcasing individual applications and fostering an environment that attracts talented developers. The AppStore ecosystem will be a game-changer, significantly reducing the cost of highquality EM operation capability solutions while expanding the market size. By providing a platform for agile vendors to rapidly deploy solutions and enabling multiple hardware vendors to promote their products, Solinnov creates an environment that benefits both developers and end customers. This approach ensures seamless integration into various radio systems, reducing costs and expanding the market size. Solinnov excels in signal processing, sensor processing (radar, electronic warfare, communications modem design, and electronic countermeasures. They implement complex algorithms on cutting-edge technologies such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and graphical processing units (GPUs).

Solinnov’s capabilities include embedded system design, application software development, Linux kernel device drivers, and open architecture softwaredefined radios. They specialise in creating low-latency hardware/software interfaces, high-speed digital interfaces (PCI Express, multi-gigabit Ethernet),

FPGA external interfaces, and firmware development for softwaredefined radio applications. They are proficient in system-on-chip design and radio frequency interface design.

With their comprehensive range of capabilities, Solinnov has established itself as a leader in embedded systems engineering. Their commitment to innovation, dedication to excellence, and collaborative culture enable them to deliver tailored solutions to government, defence, and various industries. Through their pioneering work in SDR for EM operations, Solinnov reshapes the landscape of Defence and Law Enforcement, enhancing operational capabilities and pushing the boundaries of embedded systems engineering.

— Sanka Piyaratna, Managing Director, Solinnov

We believe that future wars will be fought and won by agile, ubiquitous, and smart networks of military machines that provide intelligence and support for commanders to make human decisions. A key aspect of this endeavour is electromagnetic (EM) spectrum domination. We are contributing to sharpen the agility of the EM operations”

Dr. Sanjay Mazumdar: The SA ‘trailblazer’ driving defence innovation

In 2022, South Australia reinforced its reputation as the nation’s “defence state” when the University of Adelaide established the Defence Trailblazer for Concept to Sovereign Capability in partnership with the University of New South Wales. Now, this ground-breaking research commercialisation program has an Executive Director— and Dr Sanjay Mazumdar is already working with industry to pilot projects in quantum, AI, cyber, hypersonics, autonomous systems and space technology.

Dr Mazumdar brings over 30 years of experience across defence, national security and technologies to the role, including his time as CEO of the Data to Decisions Cooperative Research Centre. There, he successfully transitioned R&D into real-world operations, meeting highpriority national security needs and creating two spinout companies. Mazumdar says he will carry this “mission first” approach into his Defence Trailblazer work.

“Over the past few months, I’ve been meeting with senior Australian Defence Force officers,” he says, “and it’s only reinforced my view that we should focus our R&D efforts on the priority missions they’ve identified.”

Mazumdar acknowledges the urgency of the challenges facing the sector, specifically the imperative need for advanced technology and skilled personnel.

THE SA ‘TRAILBLAZER’ DRIVING DEFENCE INNOVATION

“The strategic threat landscape for Australia’s defence and security is extremely complex at the moment, and evolving rapidly. We need better tech and new, skilled talent in the workforce.”

The Defence Trailblazer partnership will offer crucial support to address these pressing issues.

“The University of Adelaide and UNSW are both ranked in the world’s top 100 universities—and both undertake significant research and education work with defence and defence industry,” he says. “They understand the sector, have defence-cleared staff, and share a focus on transitioning research into real-life applications.”

“We have a proud history of defence-sector collaboration,” says Dr Stephen Rodda, the University of Adelaide’s Chief Innovation and Commercialisation Officer, “and a proven track record in supporting industry to achieve their goals. We’re incredibly excited that Dr Mazumdar, a respected University alumnus and community advisor, is leading this vital project.”

Mazumdar says some of the University of Adelaide’s first Defence Trailblazer projects will be in defensive hypersonics and countermeasures, cyber and information warfare, and defence space technologies.

Luckily, grand challenges are no stranger to the institution. University of Adelaide researchers are responsible for huge advances in this area:

blast-resistant concrete, the world’s most precise clock, algorithms for object recognition in images— even dragonfly-inspired robots that pursue targets in unstructured settings. In 2017, the University also supported a space start-up in designing and building a nanosatellite launched by NASA.

With two prodigious research universities at his back, Dr Mazumdar is poised to make enormous strides for national security, military capabilities, defence education, and commerce. Defence Trailblazer estimates that the program and its projects will generate a net economic benefit to the Australian economy of $1.5 billion over ten years.

“I see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to upgrade the defence innovation system—and drive sustainable cultural change within universities. I’m very excited to seize the opportunity and make a real difference.”

Dr. Sanjay Mazumdar, Executive Director

Dr. Stephen Rodda, Chief Innovation and Commercialisation Officer

BOEING AUSTRALIA: Fuelling The Future Of Aerospace

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic forced employers to reimagine the centralised workplace model, Boeing Australia seized an opportunity to establish a capability hub in Adelaide to support its growing defence business.

When the Commonwealth of Australia announced the acquisition of the Boeing-built P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to be based at RAAF Edinburgh, Boeing took the opportunity to establish operations in South Australia.

In a bold and forward-thinking move, the company did not limit its footprint to solely supporting the P-8A program. Instead, it capitalised on South Australia’s growing credential as the ‘defence state’ to establish an Adelaide CBD office to tap into the highly-skilled local workforce to support its defence programs nationally.

“Boeing Defence Australia works on some of the most challenging and complex defence and aerospace programs in the country,” said Scott Carpendale, Boeing Defence Australia vice president and managing director.

“As our business grew, so too did the need for a nationally-dispersed, multi-disciplinary workforce. We had to look beyond the traditional centralised-headquarters business model.

“Adelaide provides proximity to nationally-significant defence projects which are boosted by the state government’s investment in defence industry and innovation, as well as access to a highly qualified and skilled talent pool,” Carpendale said.

Programs supported by the 210+ strong Adelaide team, and complemented by the team of 140+ at RAAF Base Edinburgh, include the Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7A Wedgetail aircraft, P-8A Poseidon and Wakulda Air Battlespace Management System. These teams are backed by Boeing Defence’s broader Australian team.

Adelaide has also become a strategically important centre for advancing relationships with research and academic organisations to fuel the future of aerospace technology and careers.

Supporting the Australian Defence Force

P-8A Poseidon

The flagship program for Boeing in South Australia is the P-8A Poseidon. The P-8A maritime aircraft provides surveillance and reconnaissance, long-range anti-submarine warfare, and search and rescue capabilities.

The RAAF currently operates a fleet of 12 Boeing-built P-8A aircraft. Since its introduction into service in 2016, Boeing has provided engineering, supply chain, testing, training, maintenance, cyber security and mission support from its RAAF Edinburgh and Adelaide operations.

The team is also investigating innovative approaches that use fleet planning data analytics to further enhance fleet readiness of this vital patrol aircraft.

E-7A Wedgetail

An example of how the Adelaide team has driven new ways of supporting Boeing’s Australian Defence Force customer is its work on the world leading E-7A ‘Wedgetail’ Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft.

The E-7A Wedgetail is a powerful surveillance, communications and battle management aircraft. Its state-of-the-art radar system enables operators onboard to direct fighter aircraft, as well as land and sea combatants, in addition to supporting refuelling tankers and other intelligence aircraft.

Described by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a forcemultiplier, the Wedgetail played a critical role in US-led air operations in the Middle East, regularly commanding and controlling more than 80 allied aircraft in any single mission.

Despite the aircraft being physically based at RAAF Williamtown in New South Wales, maintenance work undertaken at RAAF Amberley in Queensland, and upgrade and development works primarily undertaken in Brisbane, Boeing’s Adelaide team play a vital role in supporting the platform. They are part of an 840+ team of engineering and technical professionals who design, develop and implement systems and software for the platform across Australia – 66 are based in Adelaide*.

Wakulda Air Battlespace Management System

A small, dedicated team in Adelaide also supports the Wakulda system –a core component of the RAAF air battlespace management network.

Responsible for generating Defence’s ‘Recognised Air Picture’, Wakulda receives and interprets data from over 250 defence and civil radars and sensors into one consolidated view. This picture is used to monitor, defend and protect Australia’s airspace and maritime environments.

Support for this vital system is delivered through a long-term partnership with Daronmont Technologies, an Adelaide-based small-to-medium company. Over the last 20 years, engineers from Boeing and Daronmont have collaborated on a range of complex upgrades to Wakulda’s mission system.

Solving some of Defence’s toughest technical challenges

In addition to meeting its program commitments to the Australian Defence Force, Boeing is partnering in Adelaide to fuel aerospace research and careers.

The company has nurtured relationships with universities and research organisations, Defence SA and the state government, small-to-medium enterprises and the Department of Defence.

One significant project is Boeing’s collaboration with the University of Adelaide and University of New South Wales on the Defence Trailblazer Concept to Sovereign Capability (CSC) project. This project aims to fasttrack research outputs into Australian-made defence products.

Boeing’s prototype development arm, Phantom Works Global’s CSC contribution aims to continue advancing autonomy, simulation and technical integration of defence systems.

“We have a long history of relationships with universities and research groups to further innovation and build local capability in the Australian defence sector,” said Emily Hughes, director of Phantom Works Global.

“This project enables us to continue to expand our partnerships across academia, small-to-medium enterprises and defence industry to translate research findings into meaningful products that have a greater likelihood of making it into physical production lines right here in Australia,” Hughes said.

As part of the CSC project Boeing is prioritising robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence research, with a particular focus on undersea autonomy.

As well as productising research, Boeing’s Adelaide partnerships are building local defence industry skills.

Again, with the University of Adelaide, Boeing has also been consulting to jointly develop the first Australian-focused Configuration Management (CM) curriculum.

“In the past, CM professionals have relied on training provided by U.S. and European training suppliers, so this course is an exciting step forward for Australian industry,” Carpendale said.

“Boeing is also working closely with the University to develop our approaches to digital engineering and human engineering.”

Other projects include sponsoring PhD research, working with the Australian Institute for Machine Learning to explore how artificial intelligence and machine learning can reduce some of Defence’s tactical data mining burden, and collaborating with the Defence Science and Technology Group on research in autonomy, operational analysis, logistics and supply chain, and aerospace.

Building the future

Boeing’s rapid expansion in South Australia – from three people in 2015 to more than 350 in just seven years – is testament to the company’s enduring commitment to the state and is an exemplar of how innovative de-centralised business models can multiply opportunities.

“We’ve tapped into a highly talented workforce in Adelaide who are helping us to solve global problems,” Carpendale said.

As the Adelaide office continues to expand, Boeing will continue to create opportunities in the defence and research sector in South Australia to enhance Defence capability nationally.

*figures as at January 2023 and anticipated to grow

boeing.com.au

LEIDOS AUSTRALIA

Leading the way in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems engineering

Leidos Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortune 500 company Leidos, has been a trusted partner to the Australian Government for over 25 years, having delivered some of the most complex software and systems integration projects in Australia. Led by a local leadership team, Leidos delivers projects and services through five lines of business –Airborne Solutions, Civil Services & Projects, Defence Digital Solutions & Support, Defence Mission Systems and Intelligence (C4ISR).

Leidos Australia’s government and defence customers enjoy the advantage of a 2000+ person local business, backed by Leidos’ global expertise, experience and capabilities. With a focus on sovereign development and support, the company invests locally in research and development both directly and in combination with local Small and Medium Enterprises.

CONTINUING A SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LEGACY OF INNOVATION IN AVIATION

In 2022, Leidos made history acquiring part of the Cobham Aviation Services business that conducts special missions on behalf of the Australia Government. This marked its entry into the Australian aviation sector, and significantly expanded its presence in South Australia.

Leidos now owns and operates a fleet of modified aircraft that deliver critical services across Australia, including: Conducting one of the world’s largest civil maritime surveillance operations under contract with the Australian Border Force, patrolling Australia’s 8.2 million square kilometre Exclusive Economic Zone;

Leidos™ fleet of Challenger jets conduct search-and-rescue missions covering around 10% of the earth’s surface.

Providing fixed wing search-and-rescue response capability over land and sea on behalf of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

The legacy of Cobham, and its predecessor National Jet Systems, is rooted in aviation innovation and born from South Australian entrepreneurship. From challenging the status quo around what types of aircraft could perform specialist services, to developing custom platform solutions for delivering aerial surveillance and search-and-rescue services, Adelaide remains the home and hub of Leidos’ Airborne Solutions innovation.

Adelaide is home to Leidos Airborne Solutions’ operations control centre and Systems Integration Laboratory and technical support teams. The operations control centre is the heartbeat of a national network of aircraft and crew who are deployed to fulfil missions of national importance, 24/7, 365 days of the year.

“We see huge opportunity to grow our footprint in South Australia, both in our engineering and surveillance services. We’re proud of our local-built capabilities, which are recognised by our customers as being truly world-class, and we see potential for supporting our other customers from Australia.” – Paul Chase, Leidos Australia CEO

DEVELOPING A WORLD-LEADING MISSION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

One of Leidos’ most significant contributions to aviation innovation to date has been collaborating on the development of sovereign Mission Management Systems (MMS) for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft and platforms.

For more than a decade, the company has worked in partnership with local Adelaide SME Acacia Systems on developing and delivering a customer-specific, Australian developed, world-leading MMS capability for its Australian government customers.

THE IMPORTANCE OF AN EFFECTIVE MISSION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The Mission Management System (MMS) is the heart of an Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) system. It effectively integrates all data received from multiple surveillance technologies integrated onto the aircraft. This includes the surveillance radar, electro optic turret, mission radios, satcom systems and navigation systems.

Not only does the aircraft MMS capture and correlate all the information received by the aircraft sensors, but it also communicates this information to the ground-based operations control centre in real time via a satellite communications system. This means that both the aircrew

on board the aircraft and the operations control teams in Canberra can see the progress of the mission in real-time and are able to communicate with each other about the best course of action for the mission as it progresses.

Airborne ISR systems in Australia have to date relied on importing foreign-developed MMS, reflecting a missed opportunity for developing systems to meet unique Australian requirements whilst developing Australian sovereign industry capability.

The benefits of sovereign developed systems are significant, including the opportunity to co-collaborate on the build, the interface, and obtain the unique operational perspective of Australian end-users during development to shape an effective solution for both the operator and customer.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Through the partnership between Leidos’ Airborne Solutions Australia and Acacia, this MMS technology is being continually developed, and is continually evolving through dedicated activities to enhance its capability, versatility and performance.

This world-leading MMS capability provides a significant opportunity in both civil and military domains in Australia and overseas – an exciting prospect for Leidos Australia and Acacia Systems and their customers.

leidos.com.au

Leidos™ aircrew training on an Australian-developed Mission Management System console.

NOVA SYSTEMS:

About Nova Systems

Nova Systems is a 100% Australian owned and controlled engineering services and technology solutions company.

Founded by two veterans – Jim Whalley and Peter Nikoloff – in 1999 in Adelaide, South Australia, the company now employs more than 1000 people globally in strategically located offices in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore and Norway.

The company’s vision is to solve the complex challenges that really matter to our clients; operating across five core markets –Defence, Essential Services, Government, Special Missions and Commercial Aerospace.

Nova Systems is a trusted partner to the Australian Defence Force and has supported almost every major Defence project for the past two decades.

Australia’s trusted T&E partner

Nova Systems is renowned for its leading Test and Evaluation services.

The capability of Test and Evaluation (T&E), Certification and Systems Assurance is critical to supporting Australia’s defences forces. The capability is the rigorous process undertaken to ensure any platforms, systems or systems-of-systems – whether it be a submarine, a tank, a frigate or combined arms effect – are safe, reliable and fit-for-purpose.

Every platform across all domains – land, maritime, air, space and cyber – must be tested and assured from concept all the way to disposal – and this is Nova Systems’ bread and butter.

Sovereign skills training

Nova Systems delivers a range of sovereign, in-country training programs to Australian technical professionals covering areas including T&E of complex systems, model-based systems engineering and communications and logistics.

As a registered training organisation (RTO), Nova Systems delivers the nationally recognised Certificate IV in T&E and Diploma of T&E, providing practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to support Australia’s sovereign defence capability.

Nova Systems has delivered these courses to thousands of professionals across the defence industry, including the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force.

T&E Centre of Excellence (CoE)

As a sovereign leader in T&E, Nova Systems is establishing an Australian-first T&E Centre of Excellence – a central hub supporting sovereign defence capability, cutting-edge research, digital technologies, training and ideas.

The national initiative brings together Defence, industry and academia to deliver mission engineering expertise, synthetic methods for jointforce T&E and mission assurance, as well as advanced T&E practitioner training focusing on emerging technology such as artificial intelligence.

The Nova Systems T&E CoE supports the delivery of an Australian T&E capability to the Australian Defence Force, resulting in the delivery of safe, fit-for purpose capability for our defence personnel to deliver operational outcomes now and for future generations.

Smart people, solving complex problems, making our world safe and secure

Launching into Space

It was a natural progression, from its aerospace roots, for Nova Systems to launch into the multi-billion dollar space industry.

To support this growth, the company opened the Nova Systems’ Space Precinct in Peterborough, South Australia, in 2021. The 21-hectare site supports several international space and technology companies.

In an Australian-first, Nova Systems has also teamed up with Curtin University to prototype a new Space Domain Awareness technology. The passive array radar sensor can locate and track satellites and space junk orbiting Earth – a huge step in Australian innovation to collect big data from space. Australia depends on space for communications, navigation, and information from its satellites, so it’s imperative to be aware of what is above us and could pose a threat.

Nova Systems has a strong background in the space sector including supporting the delivery of complex space and satellite communication programs and engineering and advisory services such as mission analysis, space domain awareness, launch safety and regulatory support and training.

Nova By Numbers

• 20+ years contributing to every major Australian Defence project of strategic significance

• Veteran owned and founded

• 100% Australian owned and controlled

• 1,100 sovereign smarts located across Australia

• $400m injected and reinvested into the Australian economy*

• 2,700 Australian technical professionals graduated through our specialist training programs

*FY2021-22

novasystems.com

Enabling A Safer World

Fivecast is an Australian company based in Adelaide that has gone global capitalising on artificial intelligence and machine learning to uncover insights across the surface, deep and dark web, and help their customers enable a safer world.

Whether it’s fraud detection, human trafficking or counter terrorism, the bad guys aren’t lurking in the shadows or hiding behind balaclavas anymore. In the world of free speech and digital access for all, they’re out there and online and Fivecast is tapping into that to detect and prevent threats.

Founded in Australia from a unique collaboration between government agencies and world-leading research institutions formed to tackle the big data challenges facing national security and law enforcement, Fivecast provides automated data collection combined with AI-enabled analytics to identify threats, risks and behavioural changes, such as radicalisation online.

The company is on a fast growthtrajectory across the globe, shining light into the darkest of places to enable a safer world. It has gained significant traction in countries that are part of the trusted Five-Eyes alliance with offices established in Washington, DC and London, UK in addition to their Australian head office in Adelaide and branch office in Canberra. Through a global ecosystem of partners and resellers, Fivecast is able to serve customers across the US, EMEA and APAC.

Addressing Global Threats with AI

Fivecast delivers cutting-edge open-source intelligence solutions to help government and corporate organisations alike address a constantly evolving threat landscape, being driven by several trends including tech-savvy threat actors, the rapid spread of online communications, increased societal unrest and changing geopolitical dynamics.

Open-source intelligence, often referred to as a subset of digital intelligence, is the process of collecting, analysing, and extracting meaningful insights from publicly available data sources, including social media, news feeds, blog sites, discussion forums, and more. The sheer volume and complexity of data presents significant challengesmonitoring online platforms and uncovering critical insights is beyond human scale, driving the need for the advanced, AI-enabled insights into masses of online data that Fivecast delivers.

Showcasing World-leading tech innovation from Adelaide.

Fivecast solutions are being used around the world for use cases spanning counter-terrorism, violent extremist threats; security vetting, transnational organized crime, trafficking, fraud detection, anti-money laundering and more.

Fivecast deploys unique and proprietary data collection technology which, combined with AI-enabled analytics delivers unmatched insights into online data and the ability to quickly zero in on the riskiest content to help analyst teams progress investigations faster and achieve their missions, protecting communities and organisations.

More than 80% of employees in the Fivecast Adelaide head office are focused on research and development across

data science, software architecture and software engineering teams. As part of their ongoing commitment to R&D innovation, Fivecast has implemented a robust product roadmap strategy which is developed in consultation with partners and customers.

Industry Recognition

Over the last 5-years Fivecast has applied for and been awarded a number of grants to support product development, expansion and commercialisation including:

• AusIndustry Accelerating Commercialisation Grant

• SA Export Accelerator Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) Grant

• Defence Next Generation Technology Fund

• SA Export Accelerator

• SA DTI eCommerce Accelerator

Fivecast has been recognised as a leading player in the market with awards including:

• InnovationAus Software Innovation Award

• Impact Award

• Fast Movers SA

• Deloitte Fast 50

• American Chamber of Commerce Award for Artificial Intelligence

A future-proof business

“The need for open-source intelligence to address a range of threats is growing significantly across both the private and public sectors. Fivecast is well placed to capitalise on the growing demand.” Dr. Brenton Cooper, CEO and Co-Founder of Fivecast.

Fivecast has established a strong export market in the US and expanded its export capabilities to the EMEA and APAC, establishing the company as a key player in the Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) market. Their export success is evidenced by receiving the Australian Government National Export Award for Advanced Technologies in 2022 and twice being a State Finalist in this award.

Additionally, Fivecast is considered one of the first ever Australian companies and only a handful of international companies to win a DIU (Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) project with the US Department of Defence.

With continued planned investment in R&D, technology innovation, channel partnerships as well as expansion into new regions and market segments, Fivecast is well positioned to build on their significant growth and success in the years ahead.

Fivecast Co-Founders: David Blockow - VP Engineering, Ross Buglak - VP Product Development, Dr. Brenton Cooper – CEO, Duane Rivett – VP Customer Success

RECOGNISED AS AUSTRALIA’S NATIONAL SPACE NOT-FOR-PROFIT, SUPPORTING THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GOALS OF THE GROWING AUSTRALIAN SPACE ECOSYSTEM.

With strong support from the Australian Space Agency, South Australian Government and a number of start-up and corporate space industry partners, the Foundation has provided invaluable education and engagement opportunities for students and individuals across Australia.

Named after Founding Patron and retired NASA astronaut, Dr Andrew Thomas, a veteran of four space missions, who was born in Adelaide and educated at the University of Adelaide, the Foundation finds inspiration in his career and advocacy. With a focus on highlighting STEM, cross and multi-disciplinary career pathways into the space sector, the Foundation strives to support the Australian Space Agency’s national goal of a 30,000 strong space workforce by the year 2030. Comprised of a range of professions, trades and research fields, this workforce will be needed to sustain a critical emerging industry with important economic potential.

With three main branches of activities, each promoting the interests of and engagement with Australia’s space industry members. The Foundation has, in it’s first two years, committed over AUD550,000 to creating educational opportunities for Australian students through its Education Fund. Each year a new set of innovative awards, scholarships and prizes are announced, with unique opportunities available for Australian students from primary school through to early career researchers, professionals and beyond. The Education Fund has been successful in supporting space-related education programs at all levels of learning and research including:

• advancing STEM skills of primary school teachers and students with the Kids in Space program

• supporting space-related science research projects in high schools

• providing internship opportunities for tertiary students with a number of Australia’s leading space technology companies

• financially supporting undergraduate and post-graduate study in space-related fields and

• providing financial incentives to some of Australia’s leading PhD researchers for their work on advanced space science topics

The Foundation’s second branch of activities includes community engagement and outreach opportunities, ensuring that the Australian public has access to and an understanding of the space sector, and its impacts on their everyday lives. The Foundation frequently engages with schools, universities, industry and community groups to educate on the benefits of space and encourage the public to take interest in its potential impacts on the local, national and international population.

The third pillar of activities undertaken by the Foundation is the hosting of the biannual Australian Space Forum, Australia’s premier national conference created by industry for industry, an event which has been conducted with great success since 2016.

The Australian Space Forum and its associated events have consistently provided industry, academia and government representatives alike with the opportunity to meet, share, innovate and collaborate, ensuring that Australia’s space knowledge economy continues to grow and provide value to the global supply chain. Each Forum features a symposium, consisting of briefs, presentations and panel discussions addressing current challenges and opportunities experienced across the sector, alongside Australia’s largest space industry exhibition. With hundreds of local and international companies showcasing their products and services, the Forum provides an accessible and

comprehensive insight into the latest technologies, innovations, and key actors in the sector – promoting collaboration and further development. All profits from the Australian Space Forum are directed into supporting the ever-growing Foundation Education Fund, further promoting the growth of the industry.

At the very core of all Foundation activities is innovation, education and collaboration, ensuring that today’s students are empowered and supported to become tomorrow’s space workforce leaders. Space has the power to inspire and unite a nation, and The Andy Thomas Space Foundation is central to this mission, prioritising continued sector growth through a skilled workforce and development of industry, government and academic collaboration.

The Foundation and its critical work would not be possible without the generous support of our Foundation donors, partners and sponsors – all of whom have made space education a reality for thousands of students across the nation.

To learn more about the Foundation and how to get involved, please get in touch through: contactus@andythomas.foundation

HEX20 is an Australian space company that specializes in providing cost-effective platforms, advanced sensor technologies, and customized hardware for the SmallSat and CubeSat markets. The company aims to design and develop state-of-the-art, scalable platforms and subsystems for small satellites. Their products are derived from flight heritage programs, focusing on creating intelligent, reliable, cost-effective, and readily accessible qualified hardware platforms for academic, commercial, and defence applications.

The founders of HEX20 were childhood friends and brothers who grew up in a small southern Indian city, where they were first introduced to space by watching sounding rockets being launched from the nearby launching station. They established the commercial space venture in South Australia by combining their passion for space and complementary expertise.

HEX20 got featured in “The List of Top 100 Innovators” in Australia, published by “The Australian Business Review” in July 2022.

BRINGING SPACE CLOSER

Innovation takes many forms, but its proponents share a common goal — driving Australia forward and inspiring the rest of the nation to achieve continued success. Amid an increasingly uncertain economic, environmental and geopolitical landscape these are the future-makers who are hiring the next generation of talent and building the foundations for what our country can — and should — become.

David Swan, editor, The List: Innovators 2022

HEX20 has experienced significant growth due to its close collaboration with various organizations, including Universities, the South Australian Space Industry Association, SmartSat CRC, and other South Australian Government Agencies. The company is also establishing a presence in the Asia Pacific region by partnering with startups, universities, and agencies, such as Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - Singapore, Skyroot Aerospace - India, Dhruva Space - India, Azista Aerospace - India, Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology - India, K-Space (Kerala) - India, National Central University - Taiwan, UAE Space Agency - UAE, and The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) - India.

During the Bengaluru Space Expo 2022, HEX20 entered into a memorandum of understanding with Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian commercial launch service provider. This agreement aims for HEX20 to supply launch services, spacecraft avionics, and components.

ISRO praised Australia’s initiative to work with Indian space organisations, and acknowledged the time, effort, and focus that Australian companies have put into strengthening the space connection with India, and it’s amazing to see so many business relationships emerging in the high technology sphere among the space agencies of both nations.

HEX20’s satellite platforms are designed with reliability as the cornerstone. The platform design achieves a balance between flexibility, performance, and reliability, allowing the team to focus on the mission and payload, ultimately reducing time-to-orbit. The company offers a range of payload space, computing, power, avionics, pointing accuracy, and communication options that can be customized to fit the specific mission application.

HEX20 is building a 3U platform for National Central University - Taiwan to fly an AIS Payload. 3U & 6U - HEX20 Tech Demo Missions with an EW Signals Intelligence Payload. For the Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission, the company will build two 12U satellites to demonstrate optical interlink between satellites.

Hex20 is working with UAE Space Agency to develop custom hardware and software for their upcoming space missions.

Innovation & Collaboration Centre, 9 Light Square, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia

Email: lloyd@hex20.com.au Tel: +61 474 132 995 hex20.com.au

Lloyd Jacob Lopez, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Matthew Tetlow in 2012, the company is working at the cutting edge of technology, building spacecraft as well as space traffic management and “smart” Earth observation services as part of Australia’s nascent space industry.

“I have always loved looking at the moon, the stars and the planets, there’s so much we still don’t understand about the universe around us.” says Dr. Tetlow.

“I also love the technology that brings us closer to this knowledge, especially the rockets and satellites. As a nation, Australians often undersell what we are capable of. And we rely heavily on sourcing our needs from overseas. Inovor Technologies allows me to follow my passion for spacecraft and demonstrate to the world what Australians are capable of.”

Headquartered at Adelaide’s innovation neighbourhood, Lot Fourteen, the company is working collaboratively amongst a range of fellow space companies and with high profile neighbours like the Australian Space Agency.

The satellite market has traditionally been dominated by very large spacecraft the size of a car or even a bus and cost hundreds of millions or even a billion dollars. Inovor Technologies makes small satellites,

from about the size of a case of beer to a bar fridge. Despite their smaller size, there is still much they can achieve, and at a fraction of the cost. This includes space domain awareness, Earth imaging, communications, climate science, AgTech, scientific experimentation and more.

Inovor Technologies’ satellites are placed into low Earth Orbit, which is done for a number of reasons. For a much cheaper price, the satellites can ‘ride share’ on rockets that are delivering much larger spacecraft into orbit. Where the company’s satellites operate in low Earth orbit is also low enough to be self-cleaning, so that when the mission is complete, the satellites de-orbit and harmlessly burn up in, without adding to the ‘space junk’ problem.

Inovor Technologies’ unique edge is the intellectual property it has developed through in-house development of all spacecraft mechanical, electronics and software systems. This allows for full understanding of all systems across the satellite platform, which maximises mission assurance and enables the spacecraft to be tuned specifically to meet customers’ mission needs.

In addition to building satellites for their customers, Inovor Technologies also has two special missions of its own. The first is ‘Hyperion’: a space traffic management mission to detect, track and characterise objects in orbit around Earth. The second is ‘Skyris’: for “smart” Earth

A company of passionate Australian engineers and scientists creating exciting technology to improve and protect Australian’s way of life.

Founded by

observation in application areas including bushfire detection, monitoring crop health and maritime surveillance. Both missions take advantage of Inovor Technologies’ novel on-board processing algorithms. These allow for more immediate results to be returned from images taken by the spacecraft and remove delays from downloading and processing large numbers of images back on Earth.

Inovor Technologies has received a number of accolades over recent years, including being awarded Australia’s “Space Business of the Year” alongside Dr. Tetlow’s “Innovator of the Year” award. The company’s reputation with the big end of town has also been growing, with the Regional Director Lockheed Martin Space recently commenting that “… Inovor Technologies, [is] the only spacecraft manufacturer in Australia developing bespoke spacecraft subsystems, and with deep experience providing satellite mission solutions for Defence …”

Dr. Tetlow remarks that “I hope in the future we will see the very large amounts of money being spent on space technology by Australia overseas coming back into the country to improve our sovereign self-reliance, creating many more jobs, especially for our young people, and providing a really positive impact for our economy and way of life. Inovor Technologies is doing all it can now to create this future.”

Dr. Matthew Tetlow, Founder

Innovating locally to deliver global leadership in Space Mobility

Introducing Neumann Space

Founded in 2015, Neumann Space is an Australian-owned company that provides world leading propulsion systems for spacecraft.

The company’s origins are itself a story of innovation. It’s Chief Scientist and Founder, Dr. Patrick “Paddy” Neumann, developed the technology during his PhD for a plasma propulsion system that uses solid metal as propellant.

The technology at its most basic level is the result of the complex combination of an arc welder and a camera flash in a vacuum environment, and its development in essence was the beginnings of the company’s work to revolutionise Space mobility.

Headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia, the nation’s space capital and with a growing multidisciplinary team, Neumann Space is accelerating the commercialisation of its technology for application in the space economy of today and exploring its potential for the space economy of the future.

A Bold Mission

With the growing amount of space junk fast becoming a risk to the development of a thriving space economy, the company has recognised the opportunity to use space debris as fuel with its technology.

This recognition is embodied in the company’s mission to enable the sustainable economic development of space.

Neumann Space is pursuing this mission today through dedicated R&D which has led to a succession of imminent in-orbit demonstrations of its technology.

The Need for Better Propulsion in Space

Today’s space economy is not about building moon bases or settlements on Mars. Instead, the space economy today is directed at solving the needs of our economies on Earth. This includes telecommunications, earth observation capabilities and national security satellites to name a few. And all these industries and initiatives are wholly dependent on propulsion.

The space economy’s immediate and pressing challenge for better propulsion has arisen due to the exponential growth of the number of satellites in our planet’s orbit. The tens of thousands of satellites to be sent to space in the next decade to provide communication services, to collect earth observation data or to support the Internet-of-Things, all must have the capability to move more safely and efficiently in Space.

Satellites, especially in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) must have a propulsion system to efficiently:

• Disperse from the rocket

• Reach their position in a constellation

• Maintain orbit

• Avoid collisions with other satellites or space debris

• And ultimately de-orbit at the end of their life to not contribute to space junk

Neumann Space is focused on innovating to provide better, safer and more efficient mobility to address the propulsion challenges facing this evolving space economy.

The Neumann Drive®

The Neumann Drive® is the name of the electric propulsion system developed by Neumann Space, and the first ever made in Australia. It uses the company leading-edge patented technology to transform a solid conductive metal such as Aluminium, Molybdenum and many others to generate thrust in Space.

The advantage of the Neumann Drive to Satellite manufacturers and Space technology companies resides in the use of a metallic propellant and the simplicity of the propulsion system. Together these provide a unique set of competitive advantages including:

• Superior fuel efficiency

• Simple design

• Safe to handle and operate

• Storable fully fuelled and integrated

• Suited for high volume manufacturing

• Scalable from small to large satellites

• In the future, refuellable from Space debris

Launching to the world and beyond

The innovation inspired by Paddy Neumann, funded by private investors, and developed by a talented team of engineers, will see the Neumann Drive® fly on several Australian and American satellites in the coming years, with the inaugural flight scheduled for 2023.

This work will set the foundation for Neumann Space products to quickly become a feature on satellites, enabling them to move in Earth’s orbit and beyond. Looking ahead, the company’s mission will continue to inspire and drive the ingenuity of its people, ensuring that South Australia has a growing role in the space economy for decade and decades to come.

neumann-space

The idea was to make space not only a democratised playing field, but to reduce the barriers to entry, not dissimilar to driving a car, or playing a video game.

Founded in 2008, Saber Astronautics is a leading space asset management company focused on mission operations, space traffic management, and mission design. Saber brings together the latest in human factors, artificial intelligence, and dynamic 3D data visualization making the monitoring, flying, and rapid diagnosis of spacecraft systems trivial. The passionately skilled people at Saber alongside nextgeneration tools have built a quick, responsive and complete operational system for all stages of flight.

Today, Saber Astronautics finds a home in Adelaide for the Responsive Space Operations Centre (RSOC™), the nation’s first dedicated space mission control*, housed inside the Australian Space Discovery Centre. From the RSOC, Saber operators are responsible for spacecraft starting as small as a loaf of bread, to the largest commercial communications payload ever deployed to Low-Earth Orbit. Every mission from

inception to flight has its own unique set of problems, which are solved by expert teams at Saber to allow for quality, safety, and most importantly, sustainability in the increasingly crowded orbits above Earth.

Saber’s work has been tightly coupled with the Australian space industry with interests in both government and commercial sector; Ranging from ingesting space weather data from the Bureau of Meteorology, providing critical space situational reporting to the Australian Space Agency, through to coordinating space traffic management activities on behalf of the Asia-Pacific region. Saber’s work is enabled by many Aussie space companies providing critical, enabling datasets to achieve current capabilities. With a connected network of sensors and dishes growing by the month, Saber is looking forward to expanding these collaborations.

To further support Saber’s efforts to service the industry, a brand new office and mission design centre is scheduled to open soon. Within the Bice Building at the Lot Fourteen innovation precinct on Adelaide North Terrace, the new facilities will provide room for Saber’s growing team of space engineers, operators and scientists.

Like any fantastic idea, it begins with a passion and a drive to do what you love whilst making the world a better place.

The future is incredibly bright for the Australian space sector, and Saber Astronautics, as the industry collectively pushes forward to create a sustainable and industry-driven presence globally.

To find out more, please visit: https://saberastro.com, or follow us on social media.

*In 2020, the Department of Industry, Science, Innovation, and Resources in conjunction with the Australian Space Agency awarded Saber Astronautics a $6 Million grant for the Mission Control Centre from the Australian Government’s Space Infrastructure Fund.

saberastro.com

FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW. How Southern Launch helped launch the Australian space industry.

For any industry there’s a seed, a starting point for investment, innovation and inspiration. It’s a company, person or natural resource that attracts other companies to support each other and invest in the future. For the South Australian space industry that seed is Southern Launch.

A launch site is essential for space exploration. It’s the place that propels us into the universe and allows us to explore the endless opportunities space has to offer. For the space industry, the launch site is a central point that attracts other space companies and builds, layer upon layer, a connected web of space companies and supporting industries.

Established in 2017, Southern Launch is a space launch services provider headquartered in Adelaide. The company operates two spaceports in regional South Australia and provides end-to-end space launch services for customers based in Australia and abroad.

