Tonsley in Adelaide, Australia is the country's first innovation district. It was created to encourage collaboration between businesses, education, and research to help companies move up the value chain. The South Australian government has invested $253 million in Tonsley. This investment is expected to attract over $1 billion in private investment in the coming years. Tonsley is home to over 30 companies and 8,500 students. It focuses on industries like mining, renewable energy, health and software where the region has strengths and is expected to see above average growth.

1. ISSUE 01
RESOURCING SA Spring 2015
Investment
International
Innovation
Tonsley, Australia’s first innovation district, is ticking all the boxes and poised for international
growth and investment attraction.
It began with a far sighted economic vision to
create a high value industry base supported
by research,education,innovation and
collaboration.Now the Tonsley precinct in
Adelaide’s southern suburbs is playing its
intended role and helping businesses move up
the value chain and into global markets.
The South Australian Government has invested
substantially in Tonsley,contributing $253
million in a long term commitment.It’s an
investment that is expected to pay off with
more than $1 billion in private investment
anticipated over the coming years.
The redevelopment of Tonsley began in 2012 as
a 20-year project,but just over three years on
its already raking in design awards and is home
to more than 30 companies and 8500 students.
So what exactly isTonsley?It’s an innovation
district,created to encourage and facilitate
collaboration between businesses and attract
and retain highly skilled employees.Tonsley helps
industry,researchers and entrepreneurs work
together and apply new ideas and innovation.It
combines training,tertiary education,research
and development,professional development,
business mentoring and acceleration programs.
In June 2015,the precinct was awarded the
prestigious 6 Star Green Star – Communities
certification by the Green Building Council of
Australia.But aside from its environmental
credentials,Tonsley is home to global players
as well as innovative start-ups.A case
management approach is applied,tailoring
offerings to investors from set-up right through
to business development.
The precinct focuses on sectors where South
Australia is economically strong and expected
to outpace average global growth.
One of these is mining and resource services and
Tonsley has already proven to be an ideal home
for companies in remote mining technology,
deep exploration,precision engineering and
simulation.Relevant education facilities are on
site,and the new State Drill Core Library,to be
completed in 2016,will provide easy access to
the State’s inventory of drill cores.
Clean technologies and renewable energy
is another targeted sector, with TAFE SA’s
Sustainable Industries Education Centre
(SIEC) the anchor investor in this space, and
international partnerships such as Prospect
Silicon Valley in the United States under
development.
Tonsley is also a natural fit for health and
medical devices and assistive technologies,
with Flinders Medical Centre close by and the
university’s Medical Device Research Institute
on-site.An exciting cluster of industry activity
is fast developing at the precinct under the
banner of MedDev SA.
Adelaide is recognised as a cost competitive
city for software development and Flinders
University’s School of Computer Science,
Engineering and Mathematics,together with
Simulation Australasia (the national peak body
for the simulation industry) have both found an
appropriate home at Tonsley.
One of the world’s largest engineering and
advanced technology firms,Siemens,signed
a Memorandum of Understanding with the
South Australian Government in 2012.Siemens’
turbine maintenance and repair facility
commenced operation at the precinct earlier
this year.Large equipment for the oil & gas
industries is overhauled onsite – work that was
previously sent offshore.Siemens Executive
Vice President - Energy,David Pryke claims
Tonsley is the best example in Australia for
such a technology precinct.
Flinders University’s $120 million Computer
Science, Engineering and Mathematics School
also opened at Tonsley this year.Two thousand
students and 150 staff already use the
new campus.
The building also houses the Centre
for Nanoscale Science and Technology
(NanoCentre),Hills Innovation Centre and
Flinders University’s New Ventures Institute,
which provides pathways to company formation
and links to the Flinders Business School.
TAFE SA’s $119 million Sustainable Industries
Education Centre opened last year to 6500
students and has already won several national
and international design awards.
Others at Tonsley include Signostics – a
designer, manufacturer and exporter of
hand-held ultrasound devices;ZEN Energy
Systems – the largest solar energy provider in
South Australia and currently in discussions
with Origin Energy to deliver a large scale
solar array (up to 3MW generation capacity)
on the roof of the precinct’s Main Assembly
Building;and the Onshore Petroleum Centre
of Excellence training facility – a collaboration
between Santos, Beach Energy, Senex, the
South Australian Government and TAFE SA to
develop a skilled workforce for the expanding
onshore petroleum industry.
The precinct boasts ample room for more
innovative,collaborative residents and
Tonsley is on the lookout for investment
from companies aligned to its target sectors
interested in becoming a part of Australia’s first
innovation district.An investment mission is
scheduled for the UK and Europe in December
to launch the development to international
markets.To find out more about this or about
Tonsley,visit www.tonsley.com
38 Feature
Recreational area at Tonsley
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