Tonsley Innovation District

Tonsley Innovation District has surged into its second decade of operation, continuing its laser-focused commitment to driving innovation and energising the state’s economy. The government-led District, located 12km from the city, has made dramatic strides since opening in 2012.

To mark Tonsley’s first decade of success, Renewal SA sat down with some of the District’s greatest champions, those who have actively contributed to its collaborative ecosystem and influenced the exemplar incubator it has become.

Located in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, Tonsley was an inaugural member of the Global Institute on Innovation Districts and is the most awarded innovation district in Australia. This membership gave Tonsley access to a framework that helped strengthen its unique value proposition and provided opportunities for it to leapfrog ahead in core areas of sustainability, economic resilience and attraction of industry and investment.

According to Ms Julie Wagner, president and founder of The Global Institute on Innovation Districts (GIID), after her site research visit in April 2023, “Tonsley is a powerful example of an innovation district rooted in advanced manufacturing, highly technical sophistication and robotics, additive manufacturing and a diversity of disciplines converging together to create a true innovative economy, and you see it within footsteps of each other. There’s a really beautiful combination of both innovation, placemaking and a really inviting set of spaces to pull together people in different ways.”

We acknowledge that Tonsley Innovation District is situated on the Traditional Lands of the Kaurna people. We respect and support their spiritual connection with Country and connection to their land, waters and community.