Southern Launch has been a key driver in developing the commercial space industry in Australia. Established before the Australian Space Agency in 2018, Southern Launch has paved the way for other launch providers, rocket and satellite manufacturers and space technology development to establish a presence in Australia and more often than not, in South Australia.

South Australia has a strong history in space exploration. The Woomera Range Complex in South Australia’s north launched Australia’s first satellite in 1967 and hosted over 500 suborbital launches to space and 2 orbital flights out from Australia’s red centre. This strong space heritage, combined with the small satellite revolution and geographical advantages the State has to offer, makes it the perfect central point from which the Australian space industry can evolve and develop.

Southern Launch was founded by CEO Lloyd Damp. Prior to starting Southern Launch, Lloyd spent over 12 years working for the Australian Government specialising in complex program design and delivery. While there Lloyd also played a small part in helping Australia undertake regular rocket launches into space from Woomera.

Lloyd credits this experience at Woomera for helping establish Southern Launch, ‘During my time working for the Australian Government I realised the potential we had in South Australia to be a major player in the global space industry. South Australia is home to an incredibly bright and skilled workforce, a strong foundation in defence and space exploration and geographically located to achieve orbits not possible from many other places in the world.’

The ATSpace VS03 rocket on the launchpad at Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex

Starting out with just one employee, Southern Launch now employs almost 30 people and remains at the forefront of fostering a full-spectrum strategic, sovereign, and globally engaged space sector in Australia. Lloyd says, ‘I believe that Australia is ideally placed to be the leading global hub for space launch operations. We can play a significant role in shaping the future of the global space economy.’

Bringing space launch to South Australia brings benefits to the state and the economy. It is projected that the gross ongoing economic impact of Southern Launch’s space launch facilities will contribute upwards of $450 million to the South Australian economy. The launch facilities will also deliver almost 500 new, high-tech, employment opportunities in Adelaide and regional South Australia. ‘We are proud to be leading the ground-breaking work that will benefit South Australia’ Lloyd says, ‘Of course there’s the economic impacts but hosting space launches from SA will also attract skilled workers and other ancillary industries to our state and that is incredibly exciting.’

The Southern Launch team preparing to launch the VS03 rocket from Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex

Southern Launch mission control on launch day

Southern Launch team member at the Koonibba Test Range

It is the evolution of space technology that has helped Southern Launch emerge with a unique product offering in the global space economy. In recent years the size of satellites has reduced dramatically as technology has evolved. Where once upon a time a satellite was as large as a truck and cost upwards of $300 million, satellites today are around the size of a microwave, can be mass produced and cost less than $1 million.

This shift in satellite technology has demanded a shift in the types of orbits required by satellite companies. Satellites are now launched in a constellation with a goal to cover as much of the Earth as possible to make them commercially viable. This means more and more companies are wanting to launch into a polar or sun-synchronous orbit rather than the traditional equatorial orbit.

Southern Launch is perfectly positioned to provide for the next generation of satellite manufacturers. Lloyd explains ‘Our Whalers Way Orbital Launch Complex is one of the only spaceports in the world that offers unhindered launch trajectories across unpopulated areas into polar and sun-synchronous orbits. This means we can provide our rocket and satellite customers with rapid access to space and minimise the fuel and effort required to get the satellites into the desired orbit.’

Southern Launch also operates one of the world’s largest rocket testing facilities, the Koonibba Test Range. Located forty kilometres from Ceduna on South Australia’s far west coast, the Koonibba Test Range provides customers with the ability to recover their rocket and payload to collect data and conduct system validation before launching into orbit.

The Koonibba Test Range was developed in conjunction with the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation and was Australia’s first licensed space launch facility. The range extends 145 kilometres over uninhabited land and covers over 10,000 square kilometres of range area. Lloyd explains the significance of the Koonibba Test Range, ‘Validating rocket and satellite technology before launching into space is a critical step for companies. Being able to provide a test range for our customers to use before launching from our orbital complex is a unique offering not available with any other launch service provider in the world.’

The Koonibba Aboriginal Community has been actively involved in the development of the Koonibba Test Range. The development of the range has also resulted in significant investment for the local Koonibba and Ceduna communities. Chief Executive Officer of the Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation, Corey McLennan says, ‘Working with Southern Launch in Koonibba is tremendous for our community. We benefit through skills upgrades, employment opportunities and investment. Most importantly, our children and young people are inspired by the world of opportunities available to them when space is right on our doorstep.’

Southern Launch continues to grow and evolve as the company matures. Today the company is made up of a team of leading engineers, project managers, specialists, and regulation experts who work with rocket manufacturers and payload customers to manage all aspects of launch. Lloyd says, ‘Our evolution as a company has been quite organic and is driven by the expertise our team has and continues to develop. I started Southern Launch solely as a launch provider, today we are a team with the expertise and knowledge to consult on a range of different projects and also develop our own technology in-house.’

This drive for constant innovation has seen Southern Launch expand into developing its own launch vehicle. In October 2022 the company revealed the first iteration of a modular and adaptable launch vehicle. The vehicle was designed through a joint project with defence and

Koonibba CEO Corey McLennan and Lloyd Damp with the certificate for Australia’s first licensed space launch facility, the Koonibba Test Range

Southern Launch customer ATSpace’s VS03 rocket on the launch pad

industry and is scheduled to launch into space in 2023. Lloyd says, ‘The development of our launch vehicle is a fantastic example of how partnerships between government and industry can fast track research and development of new technology. We are incredibly proud of the vehicle we have produced and are looking forward to sending it into space from the Koonibba Test Range.’

Southern Launch was the small seed in 2017 that has helped a whole commercial space sector and supporting industries grow in Australia. The future for Southern Launch is bright and full of ambition. Lloyd says, ‘Over 50 years ago South Australia was second to Cape Canaveral in hosting launches to space. I hope that in a few years South Australia will be back on the map as a global space powerhouse.’ It’s a case of watch this space.

The Southern Launch team with members from the Koonibba Aboriginal Community

Southern Launch CEO Lloyd Damp at the Koonibba Test Range

The Southern Launch team preparing a weather balloon at the Koonibba Test Range

Connecting the Earth, Moon and Mars. We Are Explorers.

Hero shot of Fleet’s latest technology, ExoSphere. This image shows Fleet’s Geode that ‘scans’ beneath the Earth’s surface to create 3D mapping for mineral exploration

Fleet Space Technologies is one of the leaders in the rapidly emerging global space technology sector. Its mission is to connect the Earth, Moon and Mars and unlock the power of universal connectivity through a network of small satellites for the betterment of everyone on earth.

The company is Headquartered at a state-of-the-art facility in Adelaide, South Australia and has several offices and manufacturing facilities scattered around Australia. The team has rapidly grown to over 80 employees in the last six months and has a global presence including a team in the US. Founded in 2015, Fleet Space has a goal to launch a satellite constellation of 288 satellites, providing connectivity to all areas of the globe.

Having already launched seven commercial satellites, Fleet Space is working towards a fully 3D printed satellite, Alpha, along with the rest of the company’s pioneering Centauri Satellites, Centauri-6, Centauri-7 and Centauri-8. In May 2022, Fleet Space launched their most recent satellite, Centauri-5 through SpaceX.

Fleet is also a pioneer in new manufacturing techniques. The Centauri-5 satellite used a 3D printed all metal patch antenna created using Fleet’s in-house 3D printing capabilities.

Fleet’s Alpha-1 Satellite will be the world’s first fully 3D printed satellite weighing around 40kg and measuring 600 x 600 x 120mm and will

contribute the most to their 280+ satellite constellation due to launch before 2027.

Fleet Space is working towards mass manufacturing of satellites at the landmark Australia Space Park development. In addition, Fleet plays a central role in the Moon and Mars initiative as resources and technologies that Fleet are creating here on Earth will ultimately be used for exploring and surveying the Moon and Mars to help understand how human life may be supported there.

Most recently, Fleet Space has focused its expertise on the mining exploration industry, providing a lightning fast, highly scalable, 3D exploration solution to pinpoint high value minerals and refine drilling targets. ExoSphere is an end-to-end package offered to mineral exploration customers that will increase the time it takes to find a deposit. Geodes are planted in a survey area that uses real-time passive seismic methods to ‘scan’ the land beneath searching for minerals.

Since announcing ExoSphere in January 2022, Fleet has signed contracts with over 20 customers based in Australia and North America

including Oz Minerals. Fleet’s ExoSphere technology is already proven to solve the pressing global priority to decarbonise mobility and find more than $13trillion USD worth of energy transition minerals.

This is enabled through unobtrusive Ambient Noise Tomography (ANT) which listens to seismic waves that ultimately creates survey data. This is then rapidly processed and transmitted through Fleet’s low power satellite network.

Render image of Fleet’s fully 3D printed Alpha satellite due to launch at the end of 2022

Fleet Team image in new 1400sqm facility

Fleet’s fully 3D printed metal patch antennas used for their latest Centauri satellites. The new 3D printer was recently installed in their new manufacturing facility in Beverley, Adelaide.

CHAPTER NINE

MANUFACTURING, ENGINEERING & AUTOMATION

FACTORY OF THE FUTURE

The Australian Industrial Transformation Institute at Flinders University is a national leader in industry and workplace innovation research

The Factory of the Future will bring together education, industry and government to facilitate the implementation of Industry 4.0, bridging the valley between research, development and innovation to boost the national economy.

The Australian Industrial Transformation Institute’s (AITI) multi-disciplinary team undertakes industry, economic and workforce research in response to major change. A leader in research on the future of work in the digital age and the human dimensions of technological change, playing a key role in informing strategy, policy, and program development.

A major focus of AITI is providing insights into the industries and jobs of the future. Our Factory of the Future brings innovation, Industry 4.0 technologies, research, and training together to advance manufacturing and strengthen the nation’s economy.

Through the Factory of the Future Flinders University has a bold vision to unlock 4000 jobs over five years, securing our economic prosperity for generations to come.

It builds on the significant work already conducted as part of our Pilot Factory of the Future project undertaken in collaboration with our foundation industry partner BAE Systems Maritime Australia.

Located under the Main Assembly Building of the former Mitsubishi manufacturing site, now the Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide’s south.

Photo by Jack Fenby

The foundations for success are already in place at the impressive Tonsley Innovation District – a site that defined a previous golden era of automotive manufacturing in South Australia.

The Factory of the Future will deliver a world-class, reconfigurable advanced manufacturing test bed, training and industry growth facility – the first of its kind in Australia.

Aside from the thousands of jobs created, about 250 companies will be involved in the facility, benefiting from collaborations with research expertise and opportunities to integrate into domestic and international value chains.

The Factory of the Future will connect businesses and sectors which are of growing importance to the national economy, including the $90 billion defence shipbuilding industry.

CONNECTING INDUSTRY WITH ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES, RESEARCH CAPABILITIES AND TRAINING TO MODERNISE AND TRANSFORM MANUFACTURING, INTEGRATING I4.0

The Factory of the Future will work with international and domestic businesses to deepen understanding of the growing importance of digitisation and advanced manufacturing technologies, and to identify opportunities to implement industry-leading applications.

It will work with business to test and trial robotics and automation, including cyber-physical systems. It will also assist with the development of digital roadmaps to help sustain the uptake and diffusion of advanced technologies.

Photo by Jack Fenby

The Factory of the Future will develop training and cultural programs to enable industries to successfully deliver significant change within organisations. It will also support the application of leaner practices in manufacturing to reduce waste, and identify opportunities for digitisation, robotics and automation.

By supporting the testing and implementation of advanced technologies, The Factory of the Future will be able to significantly increase the innovative capabilities and performance of companies, leading to the establishment of deeper productive collaborations with researchers and world-class facilities.

Access to Industry 4.0 technologies, processes and expertise is essential to enable businesses working across many South Australian industry sectors to compete on a global stage.

“The Factory of the Future will attract national and international attention and place Australia at the cutting edge of modern manufacturing.”

- Professor John Spoehr, Director, Australian Industrial Transformation Institute

Photo by Jack Fenby

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCED TESTING

The Factory of the Future forms part of a collaborative network of advanced manufacturing facilities internationally, linking to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield and the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre, both in the UK. It will work collaboratively with Flinders University’s Centre for Maritime Engineering, Control and Imaging, Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Medical Device Research Institute, New Venture Institute and Australian Industrial Transformation Institute.

The factory will enable SMEs and research institutions to bring new and emerging technologies under the one roof at Tonsley, opening the way for Australian businesses to join BAE Systems Maritime Australia’s $19.6 billion Global Supply Chain.

The Factory of the Future aims to substantially increase the number of companies involved in testing automation and robotics technologies to help our state and our nation prosper.

Photo by Jack Fenby

CREATING A SMARTER FUTURE, BETTER WORLD

SAGE is a specialist industrial digitalisation services provider, combining the best thinking with world-leading technology to deliver the best outcome.

SAGE’s specialist businesses – SAGE Automation, Nukon, Skills Lab and Embedded Expertise – work with organisations to deliver strategy and horizon phasing, automation of industrial operations, data-driven business transformation, training and technical personnel resourcing.

Established in Adelaide, South Australia, SAGE Group’s 700+ workforce is quite a far cry from its humble beginnings. SAGE founder, Andrew Downs, began the business by playing around with programming and CAD in his spare time. Before long, his ‘side project’ was taking up so much of his time, he made the leap to running the business full time.

Fast forward to 2023, and a still privately-owned SAGE is recognised as a world-leader in automation and industrial digitalisation.

Geographically, the business that started from a backyard shed in Adelaide now has offices around Australia and in India, and delivers projects all over the world.

While technology is certainly the key to a safer and more sustainable way of living, there is an understanding within the business that it takes great people and collaboration to build a better future. That’s why SAGE’s vision is simply to create a “Smarter Future, Better World.”

The drive to achieve this vision goes well beyond solving purely industrial problems – SAGE’s story is one of diversification.

SAGE Automation, as the business was first known, provided automation and servicing for the automotive industry. But the ability to problem-solve and find a better method soon saw the business expand to work across other industry sectors.

Growing from standard automation, SAGE’s specialist businesses – Nukon, Skills Lab and Embedded Expertise – joined SAGE Automation as sister companies able to provide a unified outlook and holistic delivery model for organisations on their digitalisation journey. SAGE’s industry base now stretches across defence, energy, manufacturing, resources, smart cities, transport and utilities, and has an even more diverse list of capabilities and services.

INNOVATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN A KEY PILLAR OF THE SUCCESS OF SAGE’S CUSTOMERS

As a system integrator working across multiple industries, SAGE is focused on learning from challenges or opportunities in each sector and applying that knowledge to other industries. The organisation has a powerful knowledge management culture which fosters close and constant monitoring of emerging new technologies and applications for its client base.

Technical skills and resourcing

Like many other countries, there is a skills shortage facing Australian industry, with modern technology advancing at a faster pace than the workforce is currently equipped to handle. Upskilling and re-skilling are critical focus areas for organisations as every industry embarks on their digital transformation journey.

SAGE Group’s training company, Skills Lab, is designed to support the Australian workforce to develop the skills required in modern industry through hands-on training.

In 2020, Skills Lab, along with industry partners, launched Australia’s first digital engineering apprenticeship. The program matches school leavers with top-tier organisations for a threeyear placement, while studying a nationally accredited Diploma of Applied Technologies. The apprenticeship program means learnings are combined with traditional engineering skills, providing real-world learning to the apprentice, and reducing the risk of skills shortages for the business.

A Registered Training Organisation (RTO), Skills Lab has also been developing and delivering a wide range of industrial digitalisation microcredentials and qualifications to learners throughout Australia. In many cases, this involves liaising directly with clients to design and contextualise suitable training courses. This work in developing industry-specific courses that are accessible via innovative online learning has been pivotal in providing avenues for all Australians to learn valuable skills.

A dedicated space for innovation

In 2021, SAGE launched a dedicated Innovation Hub, which hosts opportunities to collaborate, research and prototype new concepts, and enable the development of new projects.

Conceptualising, planning and executing new ideas requires a specialist skill set and broad experience, and the Innovation Hub enables businesses without those resources to accelerate and scale their ideas, connecting to fresh ideas and support that helps to deliver grant-funded projects or to tap into specialist knowledge to research and prototype.

The Innovation Hub is also an avenue for internships and work experience from university students across a range of disciplines, many of whom have gone on to join SAGE once their studies were completed.

To encourage and further drive innovation, SAGE has an online forum, SMART Platform, that enables internal groups to develop innovative ideas addressing key industry challenges through an open forum model. Innovation is everyone’s responsibility at SAGE, regardless of their role.

MAKING IT HAPPEN, TOGETHER

When SAGE was first established, its purpose was to provide value to clients through automation, while ensuring exceptional service. Almost 30 years later, the organisation has found collaboration helps set it apart from other organisations and enables this value to be recognised.

According to Andrew, that means knowing when to draw upon expert advice too. SAGE’s clients come to them not just for their renowned expertise, but also because SAGE has established an extensive network of collaborative relationships with leading technology providers, both nationally and internationally.

The organisation works closely with leading industrial technology brands from all over the world to maintain capability, while remaining vendor independent.

This gives SAGE the power to recommend and integrate the best suited technology for client projects now and for future needs. It’s one of the reasons why businesses approach SAGE when they are looking to bring a new product to market, to improve safety for the public, or to make technology more accessible. The partnered approach has seen the development of automated recycling solutions, smart school zone crossings and a virtual playing field.

When Container Deposit Systems came to SAGE with the idea to improve the recycling process by avoiding the challenges encountered with international designs and a vision to fully automate the return and refund processing of containers, a collaborative approach brought it to life. Utilising state-of-the-art technology to aid the counting of containers is beneficial for both depots and their customers, as the time taken to sort and refund containers is dramatically reduced. The solution provides both a viable business opportunity for container deposits and contributes to the circular economy.

Proving that technology can enhance road and pedestrian safety, SAGE designed and installed an Australian-first cloud-managed and solarpowered school crossing that monitors vehicle speed and provides a warning to drivers to slow down.

The smart school crossing utilises a fusion of installed telemetry hardware to provide real-time metrics on vehicle flow through the crossing and information on the state of the system. Communicating with SAGE Edge – SAGE’s propriety IoT hardware – real-time information is transmitted back to a custom-built dashboard, enabling in-depth data analysis. This has enabled the local council to access historical data, which over a short period of time, can inform decisions around how best to operate the crossing, how effective the crossing is at reducing vehicle speed, and if more action should be taken to reduce the speed of vehicles.

SAGE’s smart technology was also displayed as part of a world-first digital experience that brought free arcade-style games to the public in 2021. Known as Open Arcade: Gaming for Everyone, the digital experience was a winning entry in the City of Melbourne’s Emerging Technology Testbed ‘Reimaging the City’ Challenge. The challenge was to develop ideas that make city experiences more vibrant and inclusive while promoting social connection and creating new reasons to visit the city as it emerged from the pandemic. The arcade games used machine vision cameras to digitally represent players and their movements on a big screen, removing the need for controllers. Players interacted in real-time with the game displayed on the screen, such as hitting a digital ‘ball’ back and forth or navigating through a digital maze featuring colourful simulations.

SAGE grew from one simple question: what if things could be done better?

By connecting clients with the ability to innovate, modernise, digitise and improve how they operate – as the world embraces Industry 4.0SAGE’s clients have seen significant gains in terms of efficiency, safety, cost savings, quality and performance.

SAGE recognises the need to build a platform for growth. Through the development of a new talent pipeline, such as the digital engineering apprenticeship program, the organisation is focused on nurturing talent through both traditional and new methods of entry into the industry.

This commitment to sustainable growth of a skilled workforce stretches to the knowledge sharing within the business, as well as within the wider industry. This was recognised in 2020, when the Control System Integration Association (CSIA) named SAGE as the recipient of the Integrator Company Member of the Year Award for participating significantly in the advancement of the association and profession.

SAGE Group Managing Director, Adrian Fahey, highlights how the business has been able to support clients through times of change.

“We collaborate with and support some of Australia’s most critical services through their digital transformation – from the energy systems that power our homes, to the treatment plants that provide Australians with clean drinking water, and the transport networks that get us wherever we want to go – and that would not be possible without our exceptional people,” he said.

General Enquiries - 1300 00 SAGE [1300 00 7243]

Email: info@gotosage.com

gotosage.com

An Introduction to Supashock

Supashock is a world-class producer of advanced mobility, motion and autonomous systems that control, monitor and improve the efficiency and capability of defence, commercial, automotive, motorsport and other transport vehicles. The rapid growth, awards, patented technology and impacts on local economy have seen Supashock become a highly recognised success story at home and abroad.

Following a successful 25-year motorsport engineering career, Supashock’s CEO Oscar Fiorinotto has led the Supashock team to diversify in product, capability and industry since he founded the business in 2005.

Supashock’s values of Passion, Integrity, Respect, Innovation and Determination are subscribed to by the entire team. A culture of creativity and free thinking is actively encouraged in the pursuit of originality, often resulting in globally recognised innovation.

With a highly skilled local workforce, world-class educational system, strong SME and supply chain foundation, naturally, Oscar and the Supashock Board chose to grow the business in Adelaide. This has proven to be a well-founded decision, as the technology and defence industries rapidly expand in South Australia.

OUR PEOPLE AND TRAINING

“Innovation is in Supashock’s DNA and in everything we do, it starts with the brilliant minds of our people. When you provide your team with direction, and the autonomy to follow their instincts - amazing things happen.” Said Oscar.

Supashock recognises their people are the competitive advantage and its most valuable asset. Supashock’s unique strategy around recruitment and upskilling has proved to be successful in building the careers of many engineers, tradespeople and supporting staff both past and present.

The upskilling culture was always a vision for Oscar when he founded Supashock. This vision has only flourished as the business has grown. Oscar believes in mentoring interns, graduates and young people, developing them to be leaders in the business and extraordinary in their respective fields. Supashock works tirelessly to partner with SA universities, nationally accredited education providers and organisations in the defence industry. It hosts a range of internships, traineeships, undergraduate projects and apprenticeships. Invaluable hands-on learning is encouraged, where mentees work on real projects under the guidance of senior staff. This method offers unmatched practical and individualised experiences.

Supashock actively collaborates with training providers and external contacts to bring tailored training solutions to staff at all levels of their employment journey, upskilling in areas such as leadership, project management, design, manufacturing and more.

Holden Special Vehicles GTSR W1, equipped standard with Supashock suspension.

Supashock is committed to inclusive employment and partners with Barkuma, a not-for-profit disability provider that introduced several team members who have since been employed and upskilled. Supashock also employs staff found through the Prime Minister’s National Veterans’ Employment Program. These team members have extensive skills, experience and qualification that are invaluable to many areas of the business.

SUPASHOCK’S INNOVATION AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Supashock’s vision is to broaden Australia’s Sovereign Capability through local technology and advanced manufacturing. The core of Supashock’s success has been its innovative approach to mobility and motion technology, coming up with revolutionary yet simple designs to enhance efficiency and performance, whilst maintaining the highest levels of reliability, quality and durability.

Working closely with customers to gain an in-depth understanding of project requirements helps Supashock design and build systems that can further develop the customer’s own unique selling points, often creating a differentiator that will disrupt the market.

The investment in research and development in the fields of artificial intelligence and automation is a demonstration of the commitment to developing forward-thinking technological solutions. The passionate

R&D team examines products and problems through a modern lens. Using technology, they streamline processes and further improve safety with intelligent systems.

SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY

Supashock continues to cement the expertise of SA’s defence industry as their technology, facilities and skillsets grow. Supashock’s capability spans the entire product lifecycle: concept, design, simulation, validation and manufacture. Supashock’s facilities are not limited to internal use. Customers may take wish to take advantage of the local capability via consultancy support, or facility and testing hire.

Supashock works with a measure twice, cut once approach. An entire team evaluates designs in-house using the latest finite element analysis and multibody dynamics simulation techniques and software. This enables engineers to solve complex problems and make informed decisions, at a fraction of the time and cost required to build physical prototypes.

Uniquely, Supashock uses unrivalled in-house testing facilities for verification and validation (V&V), including accelerated lifecycle testing, destruction testing, data logging, impact testing and HUMS. These facilities are custom built for large and small-scale products, capable of replicating extreme defence, aerospace and automotive scenarios. Supashock operates a range of environmental testing alongside the V&V facilities.

Supashock engineers assembling testing parts for an autonomous vehicle.

These include chambers for subjecting products to extreme temperature, ingress, humidity and salinity, and suspension lifecycle testing facilities with integrated climatic verification.

One of only thirteen in SA, Supashock were the second business in the state to obtain AS9100D (aerospace and defence) accreditation. Supashock’s manufacturing facilities are world-class and have evolved to meet, and exceed, a number of global quality standards. With heavy investment in state-of-the-art machinery and automation to support production, Supashock now operates over 20 automated, high tolerance CNC machines, a variety of supporting equipment, an environmentally controlled metrology room and a highly skilled team. The machine shop currently produces high-end, complex components for defence and automotive industries. A 4000sqm manufacturing facility accommodates Supashock’s laser cutting, painting, metalwork, welding and largescale assembly. Supashock also holds in-house composite manufacturing capability, an investment made to service defence and aerospace industries.

Supashock prides itself on quality management and security, the business is certified to the following standards:

• AS9100D Certified Quality Management,

• ISO9001:2015 Certified Quality Management,

• ISO3834.2:2005 Certified Quality Management,

• ISO14001:2015 Certified Environmental Management,

• ISO45001:2018 Occupational Health & Safety Management,

• Defence ISO Standard Welding,

• DISP Entry Level Member (pending Level 2 approval),

• ACSC Essential Eight at Maturity Level 2,

• Aligned Policies with United States Department of Defence Information Security,

• CMMC Level 1 Compliance and alignment with NIST 800-171 requirements,

• ISO 27001:2022 Certification in progress.

GLOBALLY TRUSTED PARTNER, SUPPLIER AND INNOVATOR

Supashock’s early success on the Australian and international motorsport stages for suspension and vehicle dynamics design led to OEM suspension design and manufacture for several award winning, flagship models of Holden in Australia. Off the back of these successes, Supashock now supplies Australian designed solutions to many automotive OEM customers around the globe. These services range from suspension, to engineering and analysis, consultancy and software solutions. Supashock is proud to be 7 years into a partnership with one of the United States largest autonomous OEM vehicle pioneers, providing a revolutionary, modular active suspension solution for autonomous passenger vehicles.

Doors have continued to open as Supashock’s innovative work is recognised. The team now operates in industries including defence, mining, maritime, medical, commercial, automotive OEM and aftermarket.

First identified in 2017 as part of Rheinmetall Defence’s effort to source top tier sovereign capability, Supashock soon became part of the Rheinmetall Global Supply Chain.

In conjunction with Rheinmetall, Supashock developed the running gear solution for the Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle. As the OEM for Lynx running gear, Supashock is now the Rheinmetall running gear supplier for all domestic and export Lynx opportunities. Supashock’s Automated Load Handling System is now an option for the Rheinmetall HX Tactical Truck family and Supashock’s Missile Launcher is an option for the Lynx IFV and Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle.

Since Supashock’s successful partnership with Rheinmetall, Supashock has developed and prototyped multiple innovative products and systems for defence that add value to Rheinmetall and Supashock’s product suites. Adelaide’s Supashock has collaborated with various defence Primes including Raytheon, PT Pindad and Lürssen - with more undisclosed international Prime projects in the pipeline.

Supashock’s Automated Load Handling System in Flat Rack Mode.

THE SUPASHOCK RANGE IS MAJORLY COMPRISED OF:

• Active and passive suspension systems for tracked and wheeled vehicles of any size,

• Load handling, and bespoke or build-to-print crane systems for land vehicles and maritime application,

• Truck and tracked vehicle stabilisation, through suspension or custom hydraulic legs,

• Modular missile launching platforms for land and maritime application,

• Local Situational Awareness System and other vision-based products,

• Advanced Driver Assistance System with multi-purpose detection capability,

• Custom software solutions including: Enterprise management, manufacturing execution, engineering change management, procurement and order tracking,

• Electronic Control Systems.

Rheinmetall LYNX Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) & Combat Support Vehicle (CSV) equipped with Supashock running gear, crane and local situational awareness systems.

Supashock’s Artillery Turret Interface & Stabiliser System.

Supashock & Rheinmetall Australia teams in front of the LYNX IFV.

Supashock’s Modular Missile Launching Platform.

ACCELERATING AN AIRBORNE MOBILITY REVOLUTION THROUGH MOTORSPORT

Airspeeder, in collaboration with Alauda Aeronautics, is leading the way in the development of electric flying vehicles through the power of sporting competition. With their headquarters in Adelaide, South Australia, and London, England, they are strategically positioned to drive technical progress and build public acceptance for a new mobility revolution.

The philosophy behind Airspeeder is rooted in the belief that nothing accelerates technical progress like sporting competition. Just as Formula One played a crucial role in driving technical development and public acceptance for automotive advancements nearly a century ago, Airspeeder aims to do the same for the emerging electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector.

The potential impact of eVTOL technology on urban aerial transport, global logistics, and remote medical transport is immense. Airspeeder envisions a clean-air, zero-emissions aerial transport solution that can transform the way people and goods are transported.

The founder and visionary behind Alauda and Airspeeder, Matt Pearson, along with a dedicated team of engineers, designers, media and

commercial minds from Australia, New York, and London, is driving the rapid development of electric flying vehicles through their involvement in sporting competition. Pearson, who is also involved in the expanding Industrial Internet of Things space through his work at Fleet, brings a wealth of expertise and passion to the project.

Alauda Aeronautics, the technical team and manufacturer of the pioneering Speeders that compete in the Airspeeder EXA Series and future crewed Airspeeder races, has created an extraordinary engineering and digital ecosystem for eVTOL racing. Drawing talent from renowned names in Formula 1, motorsport, and advanced aerospace development, including engineers from Ferrari and

development experts from Boeing, Airbus, McLaren, Jaguar Land Rover, and Rolls-Royce, the team has achieved a remarkable technical feat.

To support the historic first race and ensure a seamless experience, Alauda Aeronautics had to establish cutting-edge infrastructure, including race control stations, pilot control stations, 5G networks, augmented reality (AR) sky tracks, and an engineering and team control station. These technological advancements mirror the future urban landscape, providing a glimpse into the technology that will underpin the emergence of eVTOL as a viable means of passenger transport.

At the core of the technical ecosystem is the Airspeeder racing craft, a 4.1-meter carbon fiber construction full-scale racing quadcopter

Matt Pearson, Founder and Visionary

With a maximum power output of 320kW, equivalent to an Audi SQ7 performance SUV, the Speeder weighs just 130kg without a pilot and can lift a weight of more than 80kg. Its impressive acceleration allows it to reach 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds, with the capability to climb to 500 meters.

The technology and safety systems developed for the Airspeeder races will have far-reaching implications for the eVTOL industry. Alauda has collaborated with partners such as Intel, Telstra Purple, Acronis,and Amazon Web Services to create the digital architecture necessary for managing autonomous and piloted eVTOL vehicles in urban environments. This collaborative approach extends to all of Airspeeder and Alauda’s commercial and technical partners, ensuring the growth of the eVTOL mobility revolution.

The collaboration between Alauda’s engineering team and IWC Schaffhausen, the Engineering and Timekeeping partner, has been instrumental in producing top-quality racing machines with sustainability as a central focus. Additionally, partnerships with Telstra Purple, Intel and Acronis have enabled the secure management of telemetry and race data, essential for optimizing performance and safety.

The support from the Government of South Australia has been invaluable in fostering an ecosystem of leading space and aerospace companies.

PAVING THE WAY TO FLY GREEN

Bader Aero is revolutionising the way pilots learn and continue to fly by producing advanced zero emissions aircraft. As a proud South Australian based company, Bader Aero is building safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly light aircraft. They are a leader in the fastpaced aviation industry with their light aircraft platforms, targeting the global flight training and recreational markets.

Bader Aero’s mission is to provide pilots with a revolutionary vehicle, enabling training in electric aircraft systems and providing a transition pathway into other emerging clean energy flight platforms such as air taxis and larger hybrid powered aircraft.

OUR STORY

Adelaide local, Barrie Rogers was always fascinated by flight. From a young age, he dreamed of soaring through the sky and exploring the world from above. As he grew older, his fascination only grew, and he became determined to make his mark in the world of aviation.

In 2017, Barrie Rogers and his partner Sue Mulryan became interested in electric aircraft. He had heard about a new type of aircraft that was being developed in Europe, one that was powered entirely by electricity. Barrie and Sue were immediately intrigued and knew that they had to bring this technology to Australia.

After much research and consideration, they were able to acquire the first electric aircraft imported into Australia. It was a small, two-seater plane that was powered by an electric motor and a couple of lithium-ion battery packs. Barrie was thrilled to finally have the opportunity to test this new technology and see what it was capable of.

Barrie took to the skies in his new electric plane and was amazed by how quiet and smooth it was to fly. He quickly set about testing its limits and pushing it to its fullest potential. During his journey, Barrie broke several electric aviation flight records, including the longest distance flown by an electric aircraft.

As news of Barrie’s achievements spread, he began to receive attention from aviation industry professionals around Australia. One such person was Gus Wrethman, an experienced aviation professional who had long been interested in the idea of building a battery powered flight training aircraft in Australia.

Barrie, Sue and Gus began working together to turn Bader Aero’s vision into a reality. Aviation colleague and business professional Michael Monck was brought in as the fourth founder, to provide experience in technical and regulatory certification requirements.

With the teams combined knowledge, networks and industry experience, Bader Aero was officially founded as a company in 2022. Set amongst other industrial businesses in Edwardstown in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, the company has continued to overcome challenges from warehousing to finance and continues to grow.

In 2023, Bader Aero unveiled their first prototype “The E22 Spark” - a sleek, modern aircraft capable of flying for 90 minutes on a single battery charge. This is a major achievement for the company in a short space of time, as well as a monumental step forward for electric aviation in Australia.

Modern battery technology is constantly evolving and will present many opportunities for the electric aircraft sector by enabling greater endurance and distances to be travelled. Bader Aero recognised this and designed the E22 Spark to be a platform that is ready to adopt new battery technologies as they become available. By designing the aircraft with a modular battery system, an integrated battery management system, and multiple layers of safety systems, Bader Aero has created an aircraft that is not only efficient and sustainable, but future-proof. As new battery technologies are commercialised, the E22 Spark will be able to easily take advantage of them, helping to push the boundaries of sustainable aviation even further.

In addition to the efforts of its founders, Bader Aero collaborates with industry to make their vision a reality. One of the key partners is the University of South Australia who provide a number of engineering resources to work under the guidance of Bader Aero Chief Engineer Dominic Hill. The injection of fresh ideas from multiple disciplines has assisted Bader Aero to develop a class leading product with innovative ideas at an accelerated pace. Other significant expertise

has come in the form of motor providers who are developing cutting edge solutions to offer the most efficient and reliable propulsion systems available in the sector.

Through their collaboration with industry partners, Bader Aero is able to leverage the latest advancements in aerospace technology and design. This allows them to develop aircraft that are efficient and sustainable while also being safe and reliable. Using this approach, Bader Aero has built an order book for aircraft for customers across Australian and around the world.

Bader Aero’s journey is a testament to the power of determination, innovation and collaboration. Recognising a need for electric aircraft, the team has worked tirelessly to make it a reality, breaking records, innovating and pushing boundaries along the way. Their vision and hard work will see this South Australian company pave the way for a new era of sustainable aviation in Australia and beyond.

REVOLUTIONISING X-RAY TO BETTER LIVES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

In a temporary transportable building in Tonsley in 2017, a small group of Micro-X scientists and engineers brought to life new technology that is now revolutionising x-ray imaging, bringing 120-year-old technology into the future.

The patented Nano Electronic X-ray (NEX) Technology relies on a small voltage to generate an electron beam to create x-rays. MicroX’s x-ray tubes are small, precise, and reliable. Legacy x-ray tubes use heated filaments and are encased in oil and lead, making them less reliable, less responsive and more than 10 times heavier.

This discovery has paved the way for a suite of products that are designed to make life better for both the users and the recipients of x-rays. The smaller and lighter tubes have led to a re-design of traditional x-ray systems, through the application of groundbreaking science and engineering and a commitment to innovation.

Micro-X Chief Executive Officer Peter Rowland said the company was at the forefront of x-ray science, making new discoveries and pushing the bounds of x-ray imaging.

“As innovators we believe in the power of a great idea, but these ideas must come with a great deal of resilience to follow through and find a way of applying them in the real world,” Mr Rowland says.

“When we innovate, we identify a solution or something that we believe can and should be improved. This is a bit like reverse engineering, and it takes an enormous amount of commitment from our highly skilled staff to invent the technology to find that solution.”

He said innovation was a practice applied across the company, driving the actions of every employee, from engineering and manufacturing through to the corporate office.

“As a company, we encourage boldness and accept occasional failures because it means we are pushing the bounds of what is possible,” he says. “It allows for growth and the courage to find the right answer to a problem, no matter how impossible it seems.”

Adelaide, with its remarkable history in manufacturing, was the natural home for Micro-X. The company forms part of the next generation of manufacturers contributing to the evolution of the industry, with the state transitioning from traditional, labourintensive manufacturing to advanced manufacturing. The company’s headquarters are at the former Mitsubishi car manufacturing site at Tonsley and Micro-X is publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Its staff include former Holden workers who built cars in Adelaide’s northern suburbs right up until the closure of the General Motors business in 2017.

“Our staff who came to us from Holden are a key part of our success,” Mr Rowland says.

“I like to describe their training at Holden as ‘the university of manufacturing’. They came to us with world-class discipline and standards and have applied this knowledge to Micro-X’s manufacturing line to deliver a very high degree of quality in the manufacture of our products.”

Throughout its 8-year journey, Micro-X has kept customers front of mind, seeking solutions that are both lifesaving and life-improving. Its mobile x-ray carts are being used in more than 30 countries, for bedside imaging in hospitals, aged care facilities and sports clinics. The second generation of its x-ray carts, the high-powered Rover Plus, was launched in 2022, expanding options for imaging patients. The development of the Rover was initially part-funded through a grant from the Australian Department of Defence, and the x-ray systems as well as being procured for the Australian Army are now also being used on the frontline in Ukraine, aiding in the diagnosis of wounded civilians.

The company’s focus on finding solutions to problems has prompted a focus on developing a worldfirst, miniaturised CT brain scanner that is small enough to fit in an ambulance or RFDS aircraft. By bringing a mobile CT imager to stroke patients, immediate diagnosis is possible via tele-radiology and treatment can begin in the ambulance saving vital minutes from the onset of stroke. By providing pre-hospital diagnosis and potentially lifesaving treatment within the ‘Golden Hour’ of the onset of stroke, Micro-X hopes to significantly improve patient outcomes, reducing the occurrence of permanent disability and death.

Mr Rowland said the company’s desire to make a lasting positive contribution to global health through its x-ray technology continues to drive the team of engineers, scientists and product experts working in Adelaide and in the company’s US facility in Seattle.

“As soon as we held our first tiny carbon nanotube emitter in our hands – something no one else had been able to do – we knew that it could really change the healthcare sector,” Mr Rowland says. “We can bring x-rays to places they cannot normally go, to benefit the lives of people in remote and hard to access places around the world, whether they are in war zones, remote communities, or third world countries.”

The company is now developing new technology that will make safer the work of bomb disposal technicians. The briefcase sized x-ray scanner contains new proprietary backscatter imaging technology developed at Micro-X’s home in the Tonsley Innovation Precinct combining it with the company’s existing NEX Technology to create a potent system for imaging improvised explosive devices, unexploded ordnance or even detection of illegal drugs.

The briefcase can be carried to the threat by a bomb-disposal robot and the x-ray image safely viewed up to 500 metres away, removing a major element of risk for operators. Legacy systems require the placement of a detector panel behind a suspect package, resulting in dangerous ‘time over target’.

Also within the security space, Micro-X is working on developing the next generation of hand-luggage screening for airports with funding from the US Government’s Department of Homeland Security. Micro-X’s new miniature, passenger-operated, CT baggage scanners and the design of new automated passenger checkpoints under this contract will allow for up to seven passenger self-service screening portals in the same footprint as one of the current airport x-ray conveyor belt lanes, providing a greatly improved passenger experience, better security and higher throughput, allowing passengers to clear security checkpoints faster.

These first products are just the beginning for the innovative Adelaide company, with the opportunity to use NEX Technology across multiple sectors to make lives better.

Based in Kilkenny, South Australia, Novafast Holdings, through its group of companies, offer project management, engineering, design, construction and maintenance services for the Water/ Wastewater, Energy, Resources, Utilities, Infrastructure and Defence sectors.

Charles has more than 40 years of business operating experience and an extensive knowledge of composite materials and corrosion protection. He was notably awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to business and community in 2017.

He is mainly self-taught – and a determined entrepreneur in his area of expertise. Charles has worked in the industry since he was a teenager and got his business break by jumping on the slightest of opportunities: “I got involved in this industry simply because I was working on a project, and I overheard some engineers talking about a problem they were facing. I told them that even though they were a bit unfamiliar with how to take on the problem, I made it very clear to them that I could fix it for them.”

He shares his simple business philosophy: “Our solid reputation is built on independence and innovation. We partner with organisations to build long-term relationships where all stakeholders benefit.”

Charles is heavily involved in various business organisations in Adelaide, including the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the Defence Reserves Support Council of SA, and the South Australian Business Development Managers Group.

The CEO also devotes himself to supporting various charitable organisations, such as Make-A-Wish Australia, the Cancer Council, and the Australian Foundation for Fostering Learning in the Philippines.

Charles shares that his childhood experiences put him on the path to success. “If you can dream it, you can achieve it, If you are willing to work hard and follow your dreams, your dreams will be achieved.”

BEYOND PIPE DREAMS

HISTORY

Prior to 1999: Novafast Holdings was incorporated by Charles Figallo who identified major problems in the oil and gas industry due to poor pipe design and construction.

1999:

• Novafast Holdings founded.

• Basetec Services founded.

2014:

• Novafast International founded.

• Novafast SE Asia incorporated.

• Nova Technology T/A DSA established.

In recent years: Paul and David Figallo have become key leaders of the Novafast Holdings and have driven positive change in the business direction and market positioning.

Now:

Novafast Holdings offers engineering, design and construction services for the Water/Wastewater, Energy, Resources, Utilities, Infrastructure and Defence sectors.

Chev. Charles Figallo OAM OSJ is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian-owned private equity business, Novafast Holdings, and its three subsidiaries: DSA, Novafast, and Basetec Services.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world” — Albert Einstein

Paul Figallo, Group Business Manager, Chev. Mr Charles Figallo OAM OSJ, Chief Executive Officer, and David Figallo, Business & Strategy Manager

ADVANCE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS:

In a market that demands the highest level of expertise, precision, and technical ability, Dennis Southam & Associates (DSA) is an industry leader in Australia – and globally, too. It is a consulting engineering firm that has been providing the composites industry with exceptional professional solutions for over 30 years.

DSA’s services cover project management functions, design and engineering, independent inspection, verification and testing services, and compliance. Its dedicated engineers and project managers are world leaders in the application of GRP, FRP and GRE composite products in corrosive environments.

The company serves major companies in the mining, water treatment, chemical processing, energy, and petroleum sectors. DSA also works with consultants, manufacturers, and construction contractors within these industries.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT:

DSA is highly regarded for its commitment to the timely delivery of services in accordance with industry standards and best practices –while keeping costs down and mitigating risk.

DESIGN:

Its design services offer full turnkey project management of composite projects. From inception, DSA can manage the design, procurement, manufacturing, transport, installation, and commissioning.

ENGINEERING:

DSA utilises its extensive knowledge of engineering procedures to add value to client projects. The team brings a solid understanding of the manufacturing and construction processes required and an ability to provide workable alternatives to problems which may not have been previously considered. DSA’s capabilities extend to resin types, fibreglass options, process engineering, plant operation, lamination, corrosion barriers, manufacturing methods, and GRP/GRE pipe jointing techniques.

INSPECTION AND TESTING:

DSA provides thorough site inspections and testing, including analysing and assessing plant conditions. Reports include outlining equipment deterioration, reliability, safety, and residual life. Its services include NDT (non-destructive testing) on composites using state-of-the-art technologies.

DSA also offers qualification testing results for equipment and materials, including thermal analysis of resins and composite samples, LTHS testing of pipes, short-term burst testing of pipes, and other ASTM pipe and composite material strength tests.

COMPLIANCE:

All DSA procedures and specifications comply with engineering standards as well as government and industry regulations. DSA can also certify engineering compliance with equipment design or fabrication and offer third-party reviews. Working with management and groundlevel workforce, its office coordinates information between departments, educating design teams about product specifications and participating in personnel training.

Novafast caters to the need for quality composite products and materials meeting design specifications for major projects. The company flourished with national opportunities and quickly went global, supplying clients around the world since it began in 1999.

Novafast’s reputation has come from exceeding the client’s expectations with a strong focus on research and development. Over the years, Novafast has supplied quality composite products and materials to major contracts for oil and gas, desalination plants, waste management facilities, mine processing and environmental applications in Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Many products have been developed to meet a wide range of clients’ needs, with the ability to custom design equipment for unique environments.

Its products are designed and manufactured for the following sectors: oil and gas, water and wastewater, mining and industrial, and defence and marine.

TRAINING:

For end-users to extract maximum operating benefits from their Novafast Products and NovaFlo Piping Systems, the composite materials must be installed correctly. Novafast invites all pipe installers, supervisors, engineers and quality inspectors to enrol in their specialised courses.

SERVICES:

Novafast offers clients a complete service for composite piping systems, including engineering, project management, and site services.

TECHNOLOGY:

Novafast is a leading manufacturer of composite piping systems and composite process equipment for critical and harsh infrastructure where reliability and certainty are foremost. It has manufacturing facilities in Australia that are ISO 9001, 45001 and 14001 compliant.

Novafast can manufacture pipes from 25mm to 4000mm in diameter and meet nearly all of the major industry standards, including; API 15HR, API 15LR, ISO 14692:2017, Shell DEP 31.40.10.19, BS7159, ASME RTP-1, EN13121, ASTM D5627, ASTM D3517, and AS3571.

Novafast invests significantly in Research and Development annually to further develop its knowledge of composite piping technology. Its extensive laboratory facilities enable it to carry out destructive, longterm fatigue, fire and many other tests to remain the international leader in this industry.

“Innovative Pipe Systems & Composite Equipment for critical processes”

INSPIRING INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS

Basetec Services strives for a future that is free of environmental and safety risks around major industrial sectors. This subsidiary of Novafast Holdings’ mission is to lead Australian innovation in engineering, procurement, and construction.

It provides end-to-end innovation and cost-effective, value-adding solutions to clients with a core focus on safety and quality. Using unique materials, it develops high-quality systems to withstand even the harshest of environments.

The company provides turnkey project management, from feasibility to conceptual design, specification, construction and commissioning. It also offers refurbishment and specialty maintenance programmes.

Basetec Services incorporates Basetec Resources & Energy, Basetec Water & Infrastructure, Basetec Asset Maintenance, and Basetec Instrustructe & Utilities, saving our clients millions of dollars as we do it all.

BASETEC RESOURCES & ENERGY:

Due to the array of aggressive chemicals derived from oil, gas and mining extraction/refining, corrosion is a growing problem for the energy and resources sector. On top of this, the harsh conditions faced offshore and in remote areas on land mean that durable, custom solutions are often required. Basetec Resources & Energy implements its vast knowledge of specialist materials, particularly composites, to custom design assets and services. This division specialises in GRE/GRVE/ GRP pipes and fittings, GRVE tanks and processing equipment.

BASETEC WATER & INFRASTRUCTURE:

Basetec Water & Infrastructure designs custom solutions for its clients, using innovative materials, and providing turnkey options. Its in-depth understanding of the corrosion issues associated specifically with the water sector gives this company division the innate ability to replace expensive, exotic metals with superior composite solutions.

BASETEC ASSET MAINTENANCE:

Basetec Asset Maintenance ensures that clients receive the maintenance and support needed to safeguard the longevity of their assets and systems.

BASETEC INFRASTRUCTURE & UTILITIES:

Basetec Infrastructure & Utilities provides engineering, construction and refurbishment services for major infrastructure. It works with councils and private companies to provide the necessary services to ensure the safety and longevity of its infrastructure.

Each year Australian advanced manufacturer REDARC spends a significant slice of its total sales revenue on innovation and R&D.

For Managing Director Anthony Kittel, it’s not only a “non-negotiable investment” above industry benchmarks, but a highly effective and profitable growth strategy.

It is this steadfast commitment to remain ahead of the curve that has propelled the privately-owned company into new and expanding markets across the globe.

REDARC designs, manufacturers and supplies power conversion products for use in recreational and non-recreational vehicles across a range of industries.

Four-wheel drive cars, boats, trucks, mining equipment, bus and emergency vehicles in Australia, North America, Europe, Middle East, South East Asia and South Africa all rely on its off-grid battery power solutions.

And with the company already expanding into defence, it is now preparing for a seat on the greatest road trip of all – space.

Global demand driving unprecedented growth

While the global pandemic caused widespread disruption across industry, the increased demand for domestic travel

fueled an almost doubling of sales in REDARC’s power conversion products to $128.6 million in the 2022 financial year.

Export sales have grown 122% over the past two years while employee numbers have risen from approximately 200 to 380 in that time. This was in response to demand from an expanding customer base including grey nomads and young families to large mining and defence companies.

However, the foundation to REDARC’s success lies not just in supplying current demand but thinking ahead to meet the future needs of markets.

Collaborating closely with customers to produce tailored solutions to their complex challenges is central to this approach.

“We’re constantly looking at opportunities to grow our markets by innovating and diversifying,” Mr Kittel said.

“It’s about taking the time to truly understand the challenges facing our clients and then working closely with them to tailor a technical solution that does the job.”

Innovation

Non-Negotiables’ Propel Global Growth For REDARC

This strategy has allowed REDARC to enter the highly competitive global defence sector and work on complex projects involving armored vehicles to sovereign electronic warfare systems.

The 100% Australian-owned and managed company is also a Tier One supplier to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive sector and is now in formal discussions with space companies seeking to use its technology.

Making bold moves

Since Mr Kittel took over the business in 1997, he has instilled a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

“It really comes down to being serious about R&D and the investments you make in building exceptional teams within the business that are ambitious and share a vision,” he said.

Approximately 15c in every sales dollar generated is invested back into innovation, a figure which is well above the industry average.

This allows for continuous upgrading of the technology and automation in use across its manufacturing and testing facilities.

It also includes new capital projects, new products and e-commerce capabilities, as well as structured professional development for staff.

Plans are underway to build a new $20 million dedicated defence and space facility at its Lonsdale site in South Australia which will include the latest manufacturing and testing technology and equipment to support its expansion in these key sectors.

The company has invested heavily to develop and release new products to the market. This included the world’s first portable dual battery system, GoBlock, tested in some of the harshest conditions on the planet and recipient of a coveted Good Design Award, representing the highest honour for design innovation in Australia. This adds to an expanding collection of accolades for REDARC including Australian Export Awards.

REDARC has also invested significantly in its e-commerce capabilities, exposing its products to new global markets and improving customer experience.

Over the past year alone its workforce of engineers, designers and testing specialists has grown by more than a third while intern and apprenticeship programs, study assistance and university collaborations foster continuous learning and upskilling.

“As our business expands into new and existing markets, we stay focused on the basic principles that got us to where we are today – high quality products and high quality service. That’s our promise to ourselves and our customers.”

Mr Kittel said.

LOCAL INNOVATIONS CREATING GLOBAL AUTOMOTIVE VALUE-ADD.

SMR Australia, a Motherson Group Company, has been a prominent manufacturer in South Australia for over 70 years. Driven by a culture of innovation, SMR Australia has evolved from its origins as Rainsford Metal products producing metal stampings, to Britax producing baby capsules and other automotive safety products, to Schefenacker producing vehicle rear view mirrors, and now as an advanced automotive lighting and coatings manufacturer.

While the business faced many challenges over its history, arguably the most threatening was the closure of domestic automotive production in Australia (2013-2017). Without a clear domestic market, and high comparable manufacturing costs, any discussion concerning the future of the business carried with it a looming question mark.

To beat the heat of uncertainty, the business sought to focus on exporting innovative automotive technologies to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s) worldwide and also offering vertical integration opportunities for SMR sister sites in Europe & North America. The company’s product offerings included first to market logo lamp product (Image Reference 1) which had been recently developed and launched by SMR Australia, along with approach lamps, side-turn indicators, and other exterior accessory lighting products. This strategic decision proved

Image Reference 1

beneficial for the company, as smaller products created high pack densities, and SMR was able to deliver competitive export price points delaying new entrant threats.

Conscious that global competitors would eventually commoditise lighting modules, it was important to develop Intellectual Property which could be protected and produced exclusively to create a niche for sustainable future growth. The business looked for ways to pivot a unique thin film coating product, which had originally been designed as a mirrored glass replacement, to decorative automotive applications. Collaborating with the University of South Australia’s Future Industries Institute, SMR Australia created expanded patents for radar transparent PVD chrome coatings, bespoke chrome-look colours, and even decorative chrome replacements which could maintain their environmental integrity post laser ablation.

As product innovations created demand, SMR Australia also focused on manufacturing process innovations such as automation (Image Reference 2) and continuous improvement to drive further efficiency and quality assurance, instilling confidence in customers thousands of kilometres away.

In addition, the company tapped into a niche segment, serving startups underserved by large automotive Tier-1’s for traditional automotive exterior mirrors. SMR Australia proved to be a reliable partner to them, offering a risk-mitigated path to success.

The tenacity of teams, combined with its culture of innovation and continuous improvement, has eliminated that looming question mark about SMR Australia’s future. Today, the company is firmly positioned for future growth, with expansive design and manufacturing capabilities that can be seen in the AR video linked to this page.

Image Reference 2

EXPORTING HIGH-QUALITY E-BIKE TECHNOLOGIES TO THE WORLD

TAV is an E-Bike startup based in Adelaide, Australia, that was incorporated in April 2020. Supported by the Government of South Australia and Flinders University under the program called Supporting innovation in South Australia, TAV’s mission is to export Australian-built E-Bike technologies to global brands, foster local innovation, and deliver high-quality products to bike consumers worldwide.

According to Nithesh Pushparaj, TAV’s co-founder, “Our goal is to manufacture the products locally to raise the bar in Australian Manufacturing, building self-sufficiency in manufacturing which is critical to Australia’s economic future. By reducing dependence on imports and investing in local manufacturing capabilities, Australia can create jobs, support the local economy, and strengthen its position as a global player in manufacturing. TAV is at the forefront of building local capabilities in technology and manufacturing.”

TAV’s team of skilled engineers and technicians are dedicated to designing and manufacturing best-in-class E-Bike powertrains that meet the needs of the global market. With a commitment to local manufacturing, TAV invests in advanced manufacturing techniques and equipment to ensure that the local manufacturing is sustainable. By manufacturing locally, TAV can ensure better quality control,

faster delivery times, and reduced environmental impact in the bike manufacturing process. This commitment to local manufacturing also helps to support the local economy and create new jobs in the region.

Velmurugan Selvaraju (Vel), another co-founder of TAV, highlights the company’s partnership with international E-Bike brands to serve the global demand. He adds that TAV is looking to capitalize on the renewed demand for local manufacturing with best-in-class quality and establishing a local supply chain for components as part of driving down the cost of local manufacturing. Moreover, Australia has a rich culture for cycling, where TAV is going to play a vital role in supporting this culture worldwide and delivering innovation to adopt for part of their daily life.

One of the key strengths of TAV is its strong company culture. The founders of the company are passionate about building the best culture at the workplace, and building new technologies for E-Bike consumers. This passion for innovation and collaboration is evident in every aspect of the company’s operations. TAV’s team of employees share the same values of helping the local community, fostering a positive work environment, where employees are motivated to contribute their best efforts and achieve success.

In conclusion, TAV Systems is a remarkable E-Bike startup that is driving innovation and delivering high-quality products to global brands. The company’s commitment to exporting Australian-built E-Bike technologies to the global market, building local manufacturing capabilities, and fostering a positive work culture, are key strengths that set it apart from others in the industry. With its skilled team of engineers and technicians, state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, and visionary founders, TAV Systems is well-positioned to continue delivering cutting-edge E-Bike powertrain technologies to customers around the world.

Join TAV’s journey to the future of sustainable E-Bike manufacturing by following them on their website and social media pages.

Email: contact@tavsystems.com.au

tavsystems.com.au

Nithesh Pushparaj and Velmurugan Selvaraju, Co-Founders

VAILO, which means great courage, strength and moral worth, is a South Australian business founded in 2012 aiming to reach international markets in premium stadium lighting. With thousands of stadia across the world, the opportunities to place VAILO and its South Australian innovations on the map are almost endless.

Based at Kent Town, founder Aaron Hickmann has been interested in premium lighting since his teens, leading to the development of the most sophisticated stadium lighting systems in Australia.

Starting his entrepreneurial journey while still at school, Mr. Hickmann deferred his tertiary studies to work at a lighting retailer, where he quickly discovered LEDs were the future.

Mr. Hickmann branched out to build connections with suppliers, where he could source products to supply to the housing and construction industry on a larger scale on his own.

When lighting is your passion, you’re always looking up, as Mr. Hickmann did at an Adelaide 36ers NBL game in 2014. That night he realised stadium lighting was sub-optimal and sporting codes should be better illuminating courts, pitches, tracks and grounds – for players, spectators and broadcasters.

Knowing he could effectively halve the 36ers’ energy bill each month by installing cutting-edge LEDs, Mr. Hickmann worked with the club to source a green energy loan and illuminate Adelaide Arena in Adelaide’s west, providing a more uniform light source, a better playing environment and a more sophisticated indoor

atmosphere. His move towards stadium lighting had begun.

With a vision to accelerate high-tech manufacturing in Australia and through R&D, VAILO has created smart lighting systems and control units – designed to not only illuminate – but to tap into the Internet of Things and even monitor gas leaks from street lighting, weather conditions and parking.

VAILO is exploring street lighting opportunities with councils, knowing that wholesale change will not only save costs and improve energy efficiency, but improve environments, increase safety and collect data.

Mr. Hickmann has built partnerships locally and in South East Asia, Japan, the US and Europe, with a focus on developing innovative stadium lighting products and LED screen technology.

There is unlimited potential to provide cutting-edge, high performance lighting solutions for other large-scale environments such as airports, sea ports, transport hubs and distribution centres, both in Australia and internationally, and from an advanced manufacturing base in Adelaide.

In Australia, VAILO has partnered with organisations far and wide, from Sport SA, Sport NSW and VicSport to Adelaide Football Club, Adelaide United, Baseball Australia, Hawthorn Football Club, GWS GIANTS and Illuminate Adelaide – covering sport, the arts, motorsport, transport and public spaces.

VAILO’s lighting systems use energy-saving technology; creating green capabilities where energy usage is essential to light specific environments and reduce carbon footprints. VAILO is aiming to be carbon neutral at Kent Town - the office and factory are powered by solar and external green energy, with a fleet of Tesla 3s for staff.

VAILO is Australian-owned, designed and world-leading, and has transitioned from being an importer to a local manufacturer and exporter with its Good Design Award winning Zenith Gen-V ultrahigh-performance stadium light. Mr. Hickmann is bringing advanced manufacturing back, creating local jobs and boosting the economy.

With a multi-million-dollar facility featuring a surface-mounted production line and semi-autonomous production robotics, VAILO is ready to manufacture its most advanced lighting systems at Kent Town.

VAILO is focussed on the future, improving the environment, sustainability and accelerating the use of disruptive technologies.

The growth of VAILO, its unique position as Australia’s only manufacturer of premium stadium lighting and its expanding footprint was recognised in 2021, when Mr. Hickmann took out the Entrepreneurial Award in the InDaily 40 Under 40 Awards, among a stellar cohort of young South Australians making a difference in business.

Mr. Hickmann is committed to supporting many local charities and sporting teams, including as naming rights sponsor of the VAILO Adelaide 500.

FCT Flames specialises in the design, manufacture, and operation of spectacular flame effects for ceremonial and high-profile sporting events, including the Olympic Games. Billions of people around the world have seen their work, making their man-made flame effects the most watched in history.

The Sydney Olympic torches? FCT Flames.

The Olympic Rings of Fire at the Athens Olympics? FCT Flames. The Rio Olympic Games Opening Ceremony cauldron? FCT Flames.

No other company has the patented and proven technologies that FCT Flames has, and it is difficult to imagine another combustion specialist having the same level of experience in consistently delivering inspiring flame experiences for audiences across the world.

FCT Flames’ first major project was the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where they were involved in the burner design of those iconic relay torches and supplying the cauldron lit by Cathy Freeman… Since then, FCT has gone on to supply flame effects to most Summer Olympic Games, as well as supplying to the Winter Olympics, Youth Olympics, Asian Games, Pan American Games, European Games, South-East Asian Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, Universiade, and Pan Arab Games, among others.

The company also creates decorative flames for cultural and entertainment events, such as arts festivals, operas, and community spaces. The company’s flame technologies can be designed to suit the needs of the client, whether it be for a temporary occasion or permanent installation, such as an eternal or remembrance flame.

With a reputation for being able to take an artistic vision and cleverly engineer the details that will turn the dream into reality, innovation is clearly part of the FCT Flames ethos. However, it is no surprise that safety and reliability are also qualities that matter in the high-stakes world of live events, where just one second can make a world of difference.

The flame needs to ignite on time. The flame needs to be safe. The flame needs to be able to withstand high winds and unpredictable weather. The flame needs to meet environmental criteria regarding fuel usage and emissions reduction. There are large audiences, and the events are almost always recorded, so it is crucial that everything run smoothly.

Creating flames that inspire, from Adelaide to the World

Opening ceremony cauldron at Rio Olympics 2016.

The Olympic Flames of Fire on Water at Athens Olympics 2004.

Yet the projects are often complex. The spectacle needs to be exciting for audiences, and with this often comes an element of danger. It is the role of FCT Flames to not only design an aesthetically pleasing flame, but to also ensure that it is technically sound, can be reliably operated, and is safe for all stakeholders.

Striking the balance between these elements is not always easy, but the results are often incredible.

The ‘Olympic Rings of Fire’ effect at the Olympic Games in 2004 is one such example. Widely acknowledged to be a highlight of the opening ceremony, which was watched live by 4.5 billion people, fire was used to illustrate the Rings in the middle of a body of water. Approximately 50MW of natural gas was released in a short period of time to fully ignite the rings, and then the water would be drained for use during the competition, increasing the technical complexity of the design.

“A key aspect to ensuring complete reliability was recognizing the importance of flame ignition systems, and specifically adapting them to the unique project. The control system design also considered many contingencies to eliminate possible failures.” -

David Retallack, CEO, FCT Flames

Veterans at delivering while the world is watching, the FCT team were able to ensure the project was successful.

“Everything you promised was delivered when and how you told us it would be. The Rings are an enduring and iconic image, which will be

around for some time to come; they are a credit to your company.”

-Adam Wildi, Senior Technical Director, Athens 2004 Opening and Closing Ceremonies

Another complex project was the ‘Eclipse’ flame effect for the 1st European Games in Baku, where the design called for a flame to radiate out from a thin disc representing an eclipse of the sun. The burner equipment needed to be integrated into the disc structure while keeping weight to a minimum, because the disc would rotate in relation to its supports while operating at a high elevation in the stadium.

There are inherent risks associated with a burning, moving and rotating object, and so FCT needed to take steps to mitigate this. After intensive R&D, and with the aid of an air curtain located either side of the burners, FCT was able to create radiating flames of the required length and colour to meet the creative intent.

“The shows were created in a very short time frame, were very ambitious, and both Ceremonies were delivered flawlessly. This is a credit to the entire team.” -

Nick Eltis, Senior Technical Director, Baku 2015 Opening and Closing Ceremonies

These are just two examples where FCT Flames has successfully bridged the gap between design, engineering, and safety. Most recently, FCT Flames commissioned two bespoke 8m high torches which featured in the FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar in 2022.

So, what’s next? Well, it is safe to say that FCT Flames continues to work on creating innovative flame effects to inspire, surprise, and delight audiences around the world. Watch this space.

Underside of the Sydney Olympic cauldron.

Olympic cauldron at Sydney 2000.

South Australian-owned FCT is a global engineering group with three specialist divisions: Combustion, Flames, and ACTech. Incorporated in 1984, the Group’s Head Office is based in Thebarton, while additional key offices are located in Austria, Brazil, China, and the USA.

While FCT Flames has in the past enjoyed prominent publicity with their high-profile entertainment flame effects seen at events such as the Olympic Games, it is actually the Group’s industrial combustion business that generates the most revenue, with FCT Combustion having become the world’s leading supplier of burner systems to the lucrative iron ore pelletizing market over the past 5 years.

The third division within the Group is FCT ACTech. The company delivers complete, end-to-end analytical solutions for the cement, mining, and mineral processing industries. Their innovative instruments for process control allow customers to improve their profitability and reduce their carbon footprint.

So, how did the South Australian owned FCT Group grow to dominate global markets? The answer lies in their commitment to innovation, a strong belief in their products, tenacity, strategic planning, and having a very good team of committed experts to ensure FCT can carry out the engineering excellence that it promises.

FCT was originally founded in England in 1984, however the current ownership took over the company in 1999 and moved it to their hometown of Adelaide. At the time of the take-over, FCT had a just small

customer base in the cement industry to whom they supplied one specific type of burner.

FCT had a reputation for excellence in the niche market they served, but they were small fish in a big pond. Then, two things happened.

The first was the development of a unique, low NOx burner system for natural gas, called Gyro-Therm™, in partnership with the University of Adelaide. The patented Gyro-Therm™ design is still unlike any other competitor offering on the market and remains one of the company’s best-selling products.

This development saw FCT break into the broader North American lime and cement markets, where natural gas usage is prominent. Innovative development of its solid fuel burners including the ability to burn large amounts of renewable fuels has since enabled FCT to deliver proven burner technology to all corners of the globe , including Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Asia.

This international success led to the second key event; it gave FCT the confidence to apply their expertise in new ways. Applying their combustion skillset to engineering ornamental flames rather than just

FCT have designed a specialist burner for the iron ore pelletising industry, which is capable of firing hydrogen and other gaseous fuels.

An FCT burner firing in a kiln.

Igniting innovation across high temperature processing industries worldwide

industrial, FCT won the right to design the burner system for the Olympic torches and the opening ceremony cauldron at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

FCT quickly became the global market leader in ornamental flames, supplying an array of major sporting events. But, despite this achievement, the leadership team realised that the sporting events industry is only so big, and a new strategy was required to secure the continued growth of FCT Group.

Increasing the presence of the industrial combustion side of the business became a priority and FCT decided to bring the company closer to potential markets. Over the course of the past decade, FCT has set up operational hubs across the Americas, Europe, and Asia to offer local sales, support, and engineering to customers.

This bold move has led to exponential growth and FCT Combustion is now a leading burner supplier not just to the cement and lime industries, but also to pulp and paper, alumina, nickel, minerals including spodumene, and most significantly, iron ore pelletising.

Heavy investments in R&D have also expanded FCT’s product range

The company offers a variety of state-of-the-art burners and hot gas generators to suit alternative and emerging fuel sources, which can be applied to many high temperature processing industries to assist plants on their journey to decarbonisation.

Notably, FCT’s I-Jet burner technology for the iron ore pelletizing industry has driven dramatic growth, and the company has fitted out more than a dozen plants with burner equipment in countries such as Sweden, Algeria, China, Brazil, and the United States. A new, low NOx hydrogen version of the I-Jet is under development, with testing to take place in Sweden in 2023.

“Innovation is at the heart of what we do. We always want to ensure we can offer our partners the best available technologies to meet their goals. This is why we continue to invest in R&D,” said FCT Group CEO Adriano Greco.

“Hydrogen and alternative fuel usage is an important factor in decarbonisation, and FCT is proud to help our clients worldwide in achieving that goal.”

The R&D investment has also seen the addition of two innovative clay calcining technologies, FlashCalx™ and RotaCalx™. With the cement industry accounting for approximately 8% of man-made CO2 emissions, the products enable manufacturers to adopt a new ingredient mix to produce ‘green cement’, using clay as a partial substitute and decreasing the limestone content. The switch to green cement processing can reduce emissions by up to 40%.

“Heavy industries across the world are focused on reducing their carbon footprint, and moving forward, FCT will continue to meet their needs with an evolving range of products designed and delivered by our experienced team,” said Greco.

Despite its international success, FCT maintains its Head Office in Adelaide and has won two major export awards in Australia due to its sound business strategy, successful growth, and commitment to innovation.

20 Stirling Street, Thebarton, South Australia 5031

Email: sales_all@fctinternational.com

FCT Group: fct-international

FCT Combustion: fct-combustion-pty-ltd

FCT ACTech: fctactech

FCT Flames: fct-flames

fctflames.com

An innovative FCT TurbuFlex burner design.

One of the Hot Gas Generators in FCT’s range.

CONCRETE CANCER – A $13 BILLION PROBLEM

Concrete cancer is a significant issue in Australia, costing billions of dollars in infrastructure repairs annually.

The problem stems from a material known as rebar, which is the steel bar and mesh used to provide strength and reinforcement in concrete infrastructure such as bridges, wharfs, jetties, sewer tanks, and buildings.

The steel rebar that engineers traditionally rely on is prone to corrosion, expanding many times over with cracking and spalling of the concrete. This ‘concrete cancer’ weakens the concrete from the inside, significantly shortening these structures’ lifespans at great taxpayer expense.

Beyond the financial burden, it also has a devastating environmental impact. Cement production is responsible for 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, while the construction industry accounts for 50% of the world’s natural resource extraction and landfill. The frequent maintenance and replacement of concrete structures due to corrosion only exacerbates this issue. As Australia prepares for an infrastructure boom, it is crucial to address the problem of concrete cancer and find ways to preserve and reinforce our infrastructure in a more sustainable and long-lasting manner.

INCONMAT’S INNOVATIVE SOLUTION

Inconmat has addressed this problem at the root cause with a code-compliant rebar alternative to steel rebar. Tuf-Bar is made from Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP), a material that will never rust or corrode.

Tuf-Bar means the longevity of concrete infrastructure is no longer reliant on the rebar, and it is already changing the face of the industry. Previously, a minuscule 1% of bridges have met their design life due to corrosion of their rebar. They have also had a relatively short maintenance life; lasting only 20 to 30 years before requiring repairs.

Tuf-Bar is creating a new normal, where infrastructure is expected to last 100 years without maintenance, and have a 200-year to infinite design life. With this new approach, the bridges of today could still be comfortably functioning in the 23rd or 24th century.

ORIGIN

Inconmat was founded by Darren Lutze in 2009, after his previous experience in the construction industry drove him to find a better way to reinforce and maintain Australia’s infrastructure.

Darren’s primary mission is to improve sustainability of the sector: “We are now all too aware of the construction sector’s impact on the environment, and the world is at a point where we must change.”

BUILT THROUGH EDUCATION

In a traditionally risk-averse industry, Inconmat initially faced challenges in

Swapping steel for fibreglass, Inconmat’s Tuf-Bar is crucial to sustainable infrastructure.

Darren Lutze Founder

gaining acceptance of GFRP rebar in the engineering community. As a result, they have dedicated a significant amount of time to education, working closely with all three South Australian universities and the University of Southern Queensland. They are also currently working with the Queensland Department of Main Roads and Transport in order to support the state’s transition to climate resilient infrastructure.

Inconmat has also developed and released the world’s only GFRP rebar design software so that engineers can comfortably design with Tuf-Bar in the same way they design with steel rebars.

Darren says that uptake has accelerated in recent years: “There are now enough GFRP rebar-based projects in the country for people to have confidence in its effectiveness.”

HISTORY-MAKING PROJECTS

Inconmat’s commitment to collaboration has seen them involved in several world-first projects. They recently partnered with Rocla to create the world’s first glass fibre reinforced geopolymer bridge for the City of Greater Geelong. This collaboration was recognized by the IPWEA (Institute of

Public Works Engineering Australia) with three awards in innovation, environmental sustainability, and public works.

Tuf-Bar has also made history by being the first GFRP rebar used in the construction of a multi-storey building, in the University of Wollongong’s new cutting-edge research facility.

FUTURE FOCUS

Inconmat will soon be transitioning to a local manufacturing model in South Australia. The new manufacturing plant will employ around 20 people, and its Adelaide location means Inconmat can situate itself in the centre of its Australia-wide customer base.

Inconmat has several other exciting future developments. This includes swapping out their vinylester resins to Change Climate Bio Epoxy resin, which is the world’s first 100% BPA-free bio-resin. This will have further positive impact on the long-term sustainability of their products.

Inconmat is also heavily involved in the creation and construction of large-scale anaerobic digestion plants, which convert food waste to energy.

For Darren, Inconmat’s purpose goes far beyond sustainable infrastructure. “I look at this work as playing a part in custodianship for future generations. To quote the Greek proverb: ‘A society grows great when old men plant trees, the shade of which they know they will never sit in.’ Doing something because it’s the way it’s always been done isn’t a good enough reason anymore. We have to change for the better.”

MyModular is a South Australian based modular and prefabricated electrical solutions provider. Our success stems from our relentless pursuit of change and exceptional delivery. With over 10 exciting innovation projects in progress, we are poised for domestic and international expansion. Through strategic investments in capability and capacity, we are primed to make a lasting impact in the industry.

OUR STORY

In 2011, we introduced our groundbreaking WireByClick range, and since then, we’ve grown by leaps and bounds. Today, we proudly offer a diverse range of modular solutions, Extra Low Voltage Lighting, and custom-made products, all proudly manufactured in Australia.

When it comes to experience and dedication in this field, no one surpasses us in Australia. We view innovation as a means to bring valuable change to our customers. By 2027, we have set ambitious goals to double our workforce and have 10% of our employees representing non-typical backgrounds. Our 1800m2 facility in South Australia serves as the hub for our operations.

We take immense pride in our achievements over the past decade and look forward to an even brighter future. Building strong partnerships is at the core of our commitment. So, why wouldn’t you choose to partner with the vibrant and professional team at MyModular?

OUR SOLUTIONS

MyModular has revolutionized the modular wiring industry with our innovative solutions, making safety and simplicity our top priorities.

ELV-Lite, our cutting-edge temporary lighting solution, is designed specifically for construction sites. Operating at a “safe” voltage and equipped with state-of-the-art features, ELV-Lite is a game-changer. It’s a must-have for any construction site, ensuring enhanced safety and efficiency.

Our first-born solution, WireByClick, has transformed the way electrical installations are done. This prefabricated 3-pin and 5-pin softwiring solution comes pre-wired, slashing installation times and reducing onsite labor costs.

Enter MLEX, our purpose-built wiring solution that offers unparalleled simplicity and versatility. Fully customizable, MLEX allows for precision and unrestricted flexibility during installation. Whether it’s a smallscale project or a large-scale endeavor, MLEX caters to your needs. From lighting to power, MLEX can be tailored to create a full turnkey solution.

At MyModular, we take immense pride in our high-quality, thoroughly tested products. We’re committed to providing seamless solutions that empower our customers and simplify their installation processes.

BUSINESS VALUES

At MyModular, we thrive on four core values that drive our success. These values resonate with our team, partners, and everyone we collaborate with:

Lean in with purpose and confidence, supporting one another every step of the way.

Create opportunities that enable everyone to excel and unlock their full potential.

Challenge each other from a place of understanding, fostering mutual respect and trust.

15-YEARS AGO, A VISIONARY ELECTRICIAN IDENTIFIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVOLUTIONIZE ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS, MAKING THEM SAFER AND SIMPLER.

Deliver exceptional value and consistently exceed expectations.

These values define who we are as a company, inspiring us to push boundaries and achieve greatness. Together, we embrace a vibrant and professional culture that fuels our collective success.

‘’MyModular was born from my experience as an electrician, where I saw a tremendous opportunity to revolutionize the industry. Recognizing the popularity of modular wiring in the UK and Europe, I knew it was time to bring this innovation to the Australian market. Fast forward 15 years, and we have evolved into a dynamic manufacturing company, passionately delivering modular wiring solutions nationwide.’’

— From our Managing Director, Mark Fahey

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL

‘’Working with Australian manufacturer MyModular has been a great asset for our operations on site. Their team, being a local company, have the ability and commitment to expediting lead times and providing innovative products and delivery solutions resulting in a noticeable improvement in our installation process’ and on-site efficiency.’’

— Liam Ryan, Site Manager at Prime Electrical and Data CSL Banksia Fit Out

Founded in 2018, company CEO / Managing Director, Kimal Singh, and COO / Director, Joshua Cleary, met onsite as contract technicians. The pair recognised flaws in the industry standard technology and methods when they discovered an opportunity to transform the non-destructive testing industry.

Once NDE Solutions was created, it became a fast-growing business, rapidly outgrowing their original headquarters, beginning in Singh’s home shed, to filling an industrial office space within the first 2-years of business.

The company currently caters to industries using critical assets prone to corrosion and other anomalies, and with their individualised approach they have quickly won over numerous large names within the Australian mining, oil, and gas industries.

To combat the corrosion related issues regularly arising in these assets, Singh and Cleary have since formed a dedicated advanced engineering research and development team based in Hindmarsh, Adelaide. Employing an innovative focus, the team have collaboratively conceptualised and designed industry-changing technologies. Set to hit the market early 2024 is NDE Solutions’ first ever product, an advanced rapid pipe scanner with capabilities to provide incomparable efficiency and accuracy.

Tallying over 80 employees in only 4-years of operation and office locations in South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland, NDE Solutions have proven to disrupt the market, crediting their success to their unique and solution centred approach to client issues.

Through advancement of our people and technology, we will create an incident free future.

With multiple ground-breaking projects underway enabling NDE to provide efficiencies and asset intel like no other, the company are proving to be a large contributor to solving issues within Australia’s current $78 billion corrosion industry, attracting the likes of defence and aviation industry leading companies.

NDE Solutions have experienced a rapidly increasing demand within their few years of operating, the South Australian founded company envisions dominating the global non-destructive industry and beyond.

NDE Solutions Achievements List:

$10.1 million turnover in their third year of operating

Cocreation of augmented reality testing system

Awarded The Australian Centre for Business Growth Scholarship

Placing 57th on the 2022 Australian Financial Review Fast Starter Business Awards

Winning the Industry Leaders Fund Scholarship

Placing as a finalist in the 2022 Impact Awards

BEER Labs Collaboration:

NDE Solutions have provided an incubator-like relationship for up-and-coming Extended Reality company, Brewed Engagement Extended Reality Laboratories (BEER Labs). Founded in late 2021 by software engineer, Dr. Damien Rompapas, BEER Labs have shared their expertise and skills with NDE Solutions to collaborate on the creation of a one-of-a-kind, remote asset inspection technology using augmented reality.’

CHAPTER TEN

ENERGY, MINING & RESOURCES

Flexible energy resources key to a low carbon future

South Australia is going through an exciting energy transition in which it is leading the world in the race to achieve a net-100% renewable energy system – a target that is likely to be achieved before 2030.

The State has moved quickly to harness its significant wind and solar resources and in 2022 operated for significant periods solely from energy supplied from large-scale solar and wind farms and rooftop solar installed by residential and commercial customers.

South Australians have been the world’s earliest and most enthusiastic adopters of renewable customer energy resources (CER) such as rooftop solar and the State is well on the way to being able to meet all of its daytime energy needs from rooftop solar.

In fact, in South Australia, more than one in three customers have installed rooftop solar, with total capacity now exceeding 2.3GW – a vast resource of the same scale as the state’s typical electricity demand of around 1.5GW.

The electricity distribution network operated by SA Power Networks has become a crucial part of the transition, shifting from being a oneway energy system to being the platform for securely and safely sharing renewable energy sourced from hundreds of thousands of distributed energy resources installed by customers.

On many mild, sunny afternoons, the network is now a net exporter of energy. Low levels of customer load and high levels of solar generation poses challenges in managing security of supply.

SA Power Networks has developed a suite of solutions that will enable greater CER uptake and the continued transition to a decarbonised and decentralised energy system.

“We see the energy transition as a tremendous opportunity to create an affordable, reliable, low carbon energy system that will deliver significant value for our customers and community,” said Mark Vincent, General Manager Strategy & Transformation at SA Power Networks.

“We have reached the stage where rooftop solar will soon be able to meet all of our State’s daytime energy demand, making South Australia the first gigawatt-scale system in the world to be faced with the challenges of a highly decentralised energy supply. That means we are working as a virtual test-bed for networks and energy markets,” he said.

“Over the next decade, we can expect the amount of solar connected to our network to double. We will also have connected almost a GW of residential energy storage and hundreds of thousands electric vehicles. In total, over 5GW of resources will be operating on a power system designed for 3GW.

“The key to making it all work is flexibility,” Mr. Vincent said

“Flexible connection arrangements, where customer and network equipment work together, will be central to maximising the value of the future energy system. We think they will become a standard approach nation-wide.

“We are in the early stages of this new technology, and Flexible Exports is a world-first that will help us accommodate more solar on our network,” said Mark Vincent.

“The widespread adoption of Flexible Exports and introduction of some other initiatives, including enhanced voltage management, innovative tariffs to encourage more day-time energy use and smart vehicle charging, will help us achieve our goal to double the amount of solar we can accommodate on our network,” he said.

Energy Networks Australia (ENA) has congratulated SA Power Networks on its world-leading work.

ENA chief executive Andrew Dillon said introducing flexible exports limits had far-reaching implications for solar customers across the country.

“This is the future – a smarter, more flexible power system. It is fantastic news for South Australian customers,” Mr. Dillon said.

THE FUTURE OF DISTRIBUTED CLEAN ENERGY IS ELEXSYS™

Planet Ark Power is a leading Australian clean energy provider for solar, storage, EV charging and microgrid solutions across the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, as well as for recreation, education, health, and government facilities.

Internationally, they are known as eleXsys Energy. They are the developer of a unique, enabling technology that optimises the amount of renewable energy that distribution networks can host.

That enabling technology is eleXsys™. It’s a world’s first energy management system developed and manufactured in Australia that manages the stability and resilience of distributed energy resources (DER) and overcomes voltage problems to create genuine two-way smart grids. It enables the full potential of DER to be unleashed to rapidly accelerate the transition to a global clean energy future.

As demonstrated at the IKEA retail centre at Adelaide Airport, this solution transforms large C&I rooftops into

The Pasadena Shopping Centre EV Hub under construction in Adelaide

The IKEA eleXsys Microgrid in Adelaide

urban solar power plants, creating a new asset class for investors, a secure revenue stream from energy trading, while reducing energy costs and helping the environment.

The IKEA eleXsys Microgrid project includes the installation of a 1.2MW of rooftop solar (3024 solar panels) and a 3.4 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) that enables the trading of excess energy while providing important frequency control services for the electricity network.

The eleXsys technology is also used for power conditioning and creates optimum conditions to enable the BESS to operate at peak efficiency and at peak capacity for maximum impact.

It means batteries of viable sizes can be connected to low voltage distribution grids where energy is consumed. With eleXsys, vital frequency and demand management services can be provided with the assurance that the export of surplus clean energy will not be curtailed by network operators due to voltage problems on the grid. This not only optimises the amount of surplus clean energy that can exported to the network but also maximises revenues for BESS and Microgrid owners.

In 2019, eleXsys won the “Smart Grids and Security” category of the Start-Up Energy Transition Awards in Berlin, hosted by the German Energy Agency (Dena) and the World Energy Council (WEC) and has since gone on to receive more awards both in Australia and internationally.

Co-founder of eleXsys Energy, Richard Romanowski, proudly claims that, “awareness of eleXsys keeps growing - attracting new interest, accolades, and investment. At the same time, our research and development team are finding more and more applications for eleXsys with most of our engineers now working on new R&D projects.

This commitment to ongoing research, development and innovation has resulted in Australia’s largest battery and EV charging station - the first of its kind with battery-to-grid capability – due to be opened by the end of 2023 at Adelaide’s Pasadena Shopping Centre.

eleXsys Energy’s co-founder and inventor of eleXsys, Dr Bevan Holcombe explains. “The eleXsys Electric Vehicle Energy Storage (EVES) system at Pasadena features a 1MW/1.25MWh battery energy storage system and 14 EV charging points, with grid-connection capable of purchasing clean energy from the grid during peak solar hours and storing it for EV charging.

Not only does the system operate at zero infrastructure cost to the landowner, but it also allows profitable energy arbitrage for unused stored electricity during off-peak EV charging times.”

Like the IKEA eleXsys Microgrid, this innovative project is being delivered with the generous assistance of the South Australian Government. Their EV Smart Trial Scheme is enabling the showcasing of grid-connected renewal energy storage and its suitability for EV charging in shopping centres and other public spaces.

According to Dr. Holcombe, ‘without innovative green energy solutions like eleXsys, the world will simply not be able to achieve the immediate, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions needed to limit climate change.

Tel: 130-032-3221

Email: client@planetarkpower.com planetarkpower.com

eleXsys Energy’s Co-Founders, Richard Romanowski and Dr. Bevan Holcombe

Australian Made and Proud of it

Founded in 2011, Tindo Solar is the only manufacturer of Solar PV modules in Australia. The company’s Head Office and Factory are located just 15km north of the Adelaide CBD, in Mawson Lakes. The original owners and founders sought out a uniquely Australian name, a name that would forever bind the company to the Adelaide Plains area. Tindo, meaning sun, is a word borrowed with approval from the Kaurna Warra people, the traditional owners, and custodians of the Adelaide area.

In 2022 Tindo opened a purpose-built, state-of-the-art factory that has allowed them to increase their output capacity to 150MW per year, or approximately 300,000 panels. The new facility also includes dedicated space to foster internal research and development and collaborate with universities and other research partners to improve solar technology.

Today Tindo directly employs over 65 South Australians in Manufacturing, Logistics, Sales, Operations and Managerial roles.

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

Tindo is a company built on values and a vision to improve the world. Their focus on quality control is guided by a ‘Zero-defect’ production policy which means that customers will always receive a high-performing product designed and engineered to withstand Australian conditions.

Tindo is so confident in their panel’s performance and longevity that they back them with a 25-year repair or replacement warranty. Tindo knows firsthand how vital it is to establish more manufacturing facilities in Australia. Through its growth and expansion, Tindo aims to stimulate the supply chain and significantly increase the percentage of components in its panels sourced locally.

As a participant in the clean energy industry, Tindo is hyper-aware of the need for renewables and the benefits of participation in driving a circular economy. Tindo has a companywide goal to reduce waste, reusing products or discovering innovative uses for their waste products. Conscious of its own carbon emissions and the environmental effects of solar waste, they aim to recycle any Tindo panel removed from service or donate them to organisations that repurpose working panels for developing countries.

With their panels installed on the factory roof, Tindo is uniquely creating renewable energy with renewable energy.

INDUSTRY-LEADING INNOVATION

Tindo welcomes anyone to take a tour of its manufacturing facility, from families, and small community groups through to large commercial and industry groups. Visitors get to see the unique mix of AI, Robotics

and human capabilities combined to craft each panel, with no less than 20 Quality control checks conducted across the line to ensure every module meets the superior standards of Tindo.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Tindo Solar makes solar panels and creates tailored energy solutions for Residential and Commercial customers in South Australia. Partners sell Tindo panels across the rest of the country and internationally.

Collaborating with their customers is the key difference at Tindo, staff ensure that the systems they sell and install meet the needs of the customer now and into the future. Battery Systems and Electric Vehicle Chargers can all be incorporated to ensure home and business owners get the right renewable energy solution.

Lighting the way to road safety

One of the challenges for infrastructure providers in a country spanning such vast distances as Australia is to deliver reliable services to remote and isolated areas within its borders. For services that are essential to ensure the safety of motorists in and around remote communities like street lighting, this requires an extensive power grid network to deliver the basic services that are often overlooked within the limits of our capital cities around Australia.

Expansive distances, skilled labour and limited federal funding can inflate the costs of street lighting to almost outweigh the benefits. Thankfully, Australia is also the ideal place to harness solar energy, and when asked to design a product for a state government project pilot in the Flinders Ranges in 2011, David Wilson (CEO of Green Frog Systems) prototyped a simple but reliable low voltage plug-and-play solution which could be easily installed without requiring a licensed electrician.

Green Frog Systems are the first company to offer end-to-end solutions for highway-class lighting, and 100% solar-powered micro-grid energy storage systems. After years of development and refinement in the harsh Australian environment, their products gained popularity overseas. They have since experienced significant demand for their products in the US, where environmental regulations favour renewable energies. Thanks to highly specialised technology for low-light energy capture, Green Frog Systems has become successful in the UK and Europe, creating the first solar lighting solution to last all night in climates with minimal sunlight.

Recent product releases boasts the ability to store surplus energy for 100% off grid deployment of otherwise unavailable IoT (Internet of Things) technology such as smart traffic and waste management, intelligent parking systems, air quality monitoring and security cameras with intelligent data analysis to monitor and communicate potential threats or emergencies to first responders.

Off the roof and onto the road

Green Frog Systems was founded in 2011 by David Wilson, an entrepreneur with a rich corporate background that spans across multiple industries including international and Australian Defence manufacturing, electronics, and product design. His experience in the technical deployment of lighting infrastructure further cements his

As a leader in solar lighting solutions, this innovative Adelaide company is shaping the future of smart communities through sustainable off-grid technologies.

standing as a highly qualified professional capable of innovating cutting-edge technological concepts and optimising production processes.

Recognising the lack of high-quality solar lighting solutions that were easy to deploy in remote communities, Wilson soon realigned his strategy and, assembled a highly equipped and capable team of product development, research and development team and specialised marketing professionals to achieve unilateral success across Australia and overseas.

Recognised as a world-class electronics manufacturer, Green Frog Systems provides innovative, sustainable solar lighting and IoT solutions with easy-to-use modular technology. The company’s global client list includes government agencies, NGO’s mining, oil and gas, industrial and commercial infrastructure in some of the world’s most extreme and technically challenging environments—proof of the robust quality of their products.

Using Adelaide as a launchpad

Despite a global client base and a 12-year success story, Green Frog Systems remain an Adelaide-based company at heart. “It’s a perfect place to set up shop,” says David Wilson, “an ideal launchpad for start-ups. Due to the internationally renowned universities and strong defence culture, we have here, there’s constant access to a good pool of engineering talent.” Thanks to this and the agile nature of the company, Green Frog Systems have kept their primary research and development facilities in South Australia while staying connected to external contributors around the world.

In it for the long haul

“Our export sales are growing at a phenomenal rate with new markets coming online all the time,” Wilson continues. But even as they are looking to further expand their international presence in the next 12 months, Green Frog Systems will increase hiring of skilled professionals to propel the company to the next level of success whilst identifying and nurturing talent from a select pool of highly promising professional graduates from right here in South Australia.

“Our mission is to consistently offer clients a highly reliable solar lighting option” says Wilson, one that provides communities from every corner of our great country the safety, security, and access to public spaces even more economically than the mains-powered equivalent used in our cities. “And after 12 successful years pursuing this goal, we’re more than confident that Green Frog Systems will still be going strong in another 12”.

Australia / Asia Pacific 503 Cross Keys Rd, Cavan SA 5094

greenfrogsystems.com.au

Innovation comes in different shapes and sizes. Praxis Labs has engineered innovation into just about any structure.

Praxis Labs has reimagined solar technology to offer a total solar reinforcement solution. It fully integrates solar solutions for any structure and application, making solar cells light, flexible, durable and damage resistant for aviation, marine, vehicles, defence, and more applications.

The company developed Structural Solar (SS), a transformative solar integration technology that allows objects to collect their own energy from the sun, overcoming the typical impediments of solar such as added weight and fragility.

INNOVATION IN TRANSFORMATION

Brother and sister Cameron and Katie Donaldson joined forces to change how solar technology is used. Praxis Labs is a technology and manufacturing company specialising in using composites to harvest energy from the sun for air, land and sea applications.

“The key to commercially viable solar solutions is not purely in the development of suitable solar technologies, but in how the solar cells are incorporated into structures,” Cameron Donaldson, founder and director of innovation and manufacturing, shares his inspiration for establishing Praxis Labs.

Cameron was initially trained as a shipwright and had an extensive background in advanced composite manufacturing. He invented Praxis Labs’ Structural Solar (SS) technology as a further iteration generated from another of his inventions in the marine industry. The company was formed in 2016, and Katie joined in 2018 following a career in the architecture industry. Together they refined Praxis Labs’ processes to structurally integrate solar chemistry into a shaped composite component that is aerodynamically efficient and waterproof.

INNOVATION IN INTEGRATION

Current solar technology comes with inherent problems: added weight and fragility. Traditional solar panels are designed to protect fragile solar cells, not for adaptive or dynamic integration into objects and surfaces. This significantly limits traditional solar technology’s ability to enhance a product’s functionality, design and performance.

With these existing shortcomings of solar technology, it was ripe for disruption. Cameron deduced that it isn’t the weight/properties of the photovoltaic (PV) cells; it is the weight/properties of the finished product that is important. If normal PV cells can be fully integrated inside a

REIMAGINING SOLAR

structure, their weight could be offset and the PV cells can be made as tough as the structure itself. Solar can be integrated into objects.

“We don’t make solar cells; we integrate solar cells inside other objects,” Cameron shares. “While other solar products depend on advances in solar technologies and the development of new cell chemistries, Praxis’ Structural Solar technology can work with any cell technology right now – we don’t need to wait for solar technology to advance or mature.”

INNOVATION IN APPLICATION

Structural Solar is an innovative technology. This transforms PV cells into incredibly robust structures while still being extremely lightweight, utilising the inherent and expansive properties of composite technologies. Solar is part and parcel of the structure.

“Unfortunately, many solar users have become accustomed to inferior, brittle, heavy solar products or prohibitive price points,” Katie Donaldson,

Partner and Managing Director, explains. “Our Structural Solar solution overcomes these impediments and as has been seen from client engagement that Structural Solar solves the issues of multiple other solar technologies with a single technology at an accessible price for end users. Structural Solar can be simultaneously light, robust, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing: characteristics not seen in other single solar technologies.”

This technology has been recognized as innovative beyond its industry. In 2016, Cameron won the Australian eChallenge, an entrepreneurial programme run by the University of Adelaide. In 2019, he was named one of InDaily’s ’40 under 40’ and won the award Inspiring Disruptor. Katie also won the Emerging Industries award in 2022’s InDaily ’40 under 40’ awards.

Praxis Labs have delivered defence, air, land, and ocean applications. Structural Solar is an ideal solution for products with critical weight, aerodynamics and strength. Its technology has been used in small

unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) for air defence, protected mobility vehicle (PMV, a Bushmaster vehicle) in land defence systems, and unmanned surface vessels (USV) in sea defence applications, as well as commercial applications.

Praxis Labs has designed a true solar solution to start building a solar world. The technology is ready. Praxis Labs is ready to take Adelaide and Australia to the world.

Shed 13, Dock 2, Honey Street

Port Adelaide 5015, South Australia

PO Box 29, Port Adelaide 5015 SA

Email: info@praxislabs.com.au

praxislabs.com.au

“The key to commercially viable solar solutions is not purely in the development of suitable solar technologies, but in how the solar cells are incorporated into structures.”

Mine to Survive – Helping to Preserve Humanity’s Scarce Resources

To reach 2050 Net Zero goals, the world needs 4x-6x more metals mined than today*. In the heart of Adelaide, MaxMine, a thriving Mining Technology company is trailblazing the mantra of Mining Done Different to accelerate our path to sustaining Humanity’s scarce resources.

MaxMine is a technology solution for open-pit mines sites, founded in 2015, MaxMine’s suite of products capture, process and analyse mining operational data. MaxMine is driven by the core needs of openpit mine site operators: making mine sites more efficient, safer, and environmentally sustainable.

MaxMine harnesses artificial intelligence, automated data processing and analytics, military-grade IoT, and mining expertise to enhance mining productivity. Gathering a thousand times more data than conventional fleet management systems in the mining space, MaxMine’s offering includes integrated business improvement coaching and operational analytics to drive sustained operator behaviour change, translating data into increased mining output tonnages.

MaxMine increases tonnes through trusted data giving confidence in operational decisions and facilitating execution through gamification of operator performance.

As the world’s energy mix changes and global electrification takes hold, the mining industry is undergoing significant change. Those who embrace the new sustainability paradigm the fastest will ensure their mining operation is running at its peak. MaxMine helps mine sites reach their peak, acting as the mine’s ‘in-pit’ nervous system, optimising performance, reducing carbon and minimising problems.

COMPLETING THE PICTURE WITH HIGH-QUALITY DATA

Open-pit mining is an enormous excavation project, involving moving millions of tonnes of rock. Supervisors know, the faster the circuit of trucks move, the more money is earned. They need to know how long it takes for each truck to be loaded, how quickly the material is transported, avoiding traffic jams, all whilst making sure everyone drives safely. MaxMine captures this operational data to guide Management and Supervisors to improve efficiency and performance

MaxMine produces the mining industry’s most trusted data by combining mining context with artificial intelligence, smart algorithms and intuitive software. MaxMine fully automates data processing, analysis and activity classification using custom-built algorithms, and AI, free of human input to ensure data accuracy.

MaxMine has been designed from the ground up to safely increase mining tonnes and reduce a mine site’s carbon footprint through technology, data and human behaviour.

Variability in operational performance erodes predictability in a mining operation, making it difficult to follow even the best mine plans and schedules. By providing mines sites with high-quality data, mining supervisors can make informed decisions faster and assist in delivering operational change at mines sites.

Open-pit mining has always been a hugely capital-intensive industry, the sheer scale of mining projects means that even small gains, can have huge revenue or cost benefits in the order of millions to tens of millions of dollars of value for MaxMine’s clients.

CONNECTING DATA TO ENSURE OPERATIONAL CHANGE

At the heart of what makes this Adelaide born global business unique is its uncanny ability to collect and connect high-quality data and provide decision-makers with answers to key questions. By taking clients on a data-driven journey and working as an extension to their team, MaxMine also delivers insight at the individual operator level, producing

performance measures for each operator to help coach and uplift their capabilities. Similar to the feedback a Formula One race driver receives from their laps, this information is applied to each operator of the mining equipment; from the best gears to the best speed for each section of road they travel on.

MaxMine executive coaches work with mine sites to ensure sustainable disciplines are implemented to maintain improvements, hardwiring data to the operating system of the mine. At an individual level, each operator can take accountability for their impact on a mine’s productivity (revenue and cost) as well as how they contribute to the world’s carbon footprint with parameters in their control, speed, gears and RPM. Personalised scorecards and automated improvement coaching rewards positive behaviour. This style of operator gamification ensures improvements become habitual.

MaxMine is designed as a full-service technology solution, because even the best technology alone does not deliver outcomes, people do.

*https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-cleanenergy-transitions/executive-summary

CHAPTER ELEVEN

AI, MACHINE LEARNING & CYBER

EMBRACING CREATIVITY AND MACHINE LEARNING: AN INTERSECTION FOR THE FUTURE.

PROFESSOR TOM HAJDU, DIRECTOR, SIA FURLER INSTITUTE AND CHAIR OF CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE

As the inaugural director of the Sia Furler Institute and the Chair of Creative Technologies at the University of Adelaide, I have been privileged to be a co-founder of the Art Intelligence Agency — a first-ofits-kind convergence of creativity and machine learning.

Creativity: The Core Competency

In recent years, there has been an undeniable upsurge in the value of creativity. CEOs worldwide have singled out creativity as one of the most crucial core competencies, a sentiment further echoed by the World Economic Forum, which has consistently ranked it in their top three for over a decade. But why has creativity suddenly become so indispensable?

The answer lies in the rapid acceleration of technology. People with divergent skills are able to work and think more dynamically than more analytical folks. Lateral thinkers are able to think in terms of leaps rather than steps.

Machine Learning is one of the most rapidly accelerating and disruptive technologies in the world today. Predicted to generate six times more enterprise value than the Internet has so far, machine learning is no longer a fringe technology. Instead, it has become the heart of innovation and growth, offering a fertile ground for the fusion of technology and creativity.

The Art Intelligence Agency

However, bringing together these two distinct disciplines is no mean feat. Artists working with machine learning often excel at their art but stumble when dealing with intricate technology. Conversely, tech experts dabbling in art often miss the mark, producing art that lacks authenticity and emotional depth.

As the inaugural director, my primary objective was to cultivate an environment that allowed for fruitful collaboration between artists and machine learning experts. To this end, we created the AI Art Intelligence Agency.

Our inaugural Artist-in-Residence was Laurie Anderson, whose groundbreaking work, “Scroll,” used machine learning to create a new AI bible, hybridizing traditional religious texts with the evocative language of Laurie Anderson. The collaboration between the AIA and Laurie Anderson was featured in several of her Charles Elliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University. The series was established in 1925 as an annual lectureship in “poetry in the broadest sense”, by distinguished creative figures and scholars in the arts, including painting, architecture, and music. The collaboration has garnered international attention, featuring in prestigious media outlets such as the New York Times and 60 Minutes USA.

From Authorship to Curation: The Artist’s New Role

This new collaborative approach represents a significant shift from the 19th-century individualistic idea of authorship. Instead, artists must now navigate a co-piloting relationship with machine learning, moving from authorship to curation. It’s a challenging transition, but it reveals a new creative competency where artists can lead the way.

Historically, artists have always been at the forefront of creative thought. However, in the last two decades, scientists and technologists have largely taken over this role. The time has come for artists to regain their position, demonstrating the confidence and curiosity required to shape this pivotal AI era.

To do so, artists must not only embrace the changing landscape but also play an active part in its creation. They need to engage meaningfully with the technologies that are shaping our world, contributing their unique perspectives to the evolution of machine learning and our relationship to it.

Envisioning the Future

If we can successfully foster this creative shift, the potential across all domains is immense. The intersection of creativity and machine learning presents a new frontier in our collective journey. By inviting artists to engage directly with machine learning, we can ensure that human creativity remains at the heart of our technological advancement. The future will be written by those willing to embrace this intersection, and artists, I believe, can show us the way. Incidentally, this was co-written by Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4 (GPT-4) a multimodal large language model created by OpenAI.

The University of Adelaide’s Australian Institute for Machine Learning (AIML) is Australia’s first dedicated AI institute, tasked with championing globally challenging research and building the technology of the future.

Established as a partnership between the University of Adelaide and the Government of South Australia, AIML is the anchor tenant of the Lot Fourteen innovation district and has grown rapidly to become one of the largest university-based machine learning groups in Australia and one of the best in the world.

A global leader in fundamental and applied research, AIML has more than 180 members, including researchers, engineers, students, and professional staff, who make important contributions to Australia’s national AI capability.

Australian Institute for Machine Learning

AIML pushes the limits of what machine learning can do, and explores how it can be applied to almost every aspect of our lives.

Machine learning underpins the business models of the world’s largest corporations, and has the potential to deliver great social, economic, and environmental benefits.

AIML’s researchers and engineers collaborate with world-leading companies to develop high tech solutions to tricky problems. The institute’s industry and business partners include leaders in many fields, such as agriculture, space, medicine, transport, defence, cybersecurity, and the creative sector.

Tapping into AI to create the perfect beer

It takes more than just malt, hops, and yeast to craft the perfect beer, as most brewers will tell you. For many, the process of finding the perfect new flavour takes hours—sometimes months—of careful research and development.

AIML and Barossa Valley Brewing took this centuries-old art and turned it on its head, teaming up to create a new craft beer recipe entirely with AI.

The Rodney AI²PA, a fruit-driven IPA, was released for limited retail sale in early 2022 and is named in honour of Australian robotics pioneer Rodney Brooks.

The project was led by two machine learning interns from the University of Adelaide who created an AI neural network which studied more than 260,000 existing recipes to learn how to craft the perfect beer.

The network had about 60 data points for each recipe, and was able to describe ingredients and specific process information such as precise yeast fermentation temperatures.

Thirty recipe candidates were created and handed over to Barossa Valley Brewing, which in turn selected which one to brew.

While initially hesitant about using AI technology in the craft brewing process, Barossa Valley Brewing’s founder has since launched a spin-off AI beer startup.

The project has shown that AI isn’t just reserved for huge tech companies; by incorporating AI into their processes, smaller operators can now compete against the bigger players.

On the other side of the bar, AIML is also working with Australian startup company MyVenue to explore how AI can help predict food and drink sales at large sporting stadiums and concert venues.

MyVenue’s point-of-sale software draws on data from stadiums to help venues manage stock and labour costs and reduce waste. The system is also built to work offline, which allows workers to continue to take payments even without internet access.

Using AI to bring Hollywood heroes to the big screen

Hollywood has always relied on a little movie magic to bring its big-budget adventures to audiences around the world. Now the $100 billion global industry is tapping into South Australian AI technology to help bring its blockbusters to life.

AIML researchers teamed up with Adelaide-based visual effects company Rising Sun Pictures to create new AI methods of producing special effects for a slew of big-budget Hollywood films, including Marvel Studios’ blockbuster Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The VFX studio also used AI to help create a ‘baby Thor’ for the movie Thor: Love and Thunder, an entirely digital character modelled on the grandchild of a studio executive.

Making the child look realistic was one of the biggest challenges for the studio, including how his mouth moved, or light reflected off his eyes. The result was a photorealistic baby that audiences would believe was the real thing.

For the movie Shang-Chi, AIML’s technologists helped develop new AI techniques for Rising Sun Pictures to replace the faces of stunt performers in fight scenes with those of the lead actors.

This involved around 30,000 facial images across five characters and training five machine models in more than four million training iterations. The models were used for around 50 face replacements in six key action scenes.

Rising Sun Pictures believes that AI can help free up their VFX artists from tedious, time-consuming tasks and create amazing artwork their Hollywood clients will love. The collaboration produced spectacular results and the company is now seeing how far it take AI on the silver screen.

Imagining a better medical future with AI

Millions of Australians undergo medical imaging every year to diagnose a range of potential health problems. Radiologists and other doctors use this technology to obtain detailed information and help plot their patient’s treatment and provide a better level of care.

Medical imaging systems—such as those used in x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and sonography—are increasingly incorporated with AI technology to assist doctors in making a diagnosis.

AI software models are trained on large datasets of medical images so they can learn how to analyse medical scans for signs of disease or injury, with similar or greater accuracy than that of human doctors.

The technology is well-established in clinical practice, about 350 AI systems are FDA-cleared for use in the US. However, when using AI in a high-stakes field such as medicine, experts have to be able to understand the intricacies of the software’s decision-making process when considering a diagnosis.

AIML researchers are among those working to make sure AI is safe, ethical, and explainable. Understanding

an algorithm’s decision-making capability is crucial. Recent examples, such as AI systems accurately detecting a patient’s race from an X-ray, have left medical professionals stumped.

By ensuring AI is implemented safely, researchers believe it could transform our quality of medical care, with better decision-making and diagnostics; and potentially deliver a cost saving, allowing expanded healthcare access and coverage.

Elsewhere in medicine, the capacity for AI to provide fast and accurate pathology insights has significant clinical appeal for doctors, as it can assist in treatment planning for types of cancer, including whether chemotherapy should be considered.

AIML researchers are working on computer vision methods to automatically classify and count different types of cells in pathology imaging, which is traditionally a time-consuming task for pathologists.

adelaide.edu.au/aiml

Our goal is to push the boundaries of interpretable AI and create realtime solutions that enhance human capability.

Co-founded by Dr. Zygmunt Szpak and Ian Will in 2020, IVAI is a dynamic team of experts with over 50 years of combined experience translating pioneering research into real-world solutions. We are proud to serve clients across a range of industries, including Defence and Security, Health, and Resources, where the application of AI can have a dual impact. We are on a journey to shape the future of responsible AI and make a lasting impact in the world.

IVAI propels clients to the forefront of technology through innovative research and development, delivering breakthrough products and services. At IVAI, our PhD-powered research and development team brings unrivalled expertise, unparalleled understanding, and valuable industry insights to the table. We stay ahead of the curve in a constantly evolving technological landscape, delivering solutions that give our clients a decisive edge.

Our mission is to augment human capability through responsible and ethical AI, always prioritising privacy, human rights, and moral values. We’re not just creating innovative solutions but building a legacy of trust and responsibility. With IVAI, you can rest assured that your technology is not only cutting-edge, but also guided by a philosophy of ethical and responsible innovation.

Much of our innovative work has been funded by advanced technology programs such as the Next Generation Technology Fund, the Defence Innovation Partnership Collaborative Research Fund, the Defence AI Research Network (DAIRNet), and the Office of National Intelligence and the Defence Science Technology Group. Our projects are strongly aligned with several of the key Defence Science STarShots. STaRShots are challenging, inspirational and aspirational Science and Technology missions that align strategic research to force structure priorities. IVAI works in Information Warfare, Agile Command and Control (C2) and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear defence (CBRN) STarShots.

As a leading-edge Adelaide-based SME, we are trailblazers in the fields of AI, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Virtual/Augmented Reality, and Data Analytics.

We have created a cutting-edge interactive tool for analysts to effectively analyse and understand potential threats. Our advanced techniques enable users to adjust classifier parameters in real-time, allowing for a dynamic evaluation of “what-if” scenarios to uncover the decision-making process of multiple AI classifiers. Our approach to “explainable AI” goes beyond the typical focus on inputs, outputs, and performance, and provides a deeper level of understanding by allowing users to explore the reasoning behind the AI system’s decisions. This tool has applications beyond the realm of cybersecurity, making it a valuable resource for analysts seeking to gain a comprehensive understanding of AI systems

Human AI Teaming for Intelligence Analysts

As leaders in the field of human-AI interaction, we understand the importance of bridging the gap between algorithms and human input. By leveraging versatile technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), we can empower users to actively participate in the decisionmaking process and influence the output of AI systems.

For instance, our NLP-based approach enables Intelligence Analysts to work with AI systems in real-time, by providing context and input through the selection of relevant and nonrelevant keywords and sentences in a textual data stream, such as a social media feed. This dynamic interaction allows the algorithm to continually re-train and adapt based on the user’s inputs, resulting in a personalized and highly refined output.

With our approach, users are no longer limited by the traditional constraints of AI systems, but are instead able to actively shape and direct the results based on their specific needs and context. This leads to more valuable outcomes and greater efficiency in the decisionmaking process.

We have expertly designed and executed techniques that significantly reduce the size of machine learning models without sacrificing their performance. This breakthrough opens the door to numerous possibilities in the deployment of AI technology, particularly on compact devices such as drones and devices operating at the network’s edge that are constrained by limited power and bandwidth.

Our innovative methods allow for the rapid modification and redeployment of AI models in Command and Control (C2) scenarios, where bandwidth is a critical factor. The reduction in size of the models ensures that they can be easily transmitted, eliminating the barriers that previously hindered their deployment in these environments.

Compressed Machine Learning models

Explainable AI for cyber applications

In operational and contested environments, it is vitally important to know the health status of personnel and detect an infectious disease’s onset. In partnership with the Defence Science Technology Group and the University of South Australia, we are working to develop algorithms for the early detection of illness and fatigue from data obtained by wearable devices. Our approaches employ novel statistical machine learning techniques to extract useful, actionable information from the data.

We are at the forefront of transforming the way healthcare is delivered. Our innovative solutions are designed to empower healthcare workers and patients alike, providing access to the latest technologies and techniques that can help improve outcomes and enhance quality of life.

One of our flagship projects is the development of a training system that allows remotely located healthcare workers to assess and treat diabetic foot ulcers with confidence. This ground-breaking solution has been designed to provide comprehensive training and support to those who may not have access to specialized care.

We have also developed cutting-edge VR applications that are helping people with intellectual disabilities lead more independent lives. These innovative solutions provide a supportive and empowering environment, enabling people to develop skills and confidence that can have a profound impact on their daily lives.

In our latest project, we are working to develop Augmented Reality systems that enable medical specialists to see through the eyes of remotely located healthcare workers. This will allow them to guide the work being done, undertake condition assessment and monitoring, and help ensure that the right care is delivered at the right time.

Human Integrated Sensor Systems

VR/AR for Health Applications

“ADVANCING HUMAN-MACHINE TEAMING WITH TRUSTED AI”

“AI THAT AUGMENTS HUMAN CAPABILITY”

“A GUIDE AND COMPANION, EMPOWERING ORGANIZATIONS TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS ON THEIR AI JOURNEY”

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

At IVAI, our mission is to fuel the spirit of innovation and creativity in South Australia and become a leading player in the field of Artificial Intelligence. We envision a future where Adelaide is not just a great place to live and work, but also a hub for exporting pioneering technological developments. Our goal is to harness local talent and provide employment opportunities for the next generation of tech-savvy graduates, while attracting top minds to our vibrant city.

As we embark on this journey, we are guided by a passion for ethics and responsibility in technology. We believe that Al has the power to transform lives and make the world a better place, but only if it is developed and used in a way that prioritizes the well-being of society. That’s why we are dedicated to leading the way in ethical Al practices and using our technological advances to create a brighter future for all.

At IVAI, people are at the heart of everything we do. We are driven by a desire to apply innovation and imagination in a way that makes a real difference in the world. Our mission is to use technology to transform lives and build a better future for all, and we are committed to making this vision a reality.

Tel: +61 8 8490 6793 Email: ivai.com.au

ivai.com.au

INNOVATION AND CYBER SECURITY GO HAND-IN-HAND

In 2016 the founders of CyberOps brought together their decades of experience in national and global technology and advisory roles to form a company to help service the growing need for expert technical advice in the Defence, space and Cyber Industries. The aim was to deliver innovative services and to provide expert advice at a competitive price. CyberOps has assembled a team of experts that develop bespoke cyber security and technical services to many defence, space and critical infrastructure organisations.

Early in the company’s life, they also drew upon their personal experiences and passions, Derek in radio and cyber and Daniel in defence and space to build an innovative passive RF sensor network that tracks satellites, which evolved into a product called SpaceIQTM that is now connected into a global Space Domain Awareness (SDA) data base. CyberOps uses SpaceIQTM to participate in regular live SDA sessions with the Australian Space Command, the US Space Force and the wider global space ecosystem contributing to the safety of the Space domain. Sensing the need to secure critical infrastructure, and especially the newly evolving space industry in Australia, CyberOps sought and was given funding by the Department of Defence to develop a Space Cyber Framework and a Space Security Architecture. Since then, CyberOps has

been awarded further grants to evolve the framework and develop a series of testing and training products to improve the space cyber capability in Australia, and elsewhere. In 2022 CyberOps became one of the first Australian members of the Space Information Security Advisory Centre (S-ISAC) and now contributes cyber security advice to the Australian Space ecosystem when called upon. CyberOps became a founding member of the Lot Fourteen ecosystem and leant in to assist the many startups considering cybersecurity in their own products development. In addition, they contributed to the creation of the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre in Lot Fourteen where they still are a member and participate in the many cyber related events, including running the technical

team in a recent NATO cyber wargame event, Locked Shields 23.

Recently CyberOps moved to its own secure office in the Space Lab in Lot Fourteen, where the growing expert team of security professionals are delivering services to a wide range of customers, from small to large in the growing national cyber market. Additionally, CyberOps uplifted their own security posture allowing it to become part of the Defence supply chain. This experience is invaluable when advising other companies servicing Defence and Critical Infrastructure on what is required to meet the regulatory expectations.

Daniel and Derek set up CyberOps to deliver quality services and actionable advice to its customers while at the same time providing a fun and friendly environment for their staff and customers. The team are proud that with every report they write, every vulnerability they uncover, and every security architecture they develop they are actively working to safeguard their customers’ data and assist in preserving their peace of mind. Their commitment to excellence and passion for cybersecurity are what sets them apart in this industry.

In a world where cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread, cyber security is more essential than ever. CyberOps is part of the shield that stands between its customers and the dangers of the digital world, and they take that responsibility seriously. CyberOps values experimentation, innovation and out of the box thinking as it is what our adversaries are doing, and it also develops their products so that we and our customers benefit.

Daniel & Derek, Directors

MEET THE AI TECHNOLOGISTS: Creating Decision Advantage for Water and Defence Organisations

In today’s fast-paced and data-driven business landscape, organisations are constantly seeking innovative solutions to unlock the true potential of their data. Enter Spiral Data, a leading player in Adelaide, Australia, revolutionising the way organisations extract insights from complex datasets. With a team of dedicated data scientists, machine learning engineers, and technologists, Spiral Data collaborates closely with large, asset-rich organisations in utilities, water, food, and defence sectors. CEO and Founder Kale Needham has a clear mission – to empower decision-makers with actionable contextual intelligence, providing them with a significant decision advantage. Their work is making a significant impact in risk mitigation and resource management. They deploy, test and retrain AI solutions in the field, evaluate their effectiveness and prove their impact in an operational environment to enhance decisionmaking ‘in the wild’.

At Spiral Data, we firmly believe in harnessing the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to drive tangible outcomes. Through our thoughtful application of cutting-edge technologies, we enable organisations to minimise risk, enhance operational efficiency, and gain a competitive edge. Leveraging our extensive expertise and experience, we offer a range of specialised services designed to cater to the unique needs of asset-intensive and data driven organisations. I guess you could say, we are big data.

Consulting: Our seasoned team of experts have over 50 years of collective experience, providing strategic guidance and advisory services, navigating organisations through the intricate landscape of AI and big data. By closely collaborating with clients, we gain a deep understanding

of their challenges and develop customised solutions that align with their specific goals and objectives.

Data Science as a Service: With our state-of-the-art data science techniques, we offer the professional services of our skilled team of data scientists. This service empowers organisations to extract valuable insights, identify patterns, and make informed decisions based on datadriven analysis using sophisticated algorithms.

IoT-to-AI Platform: Managing and analysing massive volumes of sensor data and then using AIML to drive deliver business value can be a daunting task. SpiralData treats data science as a creative endeavour that requires scientific, mathematical and statistical discipline supported by a battle-hardened platform. Our platform is set up in hours, and on day 1 can ingest data from diverse sources at scale. It includes an AI workbench for rapid algorithm selection, training and deployment. Its composable architecture means outputs can be via API or visualised so your team at-a-glance insights to enhance decision making. By harnessing the power of big data technologies, we help organisations unlock the full potential of their data assets. And we now offer our platform offline in a ruggedised briefcase for secure AIML at the edge.

What sets Spiral Data apart is our ability to execute end-to-end AIML and big data projects seamlessly. From data acquisition and preprocessing to model development and deployment, we possess the expertise and resources to handle every stage of the project lifecycle. Whether organisations require support for specific project phases or comprehensive managed services for their data analytics needs, Spiral Data delivers reliable and high-quality solutions.

Key Milestone

In a recent celebrated partnership with Alexandrina Council (regional SA) Spiral Data led a progressive project optimising waste water in pristine environments. As a direct result, in 2023 Spiral Data took out a prestigious innovation award for Sustainability at the Amazon Web services (AWS) partner summit awards and was a finalist in the AI/ML and IoT category. This signals the company’s capability on a national and global scale. Spiral Data continues to win major contracts with SA Water, Cleanseas, SA State Department of Environment and Water and others.

Spiral Data empowers organisations to thrive. Our expertise in AI and big data enables clients to make informed decisions, minimise risks, and optimise operational efficiency. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation, Spiral Data is shaping a future where data becomes a strategic asset for organisations across industries.

Key Applications

Offline AIML for secure workloads at the edge in defence

Transient detection in potable water networks using machine learning to calm the network

AI to facilitate demand forecasting for SA’s non-urban water meters to ensure water security

Algorithms to solve specific uses cases in water;

a. Valve integrity testing using AI and IoT

b. Wastewater pump station anomaly detection (blocked drains, leaky taps, etc)

c. Global pump optimisation

d. Vacuum sewer ingress and valve optimisation

e. Predictive maintenance for water reuse

Ram Balachandran - Chief Data Scientist (CDS), Kale Needham - CEO and Chris Jansz - CTO

It’s not something we consider when we pick up our smart phone or turn on the car radio, but our modern lifestyles would not be possible without the Electromagnetic Spectrum (spectrum). Our industries, healthcare services, safety and security all depend on this finite, invisible resource.

Since the advent of radio communication, access and usage of the spectrum has been carefully managed, using a complex system that hasn’t changed in over 100 years. National licensing bodies (in Australia, the Australian Communications and Media Authority) allocate slices of spectrum that each licensee controls. Telecommunications companies spend billions of dollars on spectrum licences in Australia alone.

Spectrum is already described as ‘complex, contested and congested’ but ever-increasing demand from high-growth industries, such as space and Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous cars and sensor systems, can only add more complexity.

“Spectrum is the invisible enabler of modern wireless technology, yet the management process has not kept up with modern demands,” says Kuba Kabacinski, Executive Chairman of Consunet, a world-leading provider of cyber and spectrum security solutions.

“This is not just about streamlining outmoded systems, the mere fact that the world relies on spectrum availability makes it open to disruption or attack.”

Consunet’s 100-plus cyber and AI specialists have invested thousands of research hours to create game-changing Spectrum Management

innovations. The resulting DUST technologies (see sidebar) use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to deliver highly adaptive spectrum forecasting, planning, and access techniques. DUST addresses inherent inefficiencies and vulnerabilities in today’s outdated Spectrum Management approach.

DUST technology can detect and act on anomalies, for example to neutralise a malicious attempt to disrupt access. Spectrum owners can quickly and securely share previously unused spectrum, minimise spectrum conflict, and coordinate access across large groups of users.

“It’s time to move away from a slow and inefficient bureaucratic process, to a nimble, adaptable one that takes full advantage of 100 years of technology innovation,” Kabacinski says. “Consunet’s objective is to create new, disruptive opportunities for wireless communications and autonomous systems, while protecting existing spectrum asset value.”

Recognised and trusted by the Australian Defence sector for its capabilities in Electromagnetic Warfare and Spectrum Management, Consunet is developing new international markets for DUST.

“Spectrum Management is a universal challenge and Australia has a remarkable history of spectrum technology innovation. We believe DUST can have as much impact as the invention of WiFi by CSIRO. It’s an honour to follow in those footsteps by exporting our Australian innovation, transforming the way we interact in tomorrow’s world.”

BUILDING THE CYBER AND SPECTRUM SECURITY FUTURE

CONSUNET IS ON A MISSION TO TRANSFORM THE ‘INVISIBLE ENABLER OF MODERN WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES’

Trusted Defence Supplier

Consunet is based in Adelaide, a mid-size Australian city known for its advanced Defence technology capabilities. After two decades of developing sovereign IP and skills in Electromagnetic Warfare technologies, Consunet won the Australian Defence Electromagnetic Battle Management Capability delivery and sustainment project in fiscal year 2022 from an international field. Consunet’s vision is to build the Australian cyber and spectrum security future.

What is DUST?

Consunet developed its Distributed aUtonomous Spectrum managemenT system, known as DUST, as part of a 4-year R&D collaboration with several Australian universities and the Defence Science and Technology Group, supported by funding from the Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

A range of all types of electromagnetic radiation of varying frequency, spectrum facilitates energy and information transfer and is necessary for technologies such as WiFi, satellite, TV, microwaves, and mobile phones.

DUST is made up of 4 key elements:

Spectrum Simulator simulates Electromagnetic Spectrum for a “city-scale” number of spectrum users, enabling AI/ML development.

Spectrum Weather uses novel mathematical and ML models to predict future spectrum utilisation, taking into account past utilisation and adapting forecasts to changing parameters in time and space.

Spectrum Planning uses advanced AI solutions that exploit forecasting data to outperform existing spectrum planning approaches.

Spectrum Sharing dynamically exchanges spectrum allocation on a per-device and per-network fidelity.

CHAPTER TWELVE

TECHNOLOGY & CONSULTING

MAKE IT HAPPEN AUSTRALIA CAN LEAD IN BUILDING THE WEB 3.0 WORLD

The ability for Blockchains to avoid the need for controlling intermediaries while providing next level functionality will usher in a new age of the internet, and now is the time to take it seriously, because if we don’t we will get left behind.”

Unlike previous generations many of us are now very used to rapidly changing technologies coming into our lives and creating new opportunities.

As with most things it often comes with a catch… often the catch is that we have to give up our privacy and in order to say, use a new app on our phone, because we need to hand over our data if we want to install it. Also, if we want to buy something online we need to use a third party organisation, like a credit card company or a bank, who again take our data and charge us for the privilege. On the 3rd of January 2009 in response to the Global Financial Crisis a new system was born, a system that not only allows us to access digital services while keeping our own data, but one that means we don’t need to use any intermediaries to ensure that we take advantage of the digital world safely. This new system is called Web 3.0 and it is made possible by using what is called

a ‘Blockchain’. The first application of Blockchain was to create ‘Bitcoin’ which is a global digital currency that is not controlled by any third parties and lives and operates in the internet supported by numerous hosts. At its peak, this Blockchain, or data base of transactions, held over 1.3 trillion dollars and has not been hacked.

Blockchains are incredibly interesting because they provide a new type of global digital architecture… an architecture that allows users to transact with each other, access services, store information, and manage wealth without the involvement of intermediary third parties. Prior to the invention of Blockchains the main way that people could undertake trusted digital transactions was by creating a bank account, or by using a credit card… each with pro’s and con’s. For instance they allowed people to buy things online or to send other people money, however in the case of a Bank account the Bank requires ownership of the money and uses it

— Dr. Charlie Hargroves, Senior Research Fellow, ECIC, Adelaide Business School.

to lend to other customers without sharing much of the revenue generated, and a credit card charges high levels of interest and transaction fees while keeping your purchasing history. When this was the only real option we all went along and created our bank accounts and applied for our credit cards, and in the process gave the companies involved ownership of all of our purchasing data for little to no reward… but with the advent of Blockchain this will all change… and honestly we are only just now beginning to glimpse what that change will look like… it’s like someone in the 1970’s trying to imagine how the internet would make life different after it is launched some 10 years later.

So this is where it starts to get interesting… in a Blockchain ecosystem we will be able to hold and leverage wealth (in the form of the Blockchains native currency) and information (such as verified medical records, ownership details, or educational transcripts), undertake transactions (such as purchasing things online or sending money to people) all while having a complete ledgers of transactions that are encrypted to ensure access is only by permission. So if a large online retail company wants to see your spending habits to target its advertising it can be provided access, at a fee and without handing over ownership or the ability to change any of the data. As you can imagine this type of digital ecosystem will appeal to many but will also be strong competition for others. It is likely to appeal to people who want to control their own data, leverage digital and physical assets, reduce the cost of digital transactions, and keep this all private. It will be competition for companies that offer services that require either handing over ownership of data or paying high interest or fees, many of us are using these services right now…

Blockchains not only store information but they can also store instructions, typically in the form of a Smart Contract that contains a set of rules around how data can be used and what transactions can take place. For instance, as Don Tapscott explains , say at the time of your death you were looking to give your

grandchild a large inheritance but you wanted it to be paid on their 21st Birthday. Also you wanted to make sure that they had not been arrested, and had say, had been accepted in to University, and if not you wanted the money to go to your favourite charity. The traditional way would be to pay the money into an escrow account at a Bank and have lawyers draw up a physical contract to detail the terms of the payment. However the settlement will not be for some 20 years and it is possible that the conditions may be overturned by the legal system. However if you used a Blockchain solution you could have the money transferred into a Blockchain along with the rules you stipulate, where it will accrue interest, and at the time of settlement the chain will search for the answers to the questions you posed and if the answers are yes then the money is transferred into a digital wallet that the child has the key for, and if not it is transferred to the charity. In this scenario this process cannot be interfered with by any human being but rather they may seek to recover the funds from the charity based on some legal ruling in the future.

This is just the beginning of the potential of Blockchain and South Australia is well placed to be a world leader in this area.

The University of Adelaide launched its first dedicated Blockchain course in 2021 which it now offers to both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Dr. Charlie Hargroves, Senior Research Fellow, ECIC, Adelaide Business School.

FROM ADELAIDE TO THE SKIES: BUILDING SPATIAL TECH FOR NOW AND THE FUTURE

Aerometrex is a geospatial technology company focused on providing data and derived insights for a range of applications. Launched in 1980, the company is a preferred supplier of aerial imagery, 3D models and LiDAR data for both the public & private sectors. The company is headquartered in Adelaide and stands for innovation in the spatial data and technology segment, with many firsts to its name.

From an employee buyout in 2011 to being listed on the ASX in Dec 2019, Aerometrex has come a long way. In the last decade, the organisation has added some key achievements to an already long list of innovations. Among these are launching a world-leading 3D business, acquiring & expanding their LiDAR business, and introducing a subscription-based aerial imagery product, MetroMap. You can see the company’s fingerprints across many critical projects, such as driving smart city and digital twin projects, supporting sustainability & greening

initiatives, simulating emergency scenarios such as floods and long-term changes such as coastal erosion, and supporting landowners practising informed agriculture and driving greater yields, to quote a few.

In the past, the belief was that spatial data is costly and can only be accessed by large businesses and the government. However, that has drastically changed in the last few years. One of the things that has helped achieve this is the cloud-based delivery of spatial data as a service (DaaS). Aerometrex launched its DaaS solution, MetroMap in 2015, making aerial imagery accessible even to sole proprietors. The MetroMap platform and the quality of its imagery have been referred to as “Google Maps on Steroids” by many, giving you an idea of the clarity and resolution, that one can expect. Designed to help businesses conduct remote measurements, perform accurate assessments, quote jobs, showcase work via aerial shots, and more, MetroMap is a great example of innovative technology doing good for a large cross-section of the community. As a DaaS solution, MetroMap also allows users to pull their imagery into a range of web and desktop applications. In May 2023, the company launched “MetroMap Insights” – a product that leverages the power of cutting-edge AI algorithms, cloud-computing, data science and high-resolution aerial imagery, to transform the way businesses derive valuable information from aerial maps and make better-informed decisions.

Aerometrex launched its proprietary 3D modelling solution in 2012. Known initially as Aero3Dpro, this product soon became a benchmark for high-resolution 3D data in Australia. Since then, this 3D offering has taken the Adelaide-based business to the international stage, with projects across France & Germany, before they launched a US operation in 2020. Among its list of prestigious clients are tech giants such as Google, well-known broadcasting & entertainment companies, and multinational engineering firms revolutionising the way we visualise the real world in digital form. The company has also partnered with leading 3D visualisation, software, and game engine companies to drive adoption and improve accessibility. The company has built 3D models of major cities across Australia, New Zealand, and the United States and their data is a critical component of many digital twin projects. True to

the company’s ethos of driving accessibility for spatial data, it made 3D models also available via a MetroMap store, launched in 2021. The store allows users to buy 3D mesh data for even small areas in an affordable fashion, without worrying about high-cost aerial captures.

Until 2015, Aerometrex 2D and 3D products were derived from imagery and the science of photogrammetry. In September 2015, the company acquired a Queensland-based company known as Atlass and entered the LiDAR business. Since then, the company’s LiDAR operations have expanded from a singlesensor fleet to one that requires over 5 sensors and planes. The company has supplied critical LiDAR data to major federal & state agencies and does repeat projects for some large corporates.

LiDAR sensors acquire details of both the ground and above-ground features such as vegetation and infrastructure, with accuracy unparalleled by other airborne methods. Aerometrex’s quantitative elevation datasets have a wide range of uses across the planning of local engineering works, tracking mining operations, city-wide urban planning, groundwater management and flood mitigation planning. Additionally, quantitative Airborne LiDAR-derived vegetation datasets provide critical environmental insights that are used in a wide range of strategic planning to increase climate resiliency in Australian communities, including urban greening initiatives, regional carbon credit projects and bushfire risk mitigation.

Technology continues to remain at the forefront of current innovation, and Aerometrex is the perfect crossover between tech and spatial data that is helping businesses make the most of these developments. Keep an eye out for this Adelaide-based organisation that is helping companies and governments build solutions for the future.

BEST IN CLASS IN MORTGAGE BROKING & MONEY MANAGEMENT

Crown Money was founded with one simple objective – to help hardworking Australian families realise their home ownership dreams and pay off their home loans in the shortest time possible.

Crown Money was established in 2004 by brothers Scott and Craig Parry who grew up with a father in the banking industry. From an early age they were exposed to the exorbitant profits banks were earning through their unfairly structured mortgages. The traditional 30-year loan would front-end load the interest portion, so bank profits were paid upfront. When a client would refinance every 4.2 years, they would start the cycle again, stopping them from being able to attack the principal portions of their loans. Scott and Craig knew that, at the end of the day, the banks were there to serve their shareholders, not their customers.

Scott and Craig saw a massive gap in the market and decided to create a better home loan solution, one designed to get people out of debt, instead of keeping them in it!

Crown Money has helped thousands of South Australians achieve their home ownership dreams and financial freedom through personalised financial coaching, wealth tracking software, and a revolutionary debt reduction money management strategy.

INNOVATIVE MORTGAGE BROKING AND HOME LOAN REDUCTION APPROACH

Many homeowners have experienced brokers enthusiastic to win their business, arrange their mortgage and be paid. From then on, they will rarely hear from them! Crown Money sets itself apart with a unique approach: their work begins when other brokers’ work ends…. when their client’s home loan settles.

Crown Money maintains constant contact with their clients for the life of their loan. Providing support, coaching, and encouragement, which helps keep their clients on track to achieving their financial goals.

On average, Crown Money clients pay $39,327 off their home loan each year, with a savings rate of 24%. That is 400% better than the average Australian!

Most people are used to watching their hard-earned income sit idly in their savings account, doing nothing for them, and waiting for their bills and home loan repayments to be direct debited. Crown Money’s unique model puts clients’ total salary into their home loan account, where it works for them and not the banks.

With this innovative and effective structure, combined with high touch coaching and support, Crown Money’s clients get accelerated results. Just like having a personal trainer at the gym, but for your money.

MAKING DEBT-REDUCTION FUN AND ADDICTIVE!

Buying a home is often the biggest financial decision people make.

With the ease of borrowing at maximum capacity, and then direct access to all available savings through offset accounts, a concerning number of people are simply spinning the wheels on their mortgages, unable to get ahead.

It’s also so easy to fall into the mindset of short-term gratification and spending more than we earn. The world around us is designed

I will provide you with the financial education, structure and support so you never have to worry about money again. I will keep you accountable to your financial goals and your mission to pay off your mortgage as quickly as possible.”

— Craig Parry.

to tempt us to spend now and worry about the consequences later.

Crown Money’s approach is helping clients become conscious of their spending. This is through education, detailed spending plans to help them live within their means, and the accountability of a team of coaches.

Crown Money’s program is the first solution of its type in the mortgage debt-reduction space, and it empowers consumers to cut their average mortgage term in half.

In such a competitive marketplace, with over 10,000 mortgage broking firms in Australia, Crown Money are the only broking firm to have a client pay off their house in full every 23 days!

TESTIMONIALS

‘Crown Money has made a major difference in our lives. We were continuing in the same debt cycle with large credit card debts and paying little off our own home. We are now well out of debt and paying off more money than we thought possible off our mortgage. It has made a significant difference to our lives - Peter, Glandore SA’

‘Crown Money have helped us pay $43,000 off our mortgage in just one year when we were only paying a fraction of this with our previous bank. Wish we had come across them sooner. Brilliant to deal with, staff are friendly, helpful and reassuring. The ongoing education and support, monthly updates and coaching tips means we are really smashing through our mortgage. Do yourself a favour, and call Craig & the Crown Money team today. –

Sarah, Para Hills SA’

AWARD-WINNING MORTGAGE BROKING BUSINESS

Having recently secured the title of South Australia’s Best Boutique Mortgage Brokerage for three consecutive years (2023, 2022, and 2021), Crown Money’s accolades validate their pioneering approach that transcends traditional norms in the mortgage broking industry. Their innovative methods align perfectly with clients’ financial aspirations and the cherished dream of owning their home sooner.

THE “SAAS+FINTECH” PLAYBOOK TAKING ON THE BANKS AND GOING GLOBAL

From joint manager of the world’s largest gold hedging book – to precious metals trader of a global commodities group in the U.K. –Jeremy Coombe is not your typical tech startup Founder. So, how does one break the mould of the “institutionalised mindset” that is the very cause of the FinTech disruption inflicted upon the financial giants for which he once worked?

Well, Jeremy has an interesting way of putting it. He uses the analogy of his early career in commodities trading to explain how banks are being displaced.

“When you break it down, banks essentially sell ‘commodity’ products. There’s not a great deal of differentiation, so customers focus mainly on price,” Jeremy explains.

This was the inspiration behind Apxium’s “SaaS+FinTech” playbook, where Jeremy emphasises the need to go beyond “one step further.” This not only means providing innovative financial products but going a step further and combining it with automation software services – and yet another step further by ensuring it seamlessly integrates with a business’ billing software.

“This is how to deliver an enterprise grade solution that solves the end-to-end problems across the entire Accounts Receivable lifecycle of a business,” Jeremy explains, as he often refers to the classic Harvard Business Review article in 2006, “Eager Sellers and Stony Buyers,” by John Gourville. The author explains why new products need to be 9x better to “disrupt and succeed.”

“I always kept this in the back of my mind when starting Apxium as a way to avoid the commodity mousetrap.”

When Jeremy moved back to Australia from the U.K., he pursued a career in structured finance, securitisation and wholesale funding to non-bank financial institutions. In these roles, he gained a forensic understanding of the best-in-class (and the worst) collections processes employed by his non-bank lender clients. The common issue was that they didn’t have anywhere near the same standard of technology that banks have to manage collections, or Accounts Receivable in general for that matter.

Jeremy’s vision was therefore to take the same disciplines and technology concepts from the banking world and go “many steps further” by combining it with innovative automation software services (which banks are missing) and make it accessible to all businesses in a modern cloud environment.

As time progressed, Apxium found deep product-market fit among mid to large tier Accounting Firms, which are known for carrying large Accounts Receivable balances, along with very manual and costly processes around collecting unpaid invoices.

As he dug deeper, Jeremy found that this is because Accounting Firms can’t use modern cloud accounting like Xero or QuickBooks. They use Practice Management Software to manage their complex time and billing workflows. The problem is that bank payment gateways and lending platforms don’t integrate with these systems, causing significant Accounts Receivable process inefficiencies.

This is where Jeremy saw a huge underserved global market, which he may just have a chance of building something close to “9x better” than the status quo – as John Gourville put it.

And, that’s why Apxium exists today.

“Whilst our competitors resorted to the ‘commodity product’ mentality, I always set out to create deep enough value where price becomes irrelevant,” says Jeremy.

“So, we created our own proprietary tech stack, built in-house here in Australia. Apxium combines Accounts Receivable Automation Software + Transactional Banking Solutions + Invoice Financing. Not only do we replace these Firms’ transactional banking relationships, but our solutions are fully data integrated with their Practice Management Software to automate the entire Accounts Receivable, payments and financing lifecycle.”

“All the Partner of the Firm has to do is approve an invoice and Apxium does the rest from before, during and after the payment. From invoice presentation and payments processing – all the way through to automated client receipting and reconciliation back into the Firm’s billing system - Apxium automates the entire process with no human intervention required whatsoever.”

The depth of Apxium’s data integration with a Firm’s billing system goes yet another step further through its innovative Invoice Financing solution. Apxium sees every single invoice and its real time payment status, enabling the software to deliver automated lending with real time risk management and covenant reporting.

“So, we’re not only automating the entire experience, but we’re providing deep value by optimising a Firm’s debtor days before we even lend a dollar – something that Banks simply can’t do!”

The result is reduced administrative overhead and debtor days by 50% and payments processing fees by up to 40%, all whilst providing the tools for Firms to improve their billing relationship with their clients.

“The innovation this also provides to the global billing systems we integrate with is yet another layer of value to gain their support to access their customers.”

interest from the Group’s U.K. and North America firms, who requested access to Apxium.

However, there was one slight (actually, MAJOR) hurdle Apxium had to overcome first. That was, developing data integrations of its technology with Baker Tilly’s global billing system – IRIS Star Practice Management – a complex on-premise system used by some of the largest Accounting Firms in the world, but not designed to integrate with external software and payment gateways like Apxium.

Fast forward a few months later, Apxium is now the only Accounts Receivable Automation software and payment gateway that is fully data integrated with IRIS Star.

“This was the key turning point for Apxium. IRIS Star’s global user base of Accounting Firms alone is larger than the entire Australian accounting services market! This provides us with captive access to $24 billion in total annual transaction volume and $2.4 billion in Professional Fee Funding,” Jeremy explains.

Jeremy goes on to explain why it pays to focus on building an economic moat based around strong IP that attracts both sales/distribution and technology partnerships. After breaking into the U.S. in 2022, over 30% of Apxium’s revenue is now generated from overseas customers, with over $2 billion annual invoicing under management facilitated by the software.

This economic moat ensures we’re a key partner in IRIS Star’s product differentiation strategy, which in turn, attracts their support to scale sales and distribution on a global level. Today, Apxium’s “SaaS+FinTech” playbook has certainly taken on the banks on a global level. One by one, Apxium is replacing the transactional relationships banks have with top tier Accounting Firms across the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia –but doing it with innovation the banks simply can’t offer.

When asking Jeremy about the key source of Apxium’s success, he puts it down to two distinct factors: 1) build a product moat by promoting team culture that’s laser focused on delivering deep value beyond a “commodity product” so that it can’t easily be replicated; and, 2) always keep John Gourville’s “at least 9x better” concept as the question you must continually challenge one another with.

Jeremy explains how the above value proposition layers played out after onboarding top 10 Australia Accounting Firm, Pitcher Partners, which is part of the global top 10 Accounting Firm network - Baker Tilly International. Through this relationship, Jeremy was invited to present to the global Baker Tilly network, which generated significant apxium.com

Jeremy Coombe, Founder

Exploring the art of possible

WHEN THE PHONE WOULDN’T STOP RINGING WITH FORMER COLLEAGUES REACHING OUT AFTER LOSING THEIR JOBS IN THE PANDEMIC, TOM CARLTON HAD HEARD ENOUGH. IT WAS TIME TO ACT.

Tom knew there was a better way to not only do business, but to empower teams.

When other consultancies were downsizing in 2020, Tom made the first of many moves that signalled his appetite for challenging the status quo. Bailey Abbott – a digital transformation and business improvement consultancy that promises to do things differently and put its people and culture firmly front and centre – was born.

“While many would view it as a risk at the time, our investors and board knew that, done right, it was a risk worth taking,” Tom said.

“In my experience, magic happens when you surround yourself with exceptionally talented people with diverse backgrounds and skills to create an environment and culture that brings out the best in people. When the setting is right, these skilled professionals can find creative ways to simplify complexity for businesses.”

It’s a belief that has proven to be a winning formula, with Bailey Abbott growing from a team of just three to more than 70 full-time consultants across South Australia and achieving Great Place to Work Certification in 2022.

Bailey Abbott brings amazing people together to explore the art of possible – for its clients, their projects and its team.

“Our team, in my opinion, is the best in our field. The difference lies in our team’s can-do optimism when collaborating with our clients, be it government, defence, or top tier enterprise businesses across all industries,” Tom said.

Bailey Abbott’s partnership model is driven by understanding the unique needs of each client and creating an approach that is underpinned by its Employee Charter, which was developed by the team.

It sets out how Bailey Abbott works together as a team and with clients, with a set of values around people, optimism, accountability, and innovation. It’s this dedication, its people and commitment to clients that enables Bailey Abbott to deliver distinctively different relationships and achieve the best outcomes.

Lean, nimble and agile, Bailey Abbott continues to be the ideal partner for clients with complex transformation projects, drawing on expertise across:

• Digital Strategy & Transformation

• Program Delivery Partnership

• Capability Augmentation

• Business & Technology Advisory

• Data Intelligence & Analytics.

Chief Operating Officer Simon Zacest said as forward thinkers, anticipators and collaborators, Bailey Abbott thrives on passion and innovation.

“Creating

Simon Zacest

Simon said, “Creativity not only speaks to how we approach challenges and unlock complex problems for our clients, but also how we operate internally.”

In fact, creativity is embedded in the team from the very beginning of their career journey, with new recruits given the opportunity to share something about themselves on a canvas during a group art lesson to foster connection and creativity.

connection and understanding amongst the team is critical”

Creating connection and understanding amongst the team is critical, so that everyone can understand the stories behind each person, their experiences and what makes them tick.

“It’s been incredible to hear the stories that come from what is quite a simple but powerful exercise. Their paintings are proudly displayed in our office and together form and inform the company’s culture and values ,” Simon said.

Looking ahead, the future is bright. Bailey Abbott is planning to build on its South Australian success by expanding its footprint nationally. It will also continue to invest in new opportunities, support emerging start-ups and nurture the next generation of business leaders.

Tom said, “Collaboration is extremely important to Bailey Abbott - finding the right partners that we can invest in and grow.“

One of the success stories is Bastion Technology Services, which launched in 2022 to improve companies’ cyber resilience - a critical area of concern in today’s digital landscape.

Bailey Abbott provided financial support, business processes and systems that allowed Bastion to hit the ground running.

“We strive to nurture and inspire so we can bring a positive attitude and mindset to all that we do; taking ownership and responsibility for our commitments; and advocating for change and challenging the status quo, through new thinking, technology and practices.”

“Being able to make a difference like this is what fuels our passion and will drive our business into new markets. With the combination of the right mindset, skills and setting – anything is possible.”

“With the combination of the right mindset, skills and setting – anything is possible”

Tom Carlton

“Our forward thinking finds clarity amongst uncertainty to deliver exceptional digital transformation outcomes”

Tom Carlton

From left to right: Tom Carlton and Simon Zacest

THIS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED, AWARD-WINNING PLATFORM CONNECTS AGED CARE RESIDENTS WITH THEIR LOVED ONES.

When the time came for her granddad to move to a nursing home, Allison Nikula was worried. She was an occupational therapist in charge of 440 care workers in Adelaide, but the thought of putting her own kin in an institution more than 800 kilometres away in Geelong made her uneasy.

Aged care, like disability and home care, touches everyone in an emotional way. The associated horror stories are well known, and when Allison went to visit her grandfather in Victoria, the relief she felt at seeing him healthy and happy was palpable. And the selfie she took with him to reassure her mum back in Adelaide became the spark that led to CareApp – a mobile app to connect aged care residents to their families and loved ones through video calls, photos and more.

“A selfie stopped my mum constantly calling the provider to check up on my granddad,” Allison recalls. “And I thought, what if there was a way to show people who are far away what life is really like for their loved

ones in aged care?” This was in 2017, and it’s still the question that drives the very purpose and philosophy of CareApp – using technology to take care services beyond the medical and clinical and make it a beautiful and connected experience for residents and their families.

START-UP CHALLENGES

“How hard can it be?” These are Allison Nikula’s self-confessed “famous last words.” Her journey as the founder of a start-up included some steep learning curves. When she stood in front of hundreds of potential investors for her app, Allison’s nerves got the better of her and she ran off stage before completing her pitch. Over the next couple of years, however, she got through the prototypes, trial versions, financing rounds and growth phases; she even won awards, including the Emerging Innovator award from Women in Innovation SA.

Best of all, overcoming these challenges gave Allison a clear idea of what’s needed to build a successful start-up – purpose, persistence,

courage, and a sense of community. And while she had to dig deep to find the first three within herself – “the greatest challenge and the most difficult thing is to back yourself,” she insists – she is also grateful for Adelaide’s strong development community who provided help, support and feedback along the way.

BENEFITS FOR TIME-POOR PROVIDERS

Wherever Allison Nikula introduced her idea for CareApp – from the first sketches back home in SA to pitches for Meals on Wheels in NSW and at the Angel Capital Summit in the U.S. – the reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. “It’s clear you get us,” are the words she hears most frequently from aged care providers, who are her primary clients. Using CareApp has paid off handsomely for them, as the technology drastically reduces the number of worried and anxious phone calls and complaints from family members, saving them time to provide better care for the residents and giving them the opportunity to showcase the great work they are doing.

Keeping the lines of communication open between the CareApp team, care services, providers and their families and clients is beneficial for everyone. “Every conversation we have,” Allison says, “is an opportunity to learn and create a beautiful experience.”

ENTER COVID – “WE’VE GOT YOU”

The need to connect with loved ones became particularly evident when Covid-19 hit and nursing homes in particular, were locked down for lengthy periods amid worrying conditions for the residents. “Don’t worry, we’ve got you,” is CareApp’s core motto. And so, in this time of heightened stress, Allison decided to make CareApp free for every provider around Australia for six months. While this was a huge risk for a budding enterprise, the support provided through the app proved to be so valuable that when the free trial ended, 83% of providers switched to a paid version of CareApp.

MAKING WAVES IN THE AGED CARE INDUSTRY

Innovation within care delivery is challenging. There are assumptions that older people or people with disabilities are afraid of technology and that technology in general will dehumanise the care experience and take away the human connection. This is not the case with CareApp, which is simple, easy to use and solves real problems by keeping people connected even over great distances.

Moreover, CareApp has reassured family members of care recipients that most providers do a great job under often difficult circumstances. Beautiful care should be celebrated, and although we can’t singlehandedly change the narrative around care service delivery, “Allison Nikula says, “we can certainly change how those providers are perceived.”

CareApp has positioned itself as the leading platform for family engagement and communication in the care sector. The app is compatible with iOS and Android operating systems and most web browsers.

careapp.com.au

Marnirni-apinthi Building, Lot Fourteen, Adelaide SA 5000.

A Trusted Partner in Enterprise Innovation and Transformation since 2010

Chamonix IT Solutions has been South Australia’s trusted partner in digital transformation for the past 13-years, working with businesses across a range of industries to ensure they stay ahead of the game.

Delivering high value, tangible outcomes for customers

Founded in 2010 with a strong commitment to enabling businesses to achieve their goals through digitisation, Chamonix has partnered with key players in the health, utilities, defence, retail, education and government sectors to plan, implement and manage their transformation. The past decade has seen Chamonix receive numerous awards, including the BRW Fast 100, Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Australia, Deloitte Technology Fast 200 Asia Pacific as well as the Australian Business Awards.

Drawing on expertise from across the organisation, Chamonix consultants deliver bespoke solutions spanning advisory, implementation, cyber security, devops, project management, analysis and change management.

By combining enterprise level analysis, specialist subject matter insights and technology trends that relate to the business, Chamonix provides the required strategy, roadmap and implementation program to realise their clients’ vision, enabling organisations to deliver improved technology outcomes. Chamonix consultants work in close collaboration with internal teams whilst aligning with industry trends and competitor direction. From solution assessment, digital strategy, implementation road mapping and architecture governance through to the full architecture life cycle, Chamonix helps clients facilitate the creation of a future state in line with their organisational goals.

A wholistic approach to technology

With deep knowledge across a range of skills critical to achieving and maintaining success in today’s market, Chamonix applies a wholistic ‘end to end’ focus in partnering with businesses. This ensures technical implementation is delivered to provide maximum value, equipping customers with what they need for enduring success. Chamonix consultants are backed by a highly experienced team skilled in a range of people, processes and technology disciplines.

Chamonix’s technologists plan, design, build and roll out systemic changes within an enterprise, while drawing on the strength of their analysts, change managers and project management team. This breadth of expertise ensures a highly successful transformation that addresses immediate objectives and sets customers up to remain competitive in an evolving market.

A strong commitment to continuous improvement and innovation

Chamonix is proud to be the technology partner of choice to some of Australia’s most innovative companies, and pride themselves on the additional value they bring to their clients. The Chamonix approach to software development is based on devops principles with the goal of facilitating and creating a solid foundation for automation, continuous

Chamonix’s collective capabilities support the entire project lifecycle with the flexibility to work with us according to our needs.”

— Chamonix client, Utilities sector

integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) deployment, monitoring and security, as well as uplifting existing capability of customers’ development teams.

Chamonix’s partnerships with Microsoft, AWS, Splunk and others ensure access to skillsets and frameworks that align with organisations’ goals, thereby ensuring a successful transformation at every stage.

As one of the founding tenants at Lot Fourteen, Chamonix has been a proud contributing member of this thriving innovation precinct and is co-located with a range of technology, defence and space focused businesses, sharing experiences and ideas across innovation, research, art and culture.

Chamonix has created and nurtured an environment that supports career growth, professional development and advancement. They value people who are passionate about technology and who approach their work with a growth mindset – and in return employees are given opportunities and support to fulfil their goals and potential.

the business, such as software engineering, devops, cloud, mobile app development, testing and more. This program is a great launching pad for gaining the experience needed to progress into a consultant role within the organisation. Alongside this, the AMpowered Internship Program provides current university students with an opportunity to gain experience within a team at Chamonix, making industry connections, applying knowledge gained at university and getting a taste of what life as a technologist looks like.

Email: askus@chamonix.com.au

chamonix.com.au

Building tomorrow’s technical talent

Chamonix values employee-led innovation and recognises the unique perspective and qualities that come from a diverse workforce. Chamonix fosters an environment of inclusivity, and in partnership with Her Tech Path, supports and encourages female participation in the technology industry and advocates for women being given greater access to enter and grow within the IT industry.

The Chamonix AMpowered Graduate Program supports early career growth. Over the course of two years, graduates are mentored in roles across

Custom software experts

Codium is your bespoke software development Swat team for Web and Mobile App business systems and platforms. We take a business-first approach looking at the big picture, down to the human elements that make a business unique. We view technology as a critical business pillar tightly integrated into a business plan. It’s a complicated ecosystem that evolves with a business, requiring continuous nurturing and improvement. How it is approached and how everyone within a business contributes to and understands it, makes the difference between a good and an exceptional business.

We partner with our clients and other stakeholders/investors to find the best pathway to their success, which forms unique relationships all the way through to full turn-key operations. Codium’s software and team is an asset to our clients. It’s a partnership where our clients are in full control and given the ability to make something unique, stand out and build out their competitive moat.

IF YOU HAVE A VISION, WE KNOW HOW TO ALIGN YOUR TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY

From airlines, mining, manufacturing, transport, disability, SaaS products, fintech, marketplaces, education and so on, we have worked across industry verticals, business models and sizes. Delivering quality software that is well aligned to the business plan roadmap is key. Codium has refined, over 12, its ability to be able to deliver world-class software, safely, securely, flexibly and in a way that is as unique as every business that we meet.

It’s no longer a technical problem, it’s about how a business and all its people engage in the process ready to design, solve and continuously improve. At its core, business is all about relationships – relationships between companies and their customers, between employees and their colleagues, and between managers and their teams. It’s a live ecosystem that evolves, and time tells the compounding difference.

We’ve seen hundreds of clients that the Codium team deliver bespoke software solutions for and there are a few elements that have separated the good businesses from the exceptional, from the business that plateau, to the businesses that scale. These come down to three fundamentals that all other geniuses come second to: Vision, Approach, and Habitual Integration. In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, the everyday 1% improvement is better than the big innovative project that takes 2 years to deliver. More than this, it’s about how teams integrate a successful methodology as a way of life. As an agency, our best clients embody an understanding of the strategy technology holds for them, with new governance, capabilities and methodologies that enable the integration of software designed to solve real problems. They are willing to take risks to go to new heights. They don’t just leave it with us, they partner with us, own the problem and the solution, and look for the long-term strategic plays. Software needs to be a significant component of a business plan, touching on all areas, with people aligned from the owner/board down.

codium.com.au

Eric van Ryswyk, Chief Strategic Officer

Introducing Kindship, Australia’s first social networking app built by and for parents raising children with neurodiversity, disabilities, and delays. With a re-launch in April this year, the Kindship team have already created the Country’s fastestgrowing social network for parents of children with disabilities. In a mere 8 months they have appeared on channel 10 and 7 news, featured in countless editorial articles (Including The Australian, The advertiser, Kidspot, 9honey and Mamamia), made appearances on many popular podcasts (Too Peas in a podcast being a highlight) and successfully crowd funded over $1million to build a new feature called The Kindship Wallet.

Summer Petrosius social entrepreneur, qualified speech therapist and CEO of the popular app is autistic herself and while working with children on the spectrum she had a moment of realisation, ‘What about the parents?’ Who is taking care of them?

Summer began speaking to these parents, literally hundreds of them from all around the world she recognised and wanted to do something about the loneliness and isolation that majority of them felt. Her husband Andrius conveniently had 20 years of tech and product management experience and a track record of building successful app startups; from there they had a dream to change the world.

“We had the tech built and this encompassed the body of Kindship but what was missing was the heart. It was missing the parents with lived experience to take Kindship to the next level, to generate its heart to beat” Summer described.

This is when Sandy Golder and Steph Wicks came on board, bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and an ever so successful grassroots parent community along with

MERGING TECH WITH COMMUNITY, A FIRST OF ITS KIND DISABILITY APP FOUNDED BY FOUR MUMS ON A MISSION.

Tara Thompson, writer and influencer. The three co-founders have children with disabilities and along with Summer share an unstoppable passion for supporting and empowering parents. “We want to re-write the narrative around what raising a child with a disability looks like” Tara exclaims.

Currently Kindship has 2,500 active users on the app, 90+ parent volunteers and outside the app are facilitating over 30 face-to-face meetup locations across Australia. Alongside this they have a social media following of 21,000 and a highly engaged Facebook group with over 4,700

Left to Right: Steph Wicks, Tara Thompson, Sandy Golder and Summer Petrosius

parents. Parent user Marisol Gonzalez explains ‘It is a place where you can learn from one another through a genuine understanding from others who simply get it’.

Community is really the heart of this organisation and co-design is a culture that was set very early on. In early September this year Kindship conducted a NDIS family impact survey in which 1000+ parents completed. Key findings from this research showed that parents spend an average of 4hrs a week navigating the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme). 75% of parents reported feeling isolated and disconnected due to time spent trying to navigate this service and 95% reported that they did not have all the resources, budgeting tools and knowledge needed to optimise their NDIS funding for their child’s needs.

Kindship team expanded on their vision of their current social media app to build a new service, The Kindship Wallet. The NDIS support tool that 77% of Kindship parents can’t wait for! The new tool will provide parents with financial and administrative support to make the most out of their child’s NDIS plan (without the stress).

There are currently 259,000 children under the age of 18 with an active NDIS plan. Kindship assists their parents, not only by providing support and connection on their free social network but now with plans to offer a plan management service which is one of a kind.

“Marrying tech with community to deliver a holistic approach to what is described by many families as a challenging and stressful process” co-founder Steph Wicks explains. It seems that many are on board with this venture as Kindship has just completed a very successful Birchal crowd funding campaign in which 600 investors wanted to become a part of the Kindship movement.

CEO Summer states “We believe that when parents are informed, they are empowered and when parents are empowered, they can change the world. We champion the contribution of lived experience and have and continue to provide flexible employment opportunities for parents raising children with disabilities”. Co -founder Sandy adds “76.2% of our parents have said that inflexible working conditions were a major factor in many carers being unable to work consistently. We want to change these statistics! And that is a major vision of our employment strategy for the Kindship Wallet”.

Kindship is currently focusing on completing the development and testing of its wallet feature and releasing an updated version of their social app experience. The organisation continues to go from strength to strength while making a positive difference to thousands of families along the way. kindship.com.au

Creating More Space for the future –

More Space for Light is a corporate Innovation and Strategy Consultancy. Their mission is to help organisations’ embed a culture of collaboration, innovation, and creative confidence. So their people are better equipped to tackle big problems. So they have the capability to create new solutions, and the confidence to put them in motion.

Dan Levy, is the company’s Principal and Lead. He is also an educator, global speaker, tech investor, and startup founder. He brings global, senior level experience in customer experience, strategy, and creative technology services. More Space is an embodiment of the work he does.

Dan is an ex-pat. In 2003 while on a year’s sabbatical to travel the world he stopped in Sydney and knew straight away Australia would become his home. He cashed in his round-the-world ticket and abandoned (postponed) his plans of camper vans and beach shacks to focus on establishing himself in a new country. In 2011, after becoming a citizen he settled in Adelaide and never looked back.

The origin story of More Space For Light came from his eldest son, Max. One night during Max’s bedtime routine, Max shared that he “wanted more space for light.” This meant he wasn’t ready to close his eyes, he had more energy, he wanted more time to play, to explore, for adventure. In that instant Dan realised that he wanted that, too. It was his calling. The permission to play, dream and reimagine what’s possible. This became the spark that ignited More Space For Light. This vision remains unchanged. It’s the soul of More Space and their mantra.

and helping design it.

This mantra is shared by their partners and the people they work with. As they continue to inspire, coach and facilitate new ways of working by creating the conditions for revolutionary thinking. So organisations can innovate faster and smarter to have the confidence to overcome the challenges of today, and identify the opportunities of tomorrow.

Their design-led approach has proven successful to many of the world’s leading organisations such as Apple, Google, MURAL, and TikTok.

Dan Levy, Principal, Design Thinking/Human-Centered Design Specialist

INNOVATING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Sandpit is an Adelaide based experience design studio known for designing interactive and immersive experiences for museums, galleries and the build environment across Australia and the world. Their work brings together custom technology with user-centred design to create meaningful, unique experiences.

Experience design is quickly becoming an essential consideration in all physical and digital design processes. It brings together graphic design, physical design, digital technologies and user based insights to ensure that the needs of the user are forefront in design thinking from the outset.”

— Sam Haren, Co-Creative Director

Founded in 2012, Sandpit’s Creative Directors Sam Haren and Dan Koerner have built a team with a wide ranging skill set and a portfolio of work that is equally diverse. No two projects are the same. Sandpit takes on everything from custom website builds through to entire building redesigns and organisational masterplan reviews. As well as working on a variety of client initiated projects, the Sandpit team also like to challenge themselves by pursuing what they call ‘experiments’; projects that explore the limits and potentialities of new and emerging technologies like augmented reality and machine learning models.

One such experiment is a project called Searching for the Wizard of Oz; an augmented reality scavenger hunt through the streets of Adelaide. The project was commissioned by the City of Adelaide as part of their pandemic recovery strategy and was successful in bringing a total of 2,747 people into the city. Using custom built image recognition

software, audiences could ‘scan’ posters hidden in laneways and bring them to life, unfolding a contemporary re-telling of the Wizard of Oz across the CBD.

At the other end of the spectrum of scale, Sandpit worked with Reece Group over a number of years to plan, research, design and build an entire suite of interactives for their new headquarters in Cremorne, Melbourne. Everything from digitally personalised water fountains to an NFC enabled mural to sensor triggered content hubs, Sandpit decked out the building with bespoke technology and intuitive design pieces to enhance the experience of Reece’s people.

Sandpit often work on natural history projects, including the currently running megafauna projections installed deep inside the UNESCO World Heritage listed Naracoorte caves. They worked closely with palaeontologists and tour guides to create animations that bring the long-extinct animals back to life, and built bespoke hardware to overcome the technical challenges of working in such a remote and fragile environment.

Illuminate: Timescapes is another recent project, this time designed in partnership with The Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip. Timescapes is a twenty minute projection mapped video work that explores the six Nyoongar seasons and brings the Museum’s collection to life through 2D animation. Sandpit have worked on a number of animation and projection mapping projects and frequently work with a network of illustrators, animators and artists.

Although the projects may vary wildly, there’s a clear thread running through Sandpit’s body of work: a passion for combining cutting-edge technology with hands-on storytelling to create truly memorable experiences. Sandpit has established itself as a leader in the field of experience design, creating innovative and immersive projects that captivate and engage audiences.

Young women using technology to take a stand against domestic violence

Originally from South Africa, students Erin Merritt and Eryn Swann undertook the entrepreneurial Australian eChallenge course at The University of Adelaide. Heralding from vastly different academic backgrounds in Commerce and Engineering respectively, both brought a broad range of ideas to the eChallenge, and cohesively developed an innovative solution that promotes safety and assurance to people living with domestic violence.

As young women, both are aware of the dangers present to themselves in today’s society. This led them to expand on their own personal experiences to develop their business, Swift. Swift is dedicated to focussing on the prevalent social issue of domestic violence and aims to provide comfort and peace of mind to millions of people across Australia through the use of their innovative safety devices.

These devices are currently in the initial prototype phase, and will feature a discreet design, including a silent call capability allowing an individual to call for immediate help with minimal disturbance. Swift enables domestic violence victims to discreetly contact law enforcement, with emergency response tracking that promotes the safety of individuals living with an abusive and controlling partner.

Swift has recently earned notable recognition after receiving multiple awards at the Australian eChallenge Awards Night held in December 2022. The event showcased innovative ideas from other finalists and allowed students to connect with industry experts and potential investors. Swift received the undergraduate third prize featuring a package from the University start up hub, Thinclab, along with the People’s choice award; voted upon on the night by attendees and finally, the Innovation Award from Lot Fourteen based Stone and

Chalk. This recognition further highlights the level of interest and acknowledgement of the need for Swift’s product in today’s society.

Erin and Eryn are now in the initial development phase, as the two young entrepreneurs take up residency at Thinclab with assistance from Stone & Chalk, and source funding from potential investors for prototyping. They are working closely with a national domestic violence not-for-profit organisation, Friends with Dignity, and are focussing on co-designing the product with key stakeholders within the industry. They are planning on having a functioning prototype ready for user testing within the next twelve months. Erin and Eryn are motivated to provide hope and a safer environment for those who suffer in silence.

In today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, establishing a meaningful connection between brands and consumers has become a necessity. Recognizing this need, Cellr, an innovative Australian tech startup, has emerged as a game-changer, seamlessly bridging the physical and digital worlds through its groundbreaking connected packaging technology. By empowering brands to strengthen trust, foster engagement, and enhance consumer experiences, Cellr has taken the concept of brandconsumer interaction to new heights.

Recent studies have shown that an astonishing 88% of consumers consider the overall experience provided by a company to be just as important as its products or services. This revelation, as highlighted in a report by Salesforce titled “State of the Connected Consumer 2022,” underscores the urgency for brands to connect with their audience on a deeper level. Cellr’s visionary software suite serves as a powerful tool for brands to achieve this goal, enabling them to protect their brand identity, ensure compliance, and engage consumers in unprecedented ways. Furthermore, Cellr’s team of connected packaging specialists adds an extra dimension to the equation, unlocking a wealth of opportunities

REVOLUTIONIZING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL REALMS

for brands to forge stronger connections with their customers, build trust, develop a social license, educate consumers about their products, manage in-store promotions and competitions, and even track the lifecycle of products to promote a more sustainable and circular economy.

PIONEERING INNOVATION AND ADAPTABILITY

At the heart of Cellr lies a story of relentless innovation and adaptability, shaped by the entrepreneurial founder, Chris Braine. Braine’s journey began with the creation of an inventory system for wine cellars and retailers. Leveraging RF technology and physical tags, he developed a streamlined inventory management system that exhibited remarkable success rates during beta trials. However, driven by his unwavering commitment to progress, Braine recognized the limitations of the clunky RFID tags and the time-consuming process. Determined to find a solution, he embarked on extensive research to integrate this technology seamlessly into the manufacturing process.

During this research and development phase, Braine stumbled upon a pervasive global issue: counterfeit products, particularly within the wine industry. This discovery ignited his passion for creating an

anti-counterfeit and brand protection platform. Thus, Cellr, with its proprietary wine closures, emerged as a comprehensive solution to combat counterfeiting, protect brands, engage consumers, and manage products effectively. As Cellr continued to embrace new opportunities and tackle emerging challenges, the company expanded its platform to cater to various industries, including agriculture, cosmetics, FMCG, fashion, and automotive, where authenticity and quality are of utmost importance.

INNOVATOR AND INNOVATION ENABLER: PUSHING BOUNDARIES AND EMPOWERING BRANDS

Cellr embodies the dual role of being both an innovator and an innovation enabler. Rooted in solving real-world problems, the company’s origins lay in the creation of innovative solutions. Throughout its evolution, Cellr has continued to push boundaries, consistently expanding its platform to cater to industries where authenticity, quality, and consumer engagement are critical.

Moreover, Cellr serves as an invaluable innovation enabler, equipping brands with a robust toolkit and cutting-edge technology to foster innovation within their own industries. By utilizing the Cellr platform, clients gain the opportunity to safeguard their brand, establish meaningful connections with consumers, and manage their products more efficiently and effectively. Innovation lies at the core of Cellr’s organizational philosophy, serving as the driving force behind their platform’s continuous evolution and their ability to deliver solutions that meet the ever-evolving needs of their clients.

THE FUTURE UNVEILED: EMBRACING OPPORTUNITIES AND INSPIRING SUCCESS

Cellr holds an impressive record of success, building global partnerships with leading brands, and delivering countless successful products, solidifying its position as a pioneer in its field. From its initial mission of delivering brand and product protection, Cellr has consistently grown and adapted to meet the demands of an ever-changing landscape, offering an unrivaled toolset to empower brands.

Looking ahead, Cellr is proactively leveraging its mature and proven platform to spearhead positive change in areas such as the circular economy and sustainability. By strengthening brand-to-consumer engagement, Cellr aims to provide marketers and brand managers with the tools needed to achieve unprecedented success while improving efficiency and productivity.

In conclusion, Cellr stands as a shining example of how technology can bridge the gap between physical and digital realms, transforming the way brands connect with their consumers. With its visionary approach, commitment to innovation, and dedication to empowering brands, Cellr has not only revolutionized the industry but also set the stage for a future where authentic experiences and meaningful connections drive success.

We live in a remarkable City which through a number of factors can’t be easily damaged by development (size, traffic, green-spaces, wineries, beaches, transportation, produce, quality of life). As a result, Adelaide will continue to attract an ever-greater number of executive positions; of thought-leaders and those who demand that their quality of life needs to match their salary.

His valuable work through Maximise Relocation Concierge is to ensure that incoming talent is welcomed, that they find the right neighbourhoods, schools, cleaners… everything right down to the right local bakery or even the right cultural avenues for them to discuss donorship and inclusion within our exciting cultural landscape.

AS CRITERIA FOR LIVABILITY BECOMES MORE INTELLIGENT, IT’S MAX MASON’S BELIEF THAT ADELAIDE WILL KEEP ON CLIMBING THE RANKINGS OF THE WORLD’S MOST LIVABLE CITIES. MAXIMISE RELOCATION CONCIERGE

The work is split into three “Chapters” - First up is a comprehensive interview process, where your profile is built - Do you require schools, nannys, sports facilities close at hand? What neighbourhood would suit you and how do we go about placing children where they are best served? Second chapter is on arrival to ensure the move itself is as smooth a transition as possible. The final chapter is the most enjoyable one, where we introduce you to the State’s brightest people at our best restaurants and through our unbeatable hospitality. It’s where the State really starts to shine and when experience shows that most clients finally fall deeply in love with their new home.

Max admits that the most important part of the work is often not with the bread-winner, but more commonly with the partner and children. “If the family are happy, then the move generally lasts. If they’re not then an average $300,000 company investment (for an interstate executive move) goes south pretty quickly, as the family make demands to move back to their previous home.’

He set up the concept after arriving in South Australia in 2013 and being shown around the State by someone who understood the brief, showing him places which guaranteed he would fall irrevocably in love with the landscape, the produce, the artisans, restaurateurs, winemakers and lead industry figures.

We have all experienced that Adelaide is the most amazing place to experience if you have someone who holds the right keys to the right doors and have seen too many people of great talent moving to Adelaide only to find them fall silent before disappearing “Home”, as they don’t find it to be as welcoming as they had hoped, or been promised. “The majority of executive moves to South Australia aren’t executed with enough style, and up to 40% of them result in failure. That’s a huge economic impact that’s easily reduced by simply ensuring our welcome is a warm and embracing one”. Nobody else is delivering this service and it’s a vital one for South Australia - In a bigger city it’s less critical to hold someone’s hand on arrival, but Adelaide holds her cards pretty close to her chest for outsiders - a reputation that wrongly endures across Australia.

An integral part of the work is to ensure that incoming talent has what Max calls ‘tendrils’ wrapped around them, through introductions to the lead industry figures across the State’s diverse industrial landscape, ensuring new arrivals feel a part of something here. Chances are, if you’re in this book, Max will want to be introducing you to someone over the coming months and years or will be able to help to successfully settle anyone you know who’s considering making the move to SA.

“An ever-growing community of like-minds is the surest way to achieve potential for Adelaide and wider South Australia - by 2030, we’ll be enjoying the result of a brilliantly connected global community of talent all enjoying the quality of life that South Australia allows; it’s an enviable and readily achievable vision that Maximise Relocation Concierge is bringing to reality one client at a time”.

Maxwell Mason, Founder

CHAPTER THIRTEEN AGRITECH

WE CARE ABOUT YOUR OPERATIONS

Nathalie Taquet has worked for 15-years in scientific research and her last position at Nestlé Skin Health was a trigger for her desire to create innovation. She identified the importance of the provenance of chemical compounds and their traceability. She and her husband decided to leave France for Australia 4-years ago to create their start-up. Passionate about food and wine and wanting to help digitalise small food and wine producers, they launched eBottli to help them simplify their operations and reduce their paperwork.

“What I like most about my start-up is seeing small producers with a big smile on their face and hearing them breathe a sigh of relief,” she said.

By implementing traceability throughout the supply chain, it is possible to trace back to the origin of the product in case of food contamination or fraud. As legislation becomes more stringent, producers face new challenges between profitability and consumer safety. This is why eBottli enables them to access and grow these solutions in this increasingly digital world.

“We work very closely with our customers and ensure that we only offer what they need. We are driven by a high level of work ethic and I think that’s what customers value most,” she added.

eBottli is a flexible, easy-to-use mobile solution that provides instant visibility of your operations.

eBottli offers different packages with monthly subscriptions to focus on part or all of the traceability during production. Their team takes into account that every producer is different and that it is important to adapt. A wine producer will not have the same issues as a honey or milk producer for example.

“We like to see our producers grow and make their daily lives easier. They can focus on what they are most passionate about: producing incredible local products.

Most of his customers are people who have inherited production from their families and know they need to go digital but don’t know where to start. Thanks to their personalised support, this transformation is done in a progressive and human way. The fear of change is mastered and the results are quickly visible. Most of them reduce their paperwork by 2-hours a day and finally have a real time visibility of their production.

They can then make decisions that are better adapted to their needs and anticipate rather than suffer.

After validating their products in the Australian market, the company is expanding into France and the US with growing demand. eBottli was a finalist of the Wine Industry IMPACT Awards 2022 AgTech & Digital sponsored by Wine Australia and nominee for Awards Australia 2022 Small Business in December.

EBottli

ebottli.com.au

Nathalie Taquet, CEO and Nicolas Foata, CTO

SIMPLIFYING STUD STOCK SELECTION

Liam Van Schaik, Chief Operating Officer, shares the company’s mission: “We aim to reduce time constraints for all stakeholders while increasing accessibility to breeding stock nationally for buyers and broadening the market for sellers.”

THE FOUNDING TEAM

The company was launched in late 2022 within the rich agricultural region that is South Australia, comprised of highly productive agricultural systems ideally suited for product entry and trial. TraitSelect was founded by three aspiring farmers on a mission to breed new technology so farmers can breed better livestock.

TraitSelect allows farmers to perform efficient due diligence when selecting stud stock prior to attending a sale from the comfort of their own dining table.”

Innovating in an industry as old as time itself is no mean feat. Livestock breeding has been thrust into the 21st century through an innovative approach. Australia, meet TraitSelect.

TraitSelect utilizes advanced technology to digitize the process of locating preferred stud animals for farmers, consultants, and stock agents . Its primary objective is to provide buyers attending nationwide sales with a user-friendly experience through its customized app .

“Through the use of statistics, we have developed an index balancing system that allows users or their stock agents to access individual lots across the nation, ultimately reducing the amount of time required to locate desired breeding animals,” says Tom Gameau, Chief Technical Officer at TraitSelect.

This South Australian-based company is determined to simplify the selection of breeding livestock based on Australian Breeding Values. A complicated and time-consuming process can now be completed with just a few swipes and taps on your smartphone.

Liam Van Schaik serves as Chief Operating Officer. He was born and raised in Mount Gambier, South Australia, and hails from a large and successful family business. Liam grew up in and around agriculture and has sound experience in small to medium-sized mixed-farming enterprises, including his family-owned farm.

TraitSelect’s Chief Livestock Officer is Hector Mackenzie, who grew up on a farm in Lyndoch, Barossa Valley, South Australia. His family operates a mixed-farming enterprise with both sheep and grape vines. Hector also has experience working on several large sheep stations across Australia.

Tom Gameau drives all things technical at TraitSelect as the Chief Technical Officer. Although not from a livestock background, Tom has developed a keen interest in ag tech stemming from a wide range of industry experience. Tom’s family is primarily involved in hay contracting in the Mid-North of South Australia.

THE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Using TraitSelect allows buyers of breeding livestock to make further informed decisions when selecting animals based on their genetic makeup. Not only does this increase the likelihood of meeting on-farm breeding and production objectives, but it also gives producers the prospect of genetic gain within their enterprise.

In recent times, farmers have come under immense pressure to practice more efficient methods of meat production in a bid to feed the growing population. TraitSelect empowers farmers to do just that with a filtering system that enables farmers to select animals that are best suited to their production system. This saves farmers valuable time while also ensuring the animals have the appropriate genetic traits, only leaving farmers with the task of visually assessing the animal.

“This technology provides a platform for farmers to transition from a pen and paper method to that of a digitalised one, reducing time and allowing for a more accurate selection of animal/s based on breeding values,” says Hector Mackenzie, Chief Livestock Officer at TraitSelect. “Current processes can be time expensive; TraitSelect allows farmers to investigate, select and prioritise desired animals before attending a stud sale, all from the comfort of their own dining table.”

Providing this tool to farmers could mean less time for them on the road traveling to and from stud sales and more time on the farm while still allowing them a wider availability of genetics on offer to select and/or purchase from. TraitSelect gives the farmer more control when entrusting stock agents to purchase stud animals on their behalf by giving more informed instructions prior to the sale date. This, in turn, minimizes the risk of miscommunication and human error during the purchasing process.

Although some may argue that the current practice of attending sales in person is precise and cannot be matched by an app in detecting superior aspects of an animal, there is truth to this argument in certain cases . However, with the power of technology and access to vast amounts of data, coupled with the industry’s growing emphasis on genetic gain, a service like TraitSelect can significantly simplify the filtering process for precise genetic traits that align with a farmer’s production system. TraitSelect is continuing to think outside the status quo and, in the future, aiming to include a visual assessment component to the app.

THE APP

The app allows users to customize their search criteria for the most desirable genetic traits and livestock types. Genetic preferences are prioritized down the list and are used to filter through the auction to display beasts that are most relevant to the users’ requirements.

The home page shows upcoming auctions relevant to the user’s location and enterprise type. Each auction can be browsed to view all the different lots and the associated genetic information.

This app has already won an award. It claimed the top prize in the University of Adelaide’s ‘Australian eChallenge 2022.’ A program designed to help those action their brilliant ideas.

That’s the sign of things to come for TraitSelect. Revolutionizing the livestock breeding industry in Australia will improve not only the quality of the meat produced from livestock but help to simplify a number of producers’ already complex challenges on farms.

Liam Van Schaik, Founder & COO, Hector Mackenzie, Founder & CLO, Tom Gameau, Founder and CTO

NURTURED BY FARM LIFE DURING HIS FORMATIVE YEARS, JORDY KITSCHKE DISCOVERED A WORLD OF INTRIGUING CHALLENGES WITHIN THE REALM OF AGRICULTURE.

Fuelled by his innate curiosity and determination, Jordy fearlessly embraced the role of problem solver, eager to make a tangible difference in the agricultural landscape. Fueled by a deep-rooted passion for sustainable farming practices, Jordy founded Flux Robotics, an agri-tech startup poised to be the next step change in agriculture.

“It became clear that there were countless opportunities to create innovative solutions” Jordy reflects. “Just started building things, and putting them in front of farmers.”

Flux Robotics attracts the best engineers from around the world, assembling a team driven by a shared purpose: to build the future of agricultural systems. Their innovation lies in replacing harmful pesticides with cutting-edge robotics, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to create a safer, more sustainable farming environment. Their core focus is on the design, development and distribution of high tech autonomous agricultural robots with an intent to significantly reduce herbicide application by 2050. Flux is using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence to identify weeds amongst crops. The two current products provide two alternative methods for integrated weed management.

With their flagship product, Onyx, Flux disrupts traditional spray booms used by farmers. Onyx leverages advanced computer vision technology to identify and target weeds, applying herbicide only where it is needed. This groundbreaking approach reduces herbicide application by up to 90%, saving farmers both time and money while protecting crops and minimizing chemical exposure.

But Flux’s commitment to sustainable agriculture doesn’t stop there. Their secondary product, an autonomous rover equipped with a mechanical arm, eliminates the need for herbicides altogether. This groundbreaking rover travels tirelessly through fields, uprooting weeds with precision, and nurturing crop growth without any chemical intervention.

What sets Flux Robotics apart is their unique perspective. Founded by farmers, for farmers, Flux understands the challenges and needs of those working the land. Their solutions are designed with ease of adoption in mind, offering chemicalfree alternatives to weed management methods.

At its core, Flux aims to reduce chemical applications while providing farmers with superior alternatives. Their goal is to excel in all aspects of weed control, considering the multiple factors farmers prioritize when choosing the right method for their fields.

Though Flux Robotics is a newcomer to the industry, their commitment to innovation has already garnered attention. In 2023, they will launch their initial batch of trial products, paving the way for a future where chemical use on farms becomes obsolete.

Looking ahead, Flux’s vision is clear: to remove chemical use on farms entirely. By combining the power of robotics, AI, and farmer-centric design, Flux Robotics is leading the way toward a more sustainable and prosperous future for agriculture.

fluxrobotics.ai

Jordy Kitschke, Founder

ELIMINATING SUBJECTIVE TESTING OF PULSE AND GRAIN CROPS

CHALLENGE

Globally, grain and pulse crops are classified to determine the grade of a crop. This grade determines the financial return to the seller / farmer.

The classification process currently consists of approximately 53% subjective and 47% objective testing.

Subjective testing leads to disputes and a lack of confidence in the classification process.

SOLUTION

Cropify Smart Classification

Cropify is eliminating subjective testing and replacing it with a cutting-edge solution that provides:

Highly accurate

Traceable

Repeatable

Objective test results

Cropify was founded in 2020 by Anna Falkiner and Andrew Hannon after Andrew undertook research into technology used in horticulture that could potentially provide a solution to identify contaminants, pests and disease in grain crops. From here the proof of concept was successfully completed and Anna took the reins in driving further development and building the team.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are at the heart of this innovative product.

Development has been undertaken through collaboration with industry partners in South Australia from growers, laboratories, exporters, plant breeders and bulk handlers. Collaboration continues to provide invaluable input in the design of Cropify to optimise market fit.

South Australia grows the largest volume of lentils in Australia. Lentils represent a great source of plant-based protein and are a key growth market for the state’s agricultural sector. For this reason, Cropify plans to first release a Pulse Module, followed by a Grain Module in Australia.

“Plans for the future are exciting. Australia will be our first market, but we have plans to expand globally, into other markets and commodities.” CoFounder Anna Falkiner

Cropify is addressing a critical, unmet need of the agricultural supply chaincreating confidence in classification results, with sellers and buyers alike by delivering an objective testing solution.

Extensive grains industry experience from farm management through to end user grain accumulation and port infrastructure. Previously Andrew was Group Commercial Manager at Viterra. He is currently a Ministerial appointment to The South Australian Genetically Modified Crop Advisory Committee.

Anna is a marketing professional, specialising in new product development and sustainability. Anna has won numerous awards for new product development in the domestic and export markets across a range of industries. Anna ran her own successful marketing consultancy business for over 10 years. A sixthgeneration farmer passionate about primary production and adoption of Agtech.

SUPPORTERS

Andrew Hannon, Co-Founder Director and General Manager of Aus. Agribusiness.

Anna Falkiner, Co-Founder and CEO Director of Aus. Agribusiness a grain supply chain consultancy.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are at the heart of this innovative product”

INNOVATING TRAINING AND EDUCATION IN AGRICULTURE

Think Digital is one of Australia’s leading innovative XR studios creating VR, AR and AI solutions for agriculture, to assist with marketing, education, training and on farm productivity gains.

Founders Tim Gentle and Kat Bidstrup both have strong links to agriculture, having grown up in regional Australia - Kat on a farm in the Clare Valley and Tim on a dairy farm in regional Victoria. In creating Think Digital, they have combined technical expertise with their passion to advance agriculture, food and fibre industries.

Think Digital works with Rural Research and Development Corporations, Australian Government agencies, tertiary educators and large organisations to develop innovative solutions to help solve real world problems that include workforce attraction and development, training, biosecurity and productivity gains.

Rocky the Think Digital Coach, delivering XR experiences across Australia

Producers being educated about exotic disease identification using Augmented Reality

In 2018 Think Digital won a bus in a competition that asked people to say what would you do if you won a bus? Think Digital’s response was to convert it into a classroom and travel throughout Regional, Rural and Remote Australia, educating people about the digital world, which resulted in them winning the bus!

Rocky, the Think Digital Coach was born, a 14 metre “classroom on wheels” and now travels around Australia delivering XR experiences at agricultural shows, schools, events and conferences. A real passion for Think Digital is teaching kids about where their food comes from, and Rocky has proven to be the perfect way to take kids on this learning journey.

Think Digital’s vision is to use technology to advance Agriculture, where knowledge and ideas can be learnt, exchanged and developed to build a sustainable future.

Email: info@think.digital

Tel: Tim 0422-900-858

Tel: Kat 0411-299-428

think.digital

Students aboard Rocky the Think Digital Coach, immersed in VR

Kat Bidstrup, CEO, testing out AR Wearables in the field

A Sydney Show goer, immersed in a VR experience to learn how apples are grown, picked and packed

Rocky the Think Digital Coach, connecting kids to food as part of the Woolworths Discovery Program

Remote Cattle Station workers being trained on country using XR

Founders, Tim and Kat presenting on how XR is used to solve problems in Agriculture

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

WATER & SUSTAINABILITY

“The future of water demands a proactive approach, one that harnesses the power of innovation to navigate the complexities of climate change, population growth, and urbanisation.”

DAVID RYAN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE AT SA WATER

Thriving communities through innovation and collaboration

SA Water is rethinking water use and its role in creating sustainable communities. With a focus on innovation, it is leading the charge towards a cooler, greener future in South Australia.

Using water for cooling is a central part of SA Water’s strategy. Implementing efficient irrigation techniques creates refreshing parks and green spaces that benefit the community. Air temperature sensors in public areas track the cooling effect of these green spaces, highlighting their importance in mitigating heatwaves, urban heat islands, and climate change.

Education is also key to SA Water’s approach. Through community partnerships, water education programs, and native garden demonstrations, it shares water knowledge and fosters reconciliation. SA Water supports grassroots projects that prioritise sustainability, healthy communities, and environmental leadership.

Understanding the significance of greenery to thriving communities, SA Water encourages strategic tree planting that protects water assets and increases tree canopy coverage. Innovative tools such as the online Healthy Pipes map locate water infrastructure to inform planting decisions.

Innovation shines through in projects like the tree root barrier trial, designed to prevent tree root intrusion in sewers without harming the trees. This improves wastewater services, and preserves essential tree canopy coverage.

SA Water’s commitment to sustainability and collaboration inspires others to adopt sustainable practices, and to build thriving communities and a prosperous future for South Australians.

RESILIENT WATER FUTURES

Planning a sustainable future in a changing climate

Over the next 50 years, the demand for water will increase while our drying climate will reduce available sources. The water systems in Greater Adelaide will need to be resilient in the face of future uncertainty and increasing extreme weather such as floods, bushfire and drought.

Resilient Water Futures is a crossgovernment collaboration led by SA Water to consider new and different approaches to secure a sustainable and resilient water supply for future generations. All water sources will be considered – reservoirs, rivers, seawater, stormwater and purified recycled water.

Implementing integrated water management requires changes to how the water sector operates and significant collaboration and innovation will be key to creating a whole-of-system approach.

By managing the entire urban water cycle through integrating the delivery of drinking water, wastewater, recycled water and stormwater services, we will support water security, public health, and environmental and urban amenity outcomes that South Australian communities value and expect.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

Embracing innovation to deliver trusted water services

SA Water is focused on delivering exceptional customer experiences, reducing risks, and driving operational efficiencies.

By harnessing the power of increased data and automation, SA Water successfully predicts and manages operations across its treatment plants, assets, and networks. This proactive approach helps minimise service interruptions and can prevent asset failures. Through the expanded use of sensors, robotic inspections, and improved diagnostics, SA Water provides tailored and efficient services to meet evolving customer needs.

SA Water combines on-premises infrastructure with cloud platforms, offering flexibility in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Robust cybersecurity measures safeguard critical infrastructure while enabling automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning initiatives to ensure it is operating efficiently.

Innovation and collaboration with partners is strengthened through advanced capabilities including exploring how space technology can improve efficiency, accuracy and safety, and reduce environmental impacts.

SA Water’s technology-driven improvement and forwardthinking approach ensures it continues to meet the needs of its customers and the South Australian community now and into the future.

ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP

Clean green energy to power our water services

South Australia’s water and sewage treatment and pumping operations are energy intensive, making SA Water one of the state’s largest energy users.

A world first in the water industry, SA Water’s Zero Cost Energy Future program is Australia’s largest behind-the-meter solar project, featuring 242 gigawatt hours of solar generation and 34 megawatt hours of battery storage, across 33 sites around the state. With 12 sites generating more than 5 megawatts, SA Water connected an unprecedented scale of large renewable energy generation sites to Australia’s national energy market.

Zero Cost Energy Future delivers sustainable outcomes for customers, while achieving positive environmental benefits and reducing a large operational cost.

The $390 million program single-handedly reduced SA Water’s carbon emissions by more than 89,000 tonnes a year, and provides a blueprint for other water utilities to transition to a lower carbon economy.

sawatercorp

Osmoflo started out as a designer and fabricator of medical equipment in Adelaide in 1991, as original owners Marc and Annie Fabig quickly saw the enormous potential for membrane-based water treatment and desalination.

Osmoflo has evolved from that point to become the largest Australianheadquartered global desalination and water recycling company, driven by a vision of a sustainable water future.

With the main office now located in Burton, South Australia, and operations located across the country as well as the Middle East, India,

A significant enterprise with a global footprint, wherever there is a need for drinking, process, high purity or recycled water, Osmoflo can provide the solution.

and Asia, the company provides world class capabilities in the delivery of water treatment solutions as a designer, builder and operator of world-class desalination and membrane projects.

As of this publishing, well over 600 total projects have been delivered by Osmoflo globally since its inception, and the company is consistently operating and maintaining around 100 facilities globally.

Along with a network of offices and projects across four continents, Osmoflo is further backed by the financial strength and extensive worldwide reach of its shareholder, Hitachi Zosen Corporation of Japan (HITZ). Osmoflo is a key pillar in HITZ’s global water business, providing expertise and capability in desalination, advanced water treatment and wastewater reuse, brine minimisation and critical resource recovery, as well as global rentals including rapidly deployable treatment and desalination solutions.

Bolstered by extensive industry experience and strict adherence to the highest quality standards, the company caters to a diverse range of industries and markets, including oil and gas, mining, power, food and beverage, municipal, coal seam gas, defence, green hydrogen, advanced manufacturing and agribusiness.

“For its size, with around 250 employees globally, our business is surprisingly diverse” - Osmoflo’s Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Carmine Ciccocioppo.

The purpose that lies at the core of Osmoflo is simple – to preserve the world’s most precious resource - water.

From it’s beginning to the present, Osmoflo has evolved through dedicated investment in innovation. By so doing, Osmoflo has remained a key player on the global stage of water treatment solutions, thriving in a vital industry that preserves a safe water supply across locations spanning the Middle East, Asia, India, and the company’s home nation of Australia.

“Innovation is in Osmoflo’s DNA. From its earliest beginnings in 1991, Osmoflo has been fortunate to attract technically and commercially astute and creative people. We build and operate plants desalinating water with very challenging chemistry in the most remote parts of outback Australia. With encouraging leadership, our people have gone beyond accepted technical boundaries to find solutions. We look forward to the future, knowing that the next generation of Osmoflo desalters, standing on the shoulders of experienced colleagues, will

bring about even more innovative solutions to help solve the world’s water challenges.” – Osmoflo’s Chief Technical Officer, Neil Palmer.

Today, that reach is spreading even further, as Osmoflo seeks to explore further geographic expansion into the Pacific region, North America and to widen its presence across Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and India.

Substantial investment into Research and Development (R&D) is the lifeblood that fuels Osmoflo’s journey of continual innovation, and one that keeps the company at the forefront of industry development and able to provide worlds-best solutions across the markets that it serves.

“Innovation is not just about finding new ways to solve old problems, but also about anticipating new challenges and developing solutions that can help us thrive in a rapidly changing world. For Osmoflo, innovation means continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible to ensure

that we can provide safe, reliable, and sustainable water for generations to come. That’s why our R&D facility is called the Edge.” – Osmoflo’s Senior Manager for Innovation, Research & Development, Julien Anese.

As Osmoflo continues to strengthen its reputation and widen its capabilities beyond the traditional scope of a water treatment specialist, it is exploring a far broader range of process applications.

In keeping with this spirit of new areas of exploration, Osmoflo’s brand echoes the company’s versatility and capacity to move with change. Above all, the motto of ‘a circular future for water’, champions Osmoflo’s overarching commitment to a circular economy.

“This brand reflects our aspiration, consistent with that of our shareholder Hitachi Zosen Corporation of Japan, to make a meaningful and fundamental contribution to the sustainable management of water across the planet, and pursue our mission of providing innovative,

sustainable and value-based water solutions that contribute to a circular economy,” - Osmoflo’s Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Carmine Ciccocioppo.

Homing in on particular areas of investment and the research taking place behind the resource, a major focus for Osmoflo’s R&D and Innovation Team concerns improving and enhancing the functionality and capability of its remote monitoring and control platform, Plant Connect.

The ongoing optimisation of Plant Connect is key to effectively servicing Osmoflo’s ever-increasing number of customers around the globe. This is especially the casein remote and regional areas, where remote monitoring brings to those clients world-class, expert operation and maintenance advice allowing them to achieve the best whole-of-life value from their water treatment assets. Currently there are close to 100 plants that Osmoflo is actively monitoring on 24/7 basis, with this number constantly on the increase.

This expert support to operating plants is further enhanced through the utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities, both of which have been proven by Osmoflo to provide tangible benefits for its customers in terms of optimised chemical and power usage whilst also significantly improving membrane life.

Osmoflo also invests in high recovery technologies through which it can improve and refine its patented Osmoflo Brine Squeezer (OBS), which the company first developed in the early 2000’s. The Osmoflo Brine Squeezer has since been fully commercialised to become one of

the most successful and well proven non-thermal brine concentration technologies available in the market today with several full-scale plants now having been built and operated for a number of years.

“We will work with our various industry partners to develop even higher recovery solutions based on complementary technologies such as osmotically assisted reverse osmosis (OARO) and solvent extraction,” Osmoflo’s Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Carmine Ciccocioppo.

Leveraging technology to implement sustainable water management that minimises waste streams and accelerates its customers’ paths towards sustainability and carbon neutrality, Osmoflo will continue to chart a future course that focuses on supporting a circular economy.

Osmoflo is proud to be a homegrown Adelaide organisation in the provision of such a fundamental and critical resource. And even though the company continues to grow, develop and expand to all corners of the globe with unique and tailored solutions provided to thousands of individuals and organisations, its history and origin will always be fundamental in the work it does to represent this great city and the country it comes from.

The circular solution to plastic pollution - Reusably is changing the world one container at a time.

Australians throw out a staggering 2.7 million single-use or disposable coffee cups every day, amounting to one billion coffee cups thrown out each year. In response to this waste crisis, Reusably, an Adelaide-based sustainability start-up, is on a mission to eliminate excessive use of disposable goods and accelerate the transition away from single-use plastics.

While reusable cups and containers have become popular in the last few years, left at home or the office, they are not with you when you need them, and compostable alternatives often end up in the wrong bin.

Reusably is changing the way we experience takeaway. What was once a one-way, wasteful, and impersonal transaction is being transformed into a conscious experience that opens a pathway for creative technology and data to change the way we live. Their unique cloud-based software enables cafes, restaurants, stores, and consumers to reduce their waste footprint and track their individual or combined impact. They want to see a world where people are supported in making good choices for the environment and society without having to sacrifice their wallet or free time.

Initially founded whilst participating in a HEX Program in San Francisco in 2018, the team saw a need for a convenient and cost effective solution that met hygiene and safety standards. Each with a passion for sustainability and bringing a breadth of skills to the table, they explored solutions that integrated modern technologies and behaviours in order to make reusables more accessible and cost-effective for individual users and businesses. Starting with the idea of a coffee cup swap system, the project grew into a solution that could support the exchange of any reusable container with an endless number of applications through technology. Working closely with communities, they create networks of reusable takeaway packaging to facilitate a seamless transition to the circular economy.

With a Reusably subscription, you can buy any coffee, drink, or meal from any partnered venue and take it away in a Reusably container. While ordering your takeaway food or drink, use the Reusably app to

Australians throw out 2.7 million single-use or disposable coffee cups every single day. This adds up to 1 billion coffee cups thrown out every year.”

— Sustainability Victoria

“Tap” the tag located at the point of sale, then choose which containers you would like to take away. Once you’re done, rinse and return containers to any partnered venue. The venue then washes containers as they would for in-house crockery and cutlery to meet OH&S standards, ready for Reusably containers to be used again by the next customer. Safe and simple.

The result is a system that provides customers with the sustainability of a reusable container and the convenience of single-use while allowing partnered venues to reduce their costs and satisfy customer demand for sustainable alternatives. Their NFC technology provides greater data security for container exchange, and de-identified data helps optimise container usage, redistribution and measurement of valuable waste management impact for businesses and councils, which also makes software ideal for other supply chains such as crates, pallets and kegs.

Mary, Filip, Bowie and Tom launched their twelve-month pilot program in Kingscote on Kangaroo Island in March 2022 with support from locals and several partnered venues. Collectively, they explored how communities could be empowered to help reduce their waste footprint, especially in regional areas where waste management is more challenging (in this case needing to be shipped off the island!).

“It has been an honour for the KI business community and the school to work with the Reusably team to pilot their circular economy concept here. As a community that values the clean green environment which enhances the value of our agricultural, horticultural, aqua-cultural and nature based pursuits it was the logical community to launch the project. We look forward to the extension of the project to include other cafés on the island!” (Susi

Whitehead - KI Resident)

The team are well on their way to helping make South Australia (and beyond!) single-use plastic free.

With Community Cafe & Bar at Lot Fourteen, South Australia’s Innovation Precinct, as their home base, Reusably is now available across the Adelaide CBD and metro areas. With all locations combined, the Reusably system has diverted hundreds of single use containers from landfill. Watch this space as they expand their footprint and technology to support the global transition to the circular economy.

reusably.com.au

Some plastic is visible to consumers and some is hidden... wipes are

With innovation at the core of founders Phil Scardigno and Corey White’s approach, they saw the volume of plastic waste in each of their respective manufacturing and importing businesses and knew something needed to change.

More plastic = more waste

Right now, volumes of plastics continue to grow in our global economy. The growth in single-use plastics made from virgin polymers was 15 times that from recycled feedstocks, with a whopping six million extra tonnes of plastic produced in the last two years (Minderoo Foundation 2023). Layer this with the recent pause on soft plastics recycling, which is, unfortunately, a significant hit to Australia’s positive recycling behaviour change.

What about plastic free?

With a mission to drive the advent of plastic-free compostable wipes, The Hygiene Co. brands can kickstart a fundamental change in consumer and business approaches to plastic. We should all question what a product is made of and determine if there is a better option that does not add to the plastic problem.

It is easy to agree with Dr Andrew Forrest AO, Chairman of the Minderoo Foundation when he says that we need a ‘polymer premium’ on every kilogram of plastic polymer made from fossil fuel and need financial incentives that encourage re-use and recycling and the build of new, critical infrastructure.

Are wet wipes made of plastic?

It is true. Almost all of the wet wipes currently available on Australian shelves are made of plastic.

Using public market data alone, Phil and Corey conservatively estimate Australia’s wet wipe waste problem to be 30 times bigger than the plastic straw issue: 25m kgs of plastic wet wipe waste going to landfill every year. This significant waste issue does not make the list of single-use plastics earmarked for elimination. Yet.

With a dedicated YouTube channel as the backbone of their campaign to eliminate plastic wet wipes from Australia’s landfill, Phil and Corey see themselves as more than just entrepreneurs. They want to make a change. They want to give Australians a plastic-free choice that is better for their homes and workplaces.

Co-founders Corey (L) and Phil (R) celebrate every plastic-free success

25,000,000 kgs!

Native scents from popular Australian locations, including Kangaroo Island and Byron Bay, have proven popular with buyers, retailers and consumers

Australian made

With a growing team at their metropolitan Adelaide manufacturing site, Phil and Corey are passionate about building this local capability to produce plastic-free wet wipes for home, personal and commercial use.

During the pandemic, complicated international supply chains saw significant disruption. By bringing manufacturing back to Australia, The Hygiene Co. can provide their plastic-free products with the certainty and security of quality Australian conditions. Medical-level quality processes give confidence to consumers of the brands.

Science at the heart of it all

The Hygiene Co. invests in a truly Australian approach to its new product development. This includes establishing its own NATA-approved R&D laboratory, headed up by a technical lead with more than 30 years in pharmaceutical formulation, new product development, and FDA and TGA approval and compliance. The R&D laboratory tests the product features for quality, durability and suitability to each customer’s needs.

Phil and Corey’s entrepreneurial journey includes experimenting with Australian native scents to infuse their natural products. These have been sourced from pristine Australian locations like Kangaroo Island and Byron Bay and have proven popular with buyers, retailers, and consumers.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

COMMERCIAL ICONS

BY SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC –INDUSTRY-LEADING INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The Clipsal name has proudly been a key part of Adelaide’s thriving business landscape since 1920. The innovative electrical brand has become synonymous with leading electrical accessories in Australian homes and across the wider Asia Pacific region.

In 2003, Clipsal was acquired by global technology company Schneider Electric, forming a formidable partnership. Schneider Electric provides energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability for customers throughout the world in four end markets: buildings, data centres, industry, and infrastructure.

From its base in Adelaide, Clipsal continues to create, develop, and support new ways of living and working. With products spanning electrical safety and energy solutions, to switchgear and smart home automation, it is a trusted brand for homeowners, interior designers, electricians, and architects.

Today, Clipsal by Schneider Electric has 450 employees at its South Australian operations across R&D, engineering, design, manufacture, operations, logistics, sales, and marketing. The centre for manufacturing excellence at Gepps Cross in Northern Adelaide has expanded to support not only the Clipsal portfolio, but also Schneider Electric’s customers across Australia and New Zealand and produces nearly 6,000 different types of products. “Manufacturing in Australia has enabled us to continue delivering high quality products to customers quickly. As part of our approach to innovation, we actively promote our early career and graduate programs to encourage innovative ideas from the next generation of skilled supply chain professionals,” says Director Manufacturing, Pacific, Damian Allen.

A HOME FOR INNOVATIVE DESIGN

Adelaide is also the site of Schneider Electric’s Pacific Design Lab, one of seven such facilities around the world where teams of industrial designers work at the forefront of electrical design and innovation to create products for homes and businesses.

VP Design Asia-Pacific, Tim Turrini-Rochford, says their design philosophy is empathetic and customer-focused. “We have a clear message of what design is for us: design is about transforming an existing situation to improve a situation… fundamentally it is about creating things that solve problems in people’s lives.”

This combination of inspired design and customer-focused functionality is evident in the raft of design accolades awarded across the Clipsal by Schneider Electric range.

The prestigious international iF Design Awards and Red Dot Design Awards both recognised the Wiser smoke alarm battery, MAX9 circuit protection, Iconic Outdoor range, and Iconic Connected Switch 2AX module for their exceptional design.

Nine Good Design Australia Awards were also won for Clipsal’s MAX9 circuit protection, Iconic Outdoor, Pro Series commercial switches and sockets, the Zen fan, and the Iconic, Iconic Styl, Iconic Essence and Saturn Zen switchgear ranges.

FOCUS ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY

As Clipsal evolves with Australian lifestyles, it is addressing emerging trends. Today, a significant challenge is the use of energy in the home and Schneider Electric’s expertise coupled with Clipsal’s local ingenuity has enabled Clipsal to focus on developing solutions for efficient, seamless living that supports the way Australians live, work, and entertain at home.

“A new era of residential energy management is emerging in Australia in response to rising energy prices and environmental concerns,” says Vice President Home & Distribution, Schneider Electric, Chris Kerr. “We know many homeowners have made changes to their home to make electricity bills cheaper, while at the same time technology has been increasingly accepted as a means to improve ways of living.”

“Our focus with Clipsal is to bring the latest technology to electric home design, supporting homeowners to fulfil the dream they have of their home while supporting decarbonisation and more efficient energy use.”

THE PARTNER FOR LOCAL PROJECTS

Together, Clipsal and Schneider Electric are also at the forefront of providing electrical solutions for major projects around South Australia.

A redesign of the electrical network at the South Australian Produce Market (SAPM) called for a solution on a scale never before seen in South Australia.

With over 250,000 tonnes of fresh produce traded every year, the SAPM is South Australia’s primary produce wholesale market. Spanning 20 hectares, it has 45 wholesalers, 60 growers and hundreds of retail operators with transactions valued at around $550 million each year. A reliable and efficient electrical network is key to the market’s productivity. Previously, its electricity had been externally supplied, but it wanted a new system that would provide energy reliability and significantly reduce energy bills. The solution was a microgrid featuring 6,412 solar panels, 25 Tesla Powerpack batteries and solar PV inverters. Working in tandem with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Power SCADA Operation and EcoStruxure Microgrid Advisor, the power supply system can be monitored and controlled at the landlord’s level, bringing data sources together for more effective and efficient operations. The microgrid provides electrical autonomy to the SAPM, improves energy reliability and security, and is expected to cut power bills by $4.3M over the next 10 years and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 32%.

“We want to ensure we can continue to provide affordable fresh produce on a local and global platform. This initiative means we can do it in an environmentally friendly and cost-effective manner using an innovative solution,” said Chief Executive Officer of SAPML, Angelo Demasi.

A significant redevelopment of the Marion Hotel by the Hurley Hotel Group required a near tripling of the electrical supply line to accommodate a luxurious five-level accommodation tower, improved bar and dining areas, and a state-of-the-art function and conference centre. This was achieved with a newly-installed Schneider Electric switchboard, custom distribution boards and generator power facilities. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Facility Expert (a cloud-based software solution) keeps track of equipment to provide ongoing reliability and speedy troubleshooting if faults arise, and lets the hotel track its energy use over time for added efficiencies.

Schneider Electric worked closely with the Hurley Hotel Group’s longterm electrical contractor, Sam Gordon of Contect Electrical, to ensure

the electrical solutions were not only robust, reliable, efficient and easy-to-use, but would also complement the hotel’s quirky and industrial design aesthetic. Schneider Electric’s Space Logic C-Bus system and Clipsal Iconic C-Bus switches were installed in the accommodation and bar areas so lighting levels could be varied and automated depending on the mood and time of day, while Iconic and Iconic Styl switches and sockets were used throughout the property for a stylish and edgy look.

“The Hurley Hotel Group is known for keeping things fresh and up to date, so the ability for them to safely and easily change the skins on the Iconic switches and sockets is something I expect they will take advantage of in years to come,” said Sam.

South Australian switchboard builder BE Switchcraft partnered with Schneider Electric during the $330M SkyCity Adelaide casino upgrade. As a Schneider Electric EcoXpert partner, they used C-Bus to provide lighting and room automation across the casino and for hotel room control in the lavish accommodation. Schneider Electric also provided solutions to deliver power distribution and management of the entire building.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND THE PATH AHEAD

As Clipsal by Schneider Electric looks to the future, it has a major role to play in helping families and businesses throughout Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region address the impact of climate change through technology.

Achieving the global goals of limiting global warming by reducing CO2 levels will require a combination of replacing fossil fuels; green electrification of buildings, industry, and modes of travel; and ensuring efficiency of energy use through digitalisation.

“Our world is transforming fast, as we know,” says Schneider Electric’s Pacific Zone President, Gareth O’Reilly. “An important part of this is a new energy revolution driven by the convergence of

digitalisation and electrification at scale, which we at Schneider Electric call ‘Electricity 4.0’.

“Electricity 4.0 supports corporate sustainability, promotes decarbonisation and circularity, increases operational efficiency, reduces material waste, prolongs equipment lifetime, and enables better emissions monitoring and management.”

Gareth points out that electrification is the best vector for energy efficiency and decarbonisation as electricity can be generated by renewable sources and is virtually 100% efficient with its current uses today. For example, heat pumps and EVs are many times more efficient for the same effect delivered than their fossil-fuelled counterparts.

“Digital technology such as advanced automation, metering and monitoring enables us to see how we use our energy, driving efficiency and eliminating waste,” says Gareth. “Adding smart devices, apps, analytics and software enables us to deploy energy more efficiently.”

He says that integrating energy and process automation can empower manufacturers to drive sustainability across the world’s most energy intensive sites, while software helps to connect assets across the full life cycle, resulting in one real-time view.

“It’s ‘make or break’ time for businesses to address energy transition and reap the benefits of improved operational efficiency and sustainability,” says Gareth. “It’s also important to realise that much of this can be done now, with technology that exists today.”

Disruptive change in extended Food and Beverage supply chains is accelerating due to political, climatic, and technical change.

This creates critical challenges for business to protect brand reputations and achieve sustainability. Digitisation and traceability are increasingly becoming indispensable to enable businesses to diversify and grow while minimising cost and threats of adulteration, counterfeiting and diversion.

At Beston Technologies (BT), a wholly owned (ASX listed) Beston Global Foods (BFC) subsidiary “grow out” company, our goal has been to reduce risk within Australian Agri-food and beverage businesses through smart technologies. We deliver a customised and integrated IT suite to minimise fraud of high value food and human health risk goods. The developed platform—OZIRIS™ suite—yields simultaneous Verification + Authenticity + Provenance outcomes in a cost effective and real-time in field manner.

BFC was established to bring the best of Australian green and healthy foods to Asia and in so doing promote Australia’s safe Agri–food reputation to the expanding middle class buyers. BT was created in 2015 to leverage new technologies to support the reputation of BFC’s expanding dairy, beef, and, nutraceutical goods exports. Technology was required to enable claims such as “True To Origin”, “green and sustainably sourced” healthy, unadulterated – to be strictly supported. Commencing with simple OZIRIS™ QR codes, Beston Marketplace (e-commerce platform in Australia and China), Brandlok (track and trace software), has evolved to supporting cloud based unique item biological fingerprinting using optical scanning, AI (Machine learning) and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).

Given external demand from associated businesses, BT has established a Software as a Service (SaaS) to offer broader support to the food and

beverage industries beyond BFC. It is partnering and exploring future opportunities in the domestic Aquaculture, Olive oil, Wine, Meat, Nutraceutical, Farm sustainability segments amongst others. It has also partnered with The University of Adelaide (UOA) in photonics, and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in AI and software engineering to ensure its access to technical advances and evolved applications.

In the process of the above, BT has attracted over $1.2M in grant funding.

What sets BT apart?

BT uses a modern cloud-based infrastructure for its flexibility and accessibility, making it more appealing to potential customers. BT has also made all its services available on mobile to enable data collection and access in real-time in a ubiquitous way.

Real-time data tracking provides valuable insights and performance management in time constrained and budget focused businesses. Priority changes on the basis of data can be made.

Integration with other software provides savings. Integrating the traceability software with other systems that are commonly used in supply chain management, such as inventory

management systems, can increase the value of the software and make it more appealing to potential customers.

BT works with a range of industry partners from different sectors to develop customized solutions while providing training and support to clients for an optimal user experience.

Product and service offering as a SaaS integrated or modular platform

Sure scan NIR ™— in field real-time hand held device, providing instantaneous product verification through in cloud Machine learning.

Sure scan Raman ™ —a broader spectrum identifier for spectral assurance of product quality, particular useful for conveyor belt scanning and inventory accountability.

Sure ID ™ —enabled by Oziris™ packaging verification, Track and Trace through invisible barcode, and GS1 2d and Data Matrix barcoding for product identification.

Sure Trace™ —enabled by supply chain traceability on OZIRIS backend, Digital Twining on DLT, and DLT based verification. The use of DLT provides a single-source-of-truth for all partners along the supply chain and end consumers.

Sure Smart - Pay ™—a DLT based escrow payment mechanism. We use ERC20 tokens to represent payments on the DLT, bypassing cryptocurrencies while ensuring full compliance to government regulations.

Other

Data management services: offering data management services to help businesses store, analyse, and interpret their traceability data.

Integration services: the company may provide integration services to help businesses integrate the traceability software with other systems and processes they use in their supply chain management.

Training and support: support to help customers get the most out of their software. This can include online resources, in-person training, and technical support.

Why is BT a leader or pioneer in the Agri-food industry?

We listen. BT is serious about “growing” its own, and clients insights

in jointly creating better sustainable food and beverage footprints. We recognise and act on consumers need to be better informed and reassured of the efficacy of a Brand, while seeking to better add knowledge into supply chains.

BT’s traceability solutions guarantee food provenance, authenticity, supporting brand owners in building and maintaining brand reputation. By leveraging cutting edge technologies such as NIR, Raman, and DLT, BT stays ahead of the curve and continues to provide innovative solutions to its clients.

As an example Food safety is a top priority for many food processing company. Real-time identification of “fake” goods backed up by real time food recall processes “in the cloud”, have identified real time and cost savings.

In response to the increasingly strict requirements on emission reporting, BT is trialling out new practices to reduce emission from dairy cows on its supplier farms, and are developing DLT-based software to support the tracking of emission reduction activities, and feed provenance. This will compliment ESG accounting and compliance regulation requirements.

Enhanced data visualization and analysis capabilities back up the solution ware, making it easier for decision making.

In addition, BT focuses on building strong partnerships with leading food companies, industry associations, and government organizations. This enables BT to better understand client needs and establish itself as a thought leader in the food industry.

BT’s platform is being applied to high value Brand assurance projects. These include:

Halal meat verification – collaborating with a Singaporean Halal food importer and Halal certifier, the OZIRIS™ platform is enabling provenance

and traceability from meat source to customer, and certification satisfying regulations and cultural practices. This will assist future pull through of value-added meat products from Beston Provincial food group (PFG) in Shepparton.

Lactoferrin (Lf) exports – a high value milk extract (providing as a dry mix ingredient in infant formulae - essential health immunity in the young) created at Beston’s Jervois dairy factory is able to be traced from source to overseas customers use. Specifically, a high verification of purity can be certified, and automated payments enabled to satisfy quality health and commercial transaction needs.

Carbon abatement – the traceability and verification of enteric methane reduction from the feeding of proven supplementary feed ingredients to dairy cows, is enabled. Current projects with the State Government of South Australia (PIRSA) are validating increases in farm Returns on Investment (ROI). Beston will be able to prove support to its growing number of dairy farm suppliers in this manner to potentially boost income and assist them is managing their ESG regulations and compliances needs.

BT is an Adelaide

Headquartered business team of accomplished Senior Management, Computer scientists and Artificial intelligence personnel. Deep links with world leading experts within the University of Adelaide (Centre for Photonics and Remote Sensing, Lot 14 – IT Innovation Centre) and the University of Technology Sydney Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Division) support growth initiatives.

Vision for the Future

leads the team in innovative Distributed Ledger and Fintech applications.

BT will incorporate more advanced data analysis capabilities in their software offering and increase its adoption of DLT for end-to-end traceability and smarter commercial transactions.

BT is looking to continue using technologies to bring provenance, transparency, intelligence, and security to supply chains.

At the same time, with increasing consumer demand for environmentally and socially responsible products, BT will place greater emphasis on sustainability, making sure the developed solutions are fully compliant to government regulatory and industry standards and can assist clients with emission reporting requirements.

Dr. Yining Hu – a winner of the prestigious SIEF Ross Metcalfe Stem+Business Research Fellowship,

James Pang, Software Engineer; Alistair McFarlane, General Manager, and Tao Li, Software Engineer

LEADER IN BEVERAGE INNOVATION

The Bickford’s Group is an independently owned collection of companies headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia. The group has a rich history that dates back to 1839 when William Bickford opened a small apothecary in Rundle Street after moving to Australia. Today, the Bickford’s Group offers the highest quality products to consumers worldwide, with a footprint in over 47 countries. The group is divided into two beverage business units: non-alcoholic and alcoholic. The Bickford’s Australia business unit focuses on the non-alcohol portfolio, including Australia’s number one premium cordial, which was originally produced in 1874, along with premium juices and enhancers. Since 2002, the VOK Beverages business unit has built globally recognized power brands in the liquor category, producing, selling, and marketing brands in the beer, wine, spirits, cider, and ready-to-drink categories.

The Bickford’s Group is proud to bring tradition and cutting-edge innovations to consumers, and its entrepreneurial spirit is not afraid to lead competitors with innovative category solutions. This approach has created power brands and a legacy for future generations. The group not only produces, markets, and sells all Bickford’s and VOK owned brands, but also owns several key strategic assets, such as the Step Rd winery in Langhorne Creek, the 23rd Street Distillery in Renmark, the Beenleigh Distillery in Queensland, Beresford Estate Luxury Suites and Villas, the Vale Taphouse in McLaren Vale, and Pomegranates Australia in the Northern Mallee.

As the owner of the Bickford’s Group, Angelo Kotses has proven to be an exceptional entrepreneur and innovator. Kotses’ entrepreneurial spirit has also led the Bickford’s Group to explore new markets and opportunities. Kotses has a clear vision for the future of the Bickford’s Group, focused on continued growth and innovation, while maintaining the company’s commitment to quality and sustainability. His leadership has been instrumental in making the Bickford’s Group a leading player in the food and beverage industry, both in Australia and globally.

At the Bickford’s Group of companies, every team member strives to deliver upon the corporate values of integrity, passion, pride, collaboration, and empowerment. From its humble beginnings, the Bickford’s Group has grown to become Australia’s most loved producer of not only cordials and juices, but also alcoholic beverages.

Every day, the group strives to make the ordinary, extraordinary.

bickfordsgroup.com

The dynamic husband and wife team of Mark and Tracey Ferdinands, set out to disrupt the cleaning industry with their innovative Territory Management System. Armed with a strong hospitality background and a team of highly trained and caring professionals, the Cinderella’s team consistently delivers exceptional results. Larger organisations are flocking to Cinderella’s having found the commercial cleaning business to be a cost-effective problem solver in the cleaning space.

Cinderella’s has created a unique Territory Management System. Consistent investment in state-of-the-art equipment, utilising powerful yet sustainable cleaning solutions, and fostering a supportive work environment, where personal and professional growth is encouraged. Proactive and dedicated individuals are rewarded, and regular social events bring the team and their families together which strengthens the network through fun activities.

Recognising the evolving industry, Cinderella’s prioritises continuous learning and improvement. They actively engage in workshops, seminars, and industry conferences such as the annual ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo, ensuring their skills remain up to date with the latest cleaning techniques, technologies, and safety protocols. This dedication to professional growth guarantees that clients benefit from the latest and most advanced cleaning practices available.

ELEVATING CLEANING STANDARDS FOR A PRISTINE SOUTH AUSTRALIA

With a growing workforce of around 150, Cinderella’s has experienced a significant increase in turnover since July 2022, fuelled by their hotel cleaning and housekeeping arms. Being a preferred service partner with Australian Leisure & Hospitality (ALH) has played a vital role in driving this growth. Trusted relationships with property and strata management companies such as Ace Body Corporate, Lin Andrews Strata, Leedwell, and L J Hooker Commercial solidify Cinderella’s position as a reputable provider in the South Australian commercial property sector.

The team understands that a clean and well-maintained workplace enhances productivity, improves morale, and leaves a positive impression in business. Meticulously developed systems drive the business model, ensuring optimal performance in employing skilled personnel, onboarding clients, and managing workflows. As a result, Cinderella’s has emerged as a frontrunner in the industry, offering a distinctive and innovative solution known as the Cinderella’s Territory Management System.

Community and collaboration are paramount to Cinderella’s success. They heavily invest in testing and warehousing cleaning products and machinery, ensuring their network partners have access to the best solutions available on the market. Promoting eco-friendly products and microfibre cleaning processes maximises efficiency, reduces chemical and plastic usage, and contributes to environmental sustainability.

Australian Leisure & Hospitality (ALH) First Response Cleaning

Maintaining a process compliant workforce of employees and contractors, Cinderella’s possesses the necessary flexibility to handle a wide range of cleaning services. From office cleaning to toxic hazard remediation, truck rollover cleanup, biohazard handling, and more, their versatile crews excel in tackling any cleaning challenge.

Their continued success drives client growth, from a range of business disciplines such as leading building companies (Metricon and Pelligra), national law firms (Piper Alderman), trucking companies (GTS Transport and Daimler Trucks) and energy providers (Cooper Energy).

Cinderella’s Territory Management System is integral to its business model, striking a balance between centralised support and business independence which encourages Territory Managers (TMs) to share their expertise and entrepreneurial knowledge with new partners, underpinning the company’s commitment to quality. Their mentorship program cultivates consistent growth and development within the network, empowering aspiring partners and promoting excellence.

With the ability to operate nationwide, Cinderella’s TM’s benefit from fully integrated online tools and platforms to facilitate efficient operations management. Their decentralised approach mitigates leadership risks while providing career advancement opportunities for their TM’s who are well compensated, sharing in the company’s success. The company believes in promoting entrepreneurship from within by mentoring, incentivising, rewarding and investing in its people.

With over 20% of their employees of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island descent and over 20% of their employees with a diagnosed disability, Cinderella’s promotes an inclusive working environment. With quality systems in place, customised applications and full support, Cinderella’s is ready to solve your commercial cleaning problems. As Cinderella’s continues to grow, its commitment to raising cleaning standards and promoting a pristine South Australia remains at the forefront of their mission.

Cinderella’s is redefining the benchmark for commercial cleaning, solidifying its position as the epitome of excellence in the industry.

With soaring ambitions, the company is set to achieve its most outstanding financial year to date, showcasing unwavering resilience and remarkable growth.

This dynamic company led by Tracey & Mark Ferdinands is setting the cleaning landscape ablaze with their innovative Territory Management System and their focus on cleaning culture, collaboration and community.

Dynamic husband & wife duo, Mark (CEO) & Tracey Lee Ferdinands (COO)

AHRENS 120 YEARS FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Proudly, Ahrens is a 120-year-old family-owned SA company, spanning five generations, delivering a diverse range of high-quality and cost-effective products, projects and services.

Beginning in 1902 as a one-dimensional business in Sheaoak Log, on the edge of the Barossa Valley, and offering blacksmithing services of its time, the business has grown significantly across the decades to 27 divisions and backed by 1000-plus people.

Ahrens is now a full Construction, Manufacturing, Engineering, Mining Services, Silos, Sheds and Water Storage company. The company, led by fourth-generation and Managing Director Stef Ahrens, has transformed from a steel fabricator and shed builder providing full turnkey project solutions across Australia, with operations overseas.

The Ahrens family is proud of its ancestral roots which began when Wilhelm, a hard-working blacksmith, who decided to test his luck on the Kalgoorlie goldfields in WA. After falling seriously ill with typhoid fever, he was forced to return to the Barossa Valley with wife Alma and their two young children. Wilhelm rented a barn in Sheaoak Log where he set up a blacksmith shop, offering basic services such as shoeing horses for the local farmers.

For the first 50 years of Ahrens, Wilhelm and his son Bill ran the blacksmith shop which experienced many changes, including motorised vehicles and power tools.

Bill’s son Bob joined the company with three generations working side by side and before long Bob’s wife Marj joined the team. Stef honours his father Bob – due to his trailblazing efforts and unique rural innovations, plus mother Marj, and her well-kept ledgers – for being the first generation to lead the company into unchartered waters with rural infrastructure. Together, Bob and Marj’s leadership led Ahrens to extend their product range to grain silos, field bins, rural sheds and stone and land rollers.

In 1988 Stefan joined Ahrens and, like his father, worked hard to further expand the business. His responsibilities increased and so did his accountability to a growing number of employees. With Australia weathering a recession, it was a tough and demanding time. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before entry into large-scale wine industry projects and an increasing amount of work in the Northern Territory enabled the family to stay afloat and retain their team.

But Ahrens was hurting financially, and in 1990, age 22, Stef made a bold decision; he persuaded Bob to close the lossmaking silo operation.

About the time Stef formally took control of the company as Managing Director, Ahrens won its first mining project and is among the biggest business challenges he loves to recount. This was a staggering $9.5M job at Mount Todd Gold Mine near Katherine in the NT. It was a calculated risk given the business’ annual turnover at the time had increased from $3M to $7.5M across the previous three to four years. Due to the success of the Mount Todd Gold Mine project led by Stef, Ahrens now had the financial nest egg to become a national player in rural infrastructure. In the decades following the Mount Todd Gold Mine, Ahrens grew exponentially, largely due to Stef’s entrepreneurial skills, vision and risk appetite.

A conversation involving a former employee of Sherwell, during a steel networking event with Stef revealed Sherwell, a silo manufacturer in SA and VIC, was for sale. Stef was keen to ‘have a crack’ and in October 1998, following a six to seven year hiatus, Ahrens re-engaged with rural products. Ahrens Rural division grew to involve manufacturing facilities based in QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, as well as a satellite operation in Tasmania

In 2017, to better service customers and ensure the highest quality range, Ahrens commissioned its own silo manufacturing line at Sheaoak Log, SA. The silo plant features state-of-the-art

technology and innovation, using steel fabricated in-house, designed to truly offer a high-quality Australian made product. The move continues to mean Ahrens’ silo range is engineered to Australian conditions and standards for rural and commercial applications, and has enabled the company to maintain its position as #1 in rural infrastructure.

Shed projects were also the company’s biggest turning point in its humble history, with several sheds built across the local landscape, most of which remain standing today. These solid foundations laid by Bob enabled Stef to focus on Ahrens delivering bigger and better sheds across the nation, which in 2017 led to Stef purchasing WA’s longest established shed business, Wheatbelt Steel, with the vision of growing Ahrens’ national footprint.

Stef’s tradition of growing his company with rural solutions to meet Australia’s demand has also led to the acquisition of respected water businesses, Pioneer Water Tanks, Pioneer Water Tanks America, Southern Cross Water including the iconic windmills and Altanks.

All of Ahrens’ rural investments continue to enable the company to open up more opportunities for the cross-selling of its products and the cross-pollinating of its capabilities in a thriving market.

Stef’s successful endeavours across the Australian landscape, combined with Bob’s earlier foundations of building sheds –including for Barossa Valley’s burgeoning wine industry – paved the way for the creation of Ahrens Design & Construct division.

If a winery wanted to build a shed and they went to an architect, an engineer and a builder they could take 20 percent off their combined price and Ahrens would do it for that. The mindset, along with key leaders, led the company

to take on more challenging projects, including works for the 2000 Sydney Olympics which involved a 10,000sqm warm up facility at Homebush.

Their Design and Construct pursuits later led the company to execute world-class projects and state-of-the-art facilities, from concept to handover across the nation, and making Ahrens as a trusted company for delivering projects on time and on budget. Recent milestone projects have included:

• Metcash grocery facility at Gepps Cross, SA, with a 70,000m2 footprint and valued at $66.4M, with works marking the seventh project for the client within 20 years.

• SA brewer Coopers’ impressive malting facility at Regency Park, with works valued at $65M and involving 1,100 tonnes of structural steel manufactured by Ahrens’ steel division. A key feature is the visitor experience/showroom gantry and floor for brewery tours.

• Ahrens successfully completed milestone project, Alliance Airlines’ Maintenance Hangar in Rockhampton, QLD in February 2023. The project, completed two months ahead of schedule, was valued at $30M involved a 12,550m2 footprint for a three-bay hangar, capable of housing three Embraer E190 or Boeing 737 aircrafts.

Ahrens’ quest for growth and innovation through world-class technology resulted in the company also entering the mining sector after noticing untapped opportunities. The company is now strategically located in key mining regions, including Newman in WA’s Pilbara region and Olympic Dam in SA, with structural steel supplied from its Kingsford SA and Vietnam sites. Part of this growth led to the acquisition of Taylors Engineering Services in WA in 2023, ensuring Ahrens a competitive advantage and key clients are addressed in remote regions.

Ahrens now has the people power and cutting-edge solutions to deliver exceptional outcomes in diverse locations from inner-city complexes to remote outback regions. The company’s triumphs are a result of its people delivering exceptional products, project work and services to a strong client base, many of which are longstanding.

Today Ahrens employs more than 1000 people who represent diversity of backgrounds and skills, yet align through a shared set of values and a genuine desire to succeed. One of the key drivers is the strongly held belief that “our people are our power”. Ahrens people are people with passion. Committed and caring. Across Australia and around the world.

While one man started it all back in 1902, today everyone far and wide is a valued member of the Ahrens family. Stef’s vision is now supported by his children – Ellen as Marketing Manager and Riley as Commercial & Investment Manager. This fifth generation holds firm to the belief that the company’s success is its people and its values developed and engrained into the company by the earlier generations. “While we are extremely proud of our rich history, we are definitely focussed on and ready for the future.”

SUHO provides sustainability consulting and design services to increase the number of higher-performing, healthier and more sustainable buildings across Australia. They provide innovative solutions for architects, builders, developers and homeowners - seeking the best outcome for both the client and the planet.

Running for over 20 years, SUHO is unique in its position as they are continuing to support research with the CSIRO and other government bodies. SUHO also has an in-house studio, SUHOstudio, that designs high-performance homes that are both beautiful and sustainable. They have a proven track record of helping significant businesses to do their part for the planet in how their building performs.

After working for over 15 years as a building supervisor in construction, Jim Woolcock knew that he wanted buildings to be better for the people living in them. Jim saw first-hand how building’s energy efficiency could improve comfort and health for people and their homes. In addition to this, he understood that there were many benefits to making buildings more energy efficient: not only would it reduce carbon emissions, but it would also help lower bills and create a healthier environment to live in.

To ensure that people lived in buildings that were healthy, comfortable and economical, Jim founded House Energy Rating, now known as SUHO. He was determined to find ways of improving the built environment situation for everyone - regardless of income, wealth or location. Today, SUHO has grown into a company with over 20 employees across two offices in Melbourne and Adelaide that serves hundreds of businesses and homeowners across Australia each year. But their mission has remained constant: driving Australia’s transition to a more sustainable built environment.

The team at SUHO strongly believe that buildings should be designed with sustainability as a core value and not just an afterthought. That’s why SUHO is committed to creating innovative solutions that reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption while improving quality of life for those who live and work in Australia’s buildings. SUHO is also heavily involved in industry research, education and continues to push for better building standards. With an ever-growing team of experts in building science, energy-efficiency and sustainability, they continue to innovate new tools and services to make buildings better for the people who live, work or play in them—one building at a time.

DESIGNING A BETTER FUTURE: PUSHING FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION

HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT WE DO

SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S FIRST 10-STAR HOME

The 10-star Home has been built to the highest sustainability standards and offers the latest in home automation and energy efficiency. Proudly designed by SUHO Studio in 2020, the home features locally sourced materials and has been used as a benchmark display home for its energy efficiency and design.

The single-story home is airtight with triple-glazed windows, meaning no dust or outside noise can enter the home. By utilising a specialised ‘heat recovery system’ to manage ventilation, the home is comfortable year-round by offering an ambient temperature between 18°C to 26°C. The kitchen has fully integrated energy-efficient appliances that play their part in the home’s energy efficiency rating and usage and is carefully considered with the air tightness of the home.

Proving that design can be functional and pretty, all aspects of the home have been considered while achieving the 10-star rating. The all-electric home has a fully automated smart home system designed to make your life simpler. With a 5kw rooftop solar system and 4kw battery, this is sufficient to run the home with no ongoing energy bills. Outside the house, there is also an EV charging station ready to charge your energyefficient vehicle.

“Previously the CSIRO and developer of the NatHERS software didn’t have a 10-star home to analyse and input more data back into various new iterations of its assessment software. We took this as an opportunity to also heighten the awareness that Australia is significantly behind where other developed countries are in terms of

The data from the 10-star Home proves that in March 2022, the home ranged between 23 degrees to a max of 26.7°C without any heating or cooling.

This was an opportunity to also monitor those aspects of international standards of Passivhaus and other proven methods of construction that have shown to improve occupant health. SUHO’s 10-star Home can regulate its own temperature and can fluctuate its own levels of interior humidity, CO2, electrical output for mechanical or appliances, air movement and air pressure.

HUBBLE: AI TECHNOLOGY BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN COMFORT AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Energy bills are continuing to increase across the world and yet most homeowners do not consider the impact on their homes. Energy efficiency is an obscure science that is often difficult to understand and can cause a lot of confusion. Hubble makes energy efficiency easy to

choices about different sustainable solutions. This tool explains the benefits of energy-efficient solutions in a language that the average person understands - by referencing comfort, health or bill savings.

Through 15 years in the construction industry, SUHO identified that there is a lack of homeowners adopting energy-efficient solutions in their homes. In our research, we found that material vendors often struggle to explain a compelling reason for homeowners to use their more energy-efficient products. Most homeowners lack an understanding of why they should choose energy-efficient solutions - for example; higher property valuation, comfort, and a reduction in energy bills. We found that even energy efficiency experts find estimating and quantifying these benefits difficult.

SUHO has learnt a lot over its time as a business that assesses energy efficiency and building compliance in construction. With more than 15 years of experience, the data and knowledge gained from our client assessments led to a seeing a problem in the market - a communication barrier. Throughout Australia, homeowners continue to struggle with the expertise of identifying the benefits of energy-efficient materials. What we now know as Hubble was presented internally to all SUHO staff and provided feedback, insights, and recommendations on how to launch this innovation into the market.

Hubble is a solution that allows 4 million combinations of products identified so a homeowner can choose the right ones for their scenario and their home.

Hubble is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that uses artificial intelligence to predict property experiences for residential homes based on minimal building specifications. Hubble works with product vendors, construction companies and developers to bridge the language barrier between the construction industry and homeowners. The platform reduces the complexity of understanding energy efficiency by providing a 99% accurate estimated rating and the impacts on potential savings, comfort levels and carbon emissions. At Hubble, you can pick a design, find reliable vendors and understand how they impact your home’s expected performance.

Hubble presents an opportunity for all people to understand the benefits of energy-efficient solutions. Other potential solutions in this space are limited to a small market that conducts heavy research before showing the intent to purchase. As Hubble uses AI technology and machine learning, instead of solely relying on technical experts for interpretation, the accessibility of the solution is open to a wider audience and the accuracy of these results increases.

INCLUSIVE HOUSING FOR ALL

Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) is a housing solution for people with disabilities, which can be difficult to accommodate in existing homes. SDA Housing is designed to meet the specific needs of these individuals, providing them with a safe and comfortable living environment that allows them to continue living independently.

In the year prior to June 2021, approximately 200,000 new homes were built across Australia (ABS 2022) - all of which were designed and constructed to meet the requirements of the National Construction Code. Over that same period in Australia, only 800 new homes were designed

4 million possible scenarios that would take a human 42 years to arrive at the optimal balance between energy efficiency, comfort and cost!”

— Marco Salinas, CEO of Hubble

and built to meet the SDA requirements for varying levels of occupant accessibility (NDIS 2021). An average of this build rate shows that it would take nearly 20 years before there was a new SDA-compliant home built in every one of Australia’s 15,353 suburbs and localities.

Unfortunately, there are not enough inclusive homes to meet the demand of Australia’s growing population. This means many people who need them do not have access to affordable housing options that meet their needs. It is worth asking - is the minimum amount of space required by the NCC sufficient for everyone who might live there? Every designer and consultant knows that finding the right balance is key, SUHO’s belief is that the balance needs to account for a greater range of occupants over the entire lifespan of the building.

To help address this problem, SUHO has developed better, more considered designs for SDA homes that are inclusive of everyone SUHO’s solution was to improve the quality and design of these homes - meeting both high sustainability standards without compromising design or cost. They created an inclusive home that is fully accessible, easy to use and live in, and the result is an inclusive home for everyone—a house that can be adapted as the owner’s needs change over time.

BRIDGING THE GAP IN SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION

When it comes to building a home, many people let their budget dictate the quality of the products they choose. This can lead to issues such as poor insulation, uncomfortable rooms, and even dangerous materials being used in the build.

Homeowners can also find themselves living in homes that do not meet their needs because of poor design choices or a lack of communication between the architect and builder. SUHO bridges the gap between In order to address these issues, they provide a number of service packages tailored to each client’s needs at an affordable price with a cost effective and energy efficient outcome.

SUHO provides a language between architects, disciplines and users with their new service packages. This innovative approach to the industry allows individuals to work out what their needs are.

SUHO understands that homeowners, architects and builders all have different needs when it comes to building a new home. That’s why every project is unique, with a solution specifically designed to meet the demands of each customer. SUHO provides customised service packages for your home and offers a range of high-quality tailored solutions for any budget. These packages provide homeowners with affordable building solutions while also increasing the comfort and energy efficiency of the home.

This solution has allowed our clients to have happier home occupants with comfortable homes without increasing the build costs. If you’re looking for an energy-efficient and comfortable build, SUHO will work with you until you’re satisfied with the finished product.

YANUN PROJECT SERVICES – APPLYING DECADES OF DEFENCE EXPERTISE TO SHAPE FIRST NATIONS CAREERS

One of only a few First Nations professional services businesses in the country, Yanun specialises in project management, schedule and planning support and project controls, playing a key role in the management and control of several major projects and programs around the country.

Stemming from its roots in the defence industry on programs such as Australia’s Attack Class Submarine ($90b), Hunter Class Future Frigates ($45b), and Collins Class Submarine Life of Type Extension ($6b), Yanun is now diversifying into other industries which include transport infrastructure, built environment, natural resources, international development and utilities.

This shift of focus is providing Yanun the opportunity to regularly transfer expertise gained from working on major defence programs, to better support more traditional infrastructure projects. Yanun are for example, challenging the approach and application of Earned Value Management (EVM), with defence contracts regularly auditing a level of compliance not often experienced in other industries. In practice, Yanun has been supporting organisations to embed EVM into their project environments, which enables the comparison of cost and schedule metrics as they relate to planned versus actual performance. While project teams often concentrate on project management, contract management and procurement, project controls is frequently given little focus. Yanun has identified this trend and offers clients end-to-end EVM expertise, ranging from basic training to fundamental technical

adjustments and system overhauls, exposing diverse markets to decades of defence EVM expertise. The result is that project leaders and their teams receive meaningful up-to-date information to support informed and timely decision making.

While project innovation underpins Yanun’s approach to its clients’ projects, the team is also challenging ingrained social norms to empower First Nations people into professional careers. Through its unique First Nations Development Program, the company is providing young people with the opportunity to undertake formal project management training, while they gain on-the-job skills. An extremely important and core element of the program includes cultural support and pastoral care provided by Yanun team members whom understand both organisational requirements and the challenges often faced by First Nations people.

In 2022, Yanun received a UNESCO Achievement Award for its unique approach to creating training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, and for their contribution to

the creation of The Circle – South Australia’s First Nations Entrepreneur Hub, which supports First Nations businesses to grow, build capability and create connections. Suite

David Mallett, founder and Managing Director

Photos by

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

EVENTS & GAMING

HOME OF AUSTRALIA’S BIGGEST ARTS FESTIVAL

Adelaide Fringe is the biggest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere and the second biggest in the world. Originating in 1960, it’s famous for transforming the city, the suburbs and greater South Australia over 31 summer days and nights each year - ask anyone who’s been to Fringe, it’s the absolute best time of year to be in Adelaide! With 6000+ independent artists across more than 400 venues and 14 genres, including everything from comedy to circus and interactive to theatre, there really is something for everyone.

Where many successful arts festivals around the world might sell a total of 30,000 tickets in their whole season, Fringe frequently sells 30,000 per day over the month of the festival. In 2023, the festival reached recordbreaking numbers with 1,000,916 tickets sold, resulting in $23.9 million paid out in box office to artists and venues.

“The digital innovations, collaborations and use of user centred design methodologies with customer personas has led to these outstanding

East End, Photo by Jenny Kwok

numbers, and we’re committed to continuously innovating so we’re never stagnant,” says Heather Croall, Adelaide Fringe Director and Chief Executive.

Adelaide Fringe is a collaboration between artists, venues, audiences and community and is recognised as one of the most important festivals in the world. Adelaide Fringe’s purpose is to inspire creativity, engagement and learning through the joy of bringing people together and in doing so, Fringe creates more than 7,000 jobs for artists and arts workers.

DIGITAL INNOVATIONS

Adelaide Fringe has worked with the intention of continuously bettering their product, developing digital platforms for the multiple audiences of the festival. They embarked on a digital transformation over seven years ago, employing an in-house development team who have built a bespoke, white label registration platform that allows enormous flexibility to capture all forms of data and information in order to produce their guide publication and populate their ticketing platform for artists.

They’ve also built their own artist and venue registration platformAVR. As a non-curated, open access festival, the seamless digital journey for independent artists and South Australia venues to register for Fringe is paramount to its success.

“Our AVR platform is unique in its offering, allowing information to be gathered about our participants, shows, artists and the marketplace and then seamlessly dispersed to streamline operations across our festival.

AVR drives our ticketing platform, the creation of our guide and our entire International Arts Marketplace,” says Ella Huisman, Executive Director - Audience.

Fringe’s marketplace Honey Pot attracts hundreds of programmers from around the world who scout for shows to book - this platform generates millions of dollars in deals for artists.

“Our passion for continuous improvement has seen us create a product unique to Fringe’s and ticketing agencies worldwide, and we do it all locally - providing exceptional service and experiences for artists and audiences alike as a not-for-profit, bringing all earnings back full circle into the local arts community,” says Ella.

The festival has dedicated countless hours and deep work to explore its various customer journeys, understanding the problems they face and ensuring their digital platforms make life easier, not harder - whether they’re registering their show or purchasing a ticket.

EXPLORING WORK IN THE INTERSECTION OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Staff of Adelaide Fringe are passionate about collaborating with artists, programmers and producers to develop signature events each festival. In the last few years, these features have focused on bringing in the best of immersive storytelling and interactive experiences to Adelaide audiences.

Photo by Johnny Graham

Electric Dreams, a conference that attracts tech professionals, artists, and industry from across the country, has been a crowd favourite of Adelaide Fringe for three years now. 2023 saw an additional eight events added alongside the conference, including the international production Torrent and unique interactive experience work.txt. The program is centred around digital technology, immersive storytelling, augmented reality and virtual reality, and is a collaboration that has involved different partners including Crossover Labs, the Museum of South Australia, The University of Adelaide, Lot 14 and Light, and Adelaide Fringe along with many various areas of the Government.

“The Electric Dreams program is really pushing the boundaries about what is possible with immersive storytelling.

It was fantastic for the audiences of Adelaide to see such innovative work,” says Heather Croall.

In 2022, Adelaide Fringe worked with a series of collaborators to produce the worldwide premiere of Sky Song, a drone art show that took audiences on a journey combining state-of-the art technology and First Nations stories, music and poetry. The event won the Festivals and Events category at the 2022 South Australian Tourism Awards, which is attributed to the project’s collaborators.

In 2023, the Adelaide Fringe drone show was Electric Skies, which featured specially made music from the Electric Fields duo, with Zaachariaha’s paintings also inspiring many of the drone animations in the sky.

“It’s a privilege to work with such incredible South Australian talent who could create such a magic and moving experience,” says Heather Croall.

WORKING TOWARDS RECONCILIATION, SUSTAINABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY

In September 2021, Fringe launched its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which provides a framework to support national reconciliation and achieve a strategic document that sets out practical plans of action on how the organisation will contribute to reconciliation in the community. The 2021 - 2023 RAP aims to facilitate the development in maintaining strong and mutually beneficial relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, and ensures the festival continues to build on their guiding principles of support, understanding and inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in all organisational activities.

As the first festival in Adelaide to do so, their Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) puts into action very real and tangible ways of meeting the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals which countries around the world must act upon in global partnership, of which Adelaide Fringe has identified seven it will work to implement from now through to 2030. These goals recognise that reducing inequalities must go hand-in-hand with strategies that spur economic growth – all while delivering on climate action.

VOLO Dreams of Flight. Photo by Maddison Griffiths

Electric Dreams Torrent, The Lab, Photo by Carl Vester

Kumangka Palti Yerta - Welcome Ceremony, Photo by Jenny Kwok

Their Disability Access and Inclusion Plan (DAIP) is an active plan to improve access and participation for people living with disability. Its purpose is to encourage, recognise and promote an active commitment to eliminating disability discrimination and to promote the recognition of the rights of people with disability within the Fringe ecosystem. The plan encompasses Adelaide Fringe’s ongoing commitment to being accessible and inclusive, and hopes to reduce and eliminate barriers to ensure equity and access for all.

Adelaide Fringe’s RAP, SAP and DAIP can all be viewed on its website: adelaidefringe.com.au

PHILANTHROPY

Adelaide Fringe is more than Australia’s biggest arts festival - it’s a place where emerging artists can make their start and where the arts is accessible to all.

The Adelaide Fringe Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Adelaide Fringe, where every dollar raised is used to help artists present their work, to buy tickets for disadvantaged communities and make Fringe experiences as welcoming and accessible as possible. This initiative has grown immensely over the years and has created an innovative way for artists to deliver new work and to be the most inclusive festival in the world.

Since its inception in 2015, the Adelaide Fringe Artist Fund has distributed more than 300 grants to artists. Ahead of the 2023 festival, an additional 150 grants totalling $750,000 was provided to artists. The Artist Fund is fuelled by donations to the Adelaide Fringe Foundation, including funds raised by the Adelaide Fringe Donor Circle and increased support from the State Government.

“The Adelaide Fringe Artist Fund Grant made touring our new show possible for our emerging circus company. Without these funds we would not have been able to get to the festival. The experience we gained and the lessons we learnt by doing a season at Adelaide Fringe was invaluable,” says Karina Schiller, 2022 Artist Fund Grant Recipient.

LOOKING FORWARD

Adelaide Fringe is dedicated to growing, learning and innovating to compliment its community’s needs, desires and passions. Proudly Australia’s biggest arts festival, Adelaide Fringe will continue to bring audiences the incredible, unforgettable experiences every February and March, with new work every year.

Adelaide Fringe wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of its Partners, all of whom play a huge role in delivering the festival the people of Adelaide are proud to call their own.

Turn The Beat Around. Photo by Ian Coker

Electric Skies.

Photo by Helen Page

A kingdom built on passion, fun and data

Mighty Kingdom puts its heart into every game it creates.

As one of the largest Australian-based independent game developers, Mighty Kingdom aims to delight players of all ages with fun and exciting experiences.

Founded in Adelaide, in 2011, by a small team of passionate dreamers who love playing and making games, the company set out to make its mark in the industry not only with the technology and quality of games it created but the way its games are made – by prioritising culture and the people who create the games that players love.

Its talented team from diverse backgrounds includes creatives working from across Australia, who collaborate with global industry leaders to create games that appeal to audiences worldwide. In just over a decade, it released more than 50 games played by more than 50 million players worldwide.

Mighty Kingdom has ambitious goals and a strong sense of confidence in its abilities within the global games market. The company is not afraid to dream big and aim high.

As one of only three ASX-listed gaming companies in Australia, the company has experienced significant growth over the past five years, expanding from 35 to more than 100 team members.

“We’ve grown significantly over a short period of time while maintaining our stance and our reputation for delivering quality games in the global industry,” Mighty Kingdom’s Chief Revenue Officer Tony Lawrence said.

Driven by its desire to create exceptional digital experiences that engage and delight players globally, the company has partnered with leading entertainment brands including LEGO, Disney, Mattel, Sony, Funcom, Moose Toys, Spin Master and more, while also developing its own original games.

“Mighty Kingdom is a key driver for growth in the Australian gaming industry and loves the disruptive and wonderful ways that the global industry is constantly innovating and changing,” Mr Lawrence said.

“Games have always been at the forefront of developing use cases for technology,” he said.

“Whether it is developing VR and AR, games utilising Ai and ML, games are the best example of what the metaverse could look like, or the frontier of blockchain technology for player ownership of digital assets, it is clear that games are a driver of innovative uses for technology and art.”

In the past five years alone, the gaming industry has seen bold trends and dramatic changes including the introduction of subscription models and alterations to Apple privacy impacting the way the industry targets audiences.

“This has meant that we have had to learn how to best navigate a different landscape when it comes to locating our players,” Mr Lawrence said.

“We partner with some of the world’s best companies to leverage their expertise, as well as work with them to capitalise on the brand recognition to bring new players to our games.”

Mighty Kingdom is constantly modifying its game technology and developing bespoke and high-quality digital software solutions for its games and clients. Among its innovations include game designs that assist in the storytelling process and bringing characters to life. It sees engaging storytelling as key to creating worlds that draw people in—narratives that invite audience participation and create passionate followers that help build a brand over time.

The company also takes an analytical approach to developing ideas: using data to interrogate the idea, the audience and the mechanics. To help guide the process, Mighty Kingdom has an internal division that keeps an eye on what’s trending and what it should be looking at.

Mr Lawrence said: “Welcoming everyone in their own individuality ensures our team creates stories that appeal to a wider audience, so their games are a trusted destination that’s enjoyed by all players.”

From the start, Mighty Kingdom has adopted a progressive approach to its recruitment and retention practices. It has impressive gender ratios across the company and is known in the industry for its inclusion, diversity and team support, nurturing a caring workplace environment that encourages a healthy work-life balance. Its standard working conditions include four-day work weeks, generous leave, education and leadership opportunities, hybrid working and graduate programs for talent entry-level opportunities.

“Mighty Kingdom is always wanting new ideas, fresh points of view, and different perspectives to create games by a diverse team for a diverse audience.” - Mr Lawrence

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

INNOVATION IN TOURISM

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES

HOW ADELAIDE OVAL CONTINUES TO REDEFINE THE STADIUM EXPERIENCE AND EMBRACE ITS POTENTIAL AS A TOURISM DESTINATION.

Ask almost any sports fan about Adelaide Oval, and you’ll likely hear a common response – that this storied venue is among the most picturesque anywhere on the planet. And yet its beauty goes much further than skin deep.

In a world where stadiums are often monolithic and imposing, Adelaide Oval stands as a perfect blend of modern facilities, timeless design and living history.

First established in 1871, Adelaide Oval is internationally revered for its grassy northern mound, heritage scoreboard and ancient Moreton Bay fig trees that have stood witness to more than 140 years of sporting achievement and major events.

“From the first ever day-night Test match and pulsating Australian Rules football finals through to international soccer, rugby and concerts by Michael Jackson, Adele and the Rolling Stones, Adelaide Oval has always been a place where history is made,” says Adelaide Oval CEO Nick Addison.

“Our history is an essential part of our DNA – it is what sets us apart from other stadia across the globe and absolutely plays a role in attracting visitors and sports fans to our gates.

“But innovation is equally important if we are to continue to provide the best possible experience to those guests in a competitive global market.”

In 2014, a redeveloped Adelaide Oval proudly took its rightful place on the global stage as a truly 21st century stadium, with its new state-of-the-art facilities and pavilion roofline nestled within the city’s famous heritage-listed park lands.

While the Oval had previously hosted the occasional AFL game alongside its busy cricket and major event schedule, the redeveloped stadium became the home ground for South Australia’s two AFL teams, with soaring new grandstands allowing for an increased capacity of more than 50,000 fans.

New bars, kiosks and restaurants were introduced across the venue, while additional corporate spaces unlocked new ways for guests to experience the venue on game days and otherwise.

A purpose-built museum was introduced to house the Bradman Collection, on loan from the State Library of South Australia, as were behind-the-scenes tours of the stadium to further celebrate its rich cricketing history.

“It’s clear that the leadership team at that time were able to find a balance between preserving history and enhancing the offering for the benefit of the visitor experience,” Nick says.

“That continues to be our guiding principle as the current custodians of the venue.”

Nick Addison, CEO

Already renowned as a major tourism destination, RoofClimb Adelaide Oval would – quite literally - take things to a new level when it was launched in 2016.

And, in 2020, Adelaide Oval added to its unparalleled list of attractions by opening Oval Hotel – the first integrated stadium hotel in Australia.

“RoofClimb and Oval Hotel were both the result of out of the box thinking and a need to drive visitation outside of sport and concerts. This is such a visually stunning venue in a prime CBD

location, so it made sense to embrace its potential as a tourism destination for the state,” Nick says. “Now, RoofClimb is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions and Oval Hotel sets the standard for boutique accommodation with its stylish design and award-winning restaurants.”

Adelaide Oval’s award-winning functions and events business has also expanded to include off-site catering, while its hospitality offering spans two onsite restaurants, café Koffee Ink and the ever-popular Malt Shovel Taphouse across the River Torrens.

Now, nearly ten years after the stadium’s redevelopment, the Adelaide Oval team are drawing on the venue’s demonstrated history of innovation.

“Every part of our business is geared towards elevating the guest experience and, moving forward, a big part of that will be technological advances,” Nick says.

“In the last few years, the stadium has undergone some significant audio-visual upgrades but we’re looking at ways to take that to the next level. Similarly, we’re investing in tech to improve everything from kiosk wait times to staff development and environmental sustainability.

“It’s not enough to simply be a leading stadium with some unique points of difference. That’s what we are now, but we want to be much more than a stadium.

“Our goal is to build on Adelaide Oval’s reputation as an unmissable destination, and to be recognised as Australia’s most iconic provider of extraordinary, memorable experiences.

“That takes bold thinking, new technology, and an appetite for improvement and growth across every part of the business. Our team is very much in that mindset, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.”

OvalHotel,Australia’sfirststadiumhotel

The FESTIVAL STATE

With a world-class festival and events calendar that spans the whole year, you’ll always find frivolity on your South Australian itinerary. Think festivals dedicated to Australia’s most watched game, or all things culinary excellence; Australia’s greatest cycling race, international sporting debuts or the world’s second largest arts festival. There’s a reason why South Australia is known as the festival state.

SANTOS TOUR DOWN UNDER

Welcome to the largest cycling event in the southern hemisphere. The Santos Tour Down Under was launched in 1999 and is held each January, captivating its live audience and fans worldwide. Men and women race at the highest level of competition, with a 10-day festival of cycling taking place alongside the on-road action.

Stage starts and finishes – plus a variety of community and participation events – are held across Adelaide and regional South Australia, while the central Tour Village in Adelaide’s Victoria Square/ Tarntanyangga is a base for teams and all keen to follow the race.

Steady, strategic growth has been crucial to the Santos Tour Down Under’s success. In 2008 it became the first cycling event outside Europe to secure Union Cycliste Internationale WorldTour status, a move that ensures top teams and riders compete each year. A women’s race was introduced in 2016, with elevation to the UCI Women’s WorldTour following in 2022. The Santos Tour Down Under opens the international cycling calendar in true South Australian style, sharing the state’s festive spirit while also offering crucial season points.

AFL GATHER ROUND

South Australia was chosen to host the inaugural Australian Football League Gather Round: an entire round of the season played in one state. This bold new step took place from 13-16 April 2023, sharing the buzz of elite football with passionate locals and a huge visiting audience.

Six matches were played at Adelaide Oval, two at Norwood Oval and one in the Adelaide Hills at Mount Barker’s Summit Sport and Recreation Park. All sold out. Total overall attendance for the AFL Gather Round was more than 268,000, with an economic impact of $83.5 million and almost 30 per cent of fans travelling to South Australia from interstate.

An average of 9,338 room nights were occupied over the Friday and Saturday of the event. Saturday generated the highest ever hotel revenue for a single night in Adelaide, while Friday was the second highest on record. Local tourism and hospitality businesses reported strong trade and were featured in Gather Round initiatives such as The Terrace at Mount Barker, a showcase of Adelaide Hills food and beverages.

South Australia will continue to host the AFL Gather Round until at least 2026 – a major commitment to the festival state.

LIV GOLF ADELAIDE

Golf, but louder. That’s the premise of LIV Golf – a new style of tournament revolutionising the sport worldwide. Adelaide was chosen for its Australian debut, with The Grange Golf Club welcoming 77,076 people from 21-23 April 2023.

General admission tickets sold out across the event, while more than 40 per cent of ticketholders came from interstate or one of the 37 nations also represented among attendees.

Innovation shaped every aspect of LIV Golf Adelaide. Highlights included The Watering Hole, the destination for those keen to party while watching elite athletes in action. A hole in one by American Chase Koepka prompted a celebration so exuberant it was shared worldwide.

South Australia’s strength in hosting major events was evident throughout the tournament, which draw praise for both its attention to detail and sense of fun.

TASTING AUSTRALIA PRESENTED BY RAA

TRAVEL

Celebration and collaboration of people, produce and place lie at the heart of Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel. It began in 1997, became annual in 2016 and is the nation’s longest-running eating and drinking festival.

International and Australian stars join local talent in events held across every region of the state. These include journeys with Tasting Australia Airlines to regions such as Kangaroo Island and the Flinders Ranges, sharing their pristine landscapes and unique flavours with those indulging their curiosity.

Town Square in Adelaide’s Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga is the festival hub – a destination home to a variety of food vendors and bars along with bespoke dining spaces and live music. In 2023 a record 68,000 people visited Town Square during Tasting Australia, with more than 250 local businesses supported during the 10-day festival.

ILLUMINATE ADELAIDE

South Australia’s events calendar spans every season – and winter is Illuminate Adelaide’s time to shine. Launched in 2021, it celebrates art, music, technology and invention from across Australia and around the world. Big names, dazzling performances and unbridled creativity come out to play as familiar sites are reimagined. This city-wide spectacle dares its audience to shake off the winter chill and rekindle a sense of wonder. More than 1.2 million attendances were recorded for the event’s first full program in 2022.

ADELAIDE FRINGE

Beginning in 1960, it transforms Adelaide and greater South Australia for 31 magical summer days and nights each year. The festival stretches from Whyalla in the state’s west to Naracoorte in the southeast, with eclectic and vibrant events that include cabaret, theatre, comedy, circus, music, visual arts, workshops and much more. A diverse audience aged between one and 100 come from all walks of life. This variety also extends to Adelaide Fringe’s diverse array of artists and venues.

In 2023 Adelaide Fringe made history as the first Australian festival to sell one million tickets. Total box office value was $25.17 million, with $23.9 million paid out in box office to Fringe artists and venues. More than three million attendances were recorded across the 2023 season, which featured 1280 shows and more than 1900 sold out performances.

HARVEST ROCK

The premise was simple. Brilliant music – plus the food, wine and hospitality South Australia is renowned for. Harvest Rock made it happen. Held for the first time in November 2022, this weekend music festival took place across two central Adelaide parks and welcomed 15,000 people each day. Headlined by Jack White in his only Australian performance, it also featured international artists including The Black Crowes, Sam Fender and Hot Chip, plus local stars such as Crowded House, The Living End and Genesis Owusu.

Acclaimed chef Jake Kellie of Adelaide restaurant arkhé led Harvest Rock’s dining offering, collaborating with wine expert Nick Stock across two decadent lunches in festival venue WILDWOOD.

Harvest Rock returns in late October 2023 with a second stellar musical lineup and a range of indulgent culinary offerings and destination bars.

Festive joy shines through each edition of the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant. This magical event is full of fantasy, floats, colourful characters, bands, dancers and more. It began in 1933 and has been embraced by generations of Australians for 90 years, becoming one of the world’s largest free community parades in the process.

The pageant winds its way through Adelaide’s city centre, with Father Christmas arriving at the Town Hall to greet the people of South Australia.

Covid’s arrival meant this cherished event was presented differently in 2020 and 2021, instead taking place as a ticketed twilight arena spectacular at Adelaide Oval. In 2022 it triumphantly returned to city streets. More than 240,000 people shared the spectacle live, while a further 583,000 watched its live and replay television broadcasts.

Growth initiatives such as activations, public engagement, national media coverage, national television promotion, education and merchandising have seen the National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant continue to build and shape its legacy.

InnovationsoftheWorld.com

SHOWCASING THE BEST OF THE WORLD - CONNECTING MINDS - BUILDING COMMUNITIES

The Innovate series is a 300-page in-depth study and AR video series that showcases the people and companies that are leading the race within the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems of each city and industry. A book with augmented reality video, an online platform and a global network with a common goal of ensuring the brightest minds of the world connect and succeed.

IT’S A KIND OF MAGIC...

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