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Why Australia & Adelaide

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Our state is open to new people, new ideas, and new partnerships.

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Why Australia

An investment in Tonsley is an investment in Australia — a safe, low risk environment for business.

Australia’s strong economy

  • 13th largest economy in the world.
  • 23+ years of uninterrupted annual growth.
  • AAA rated by all three global rating agencies.
  • 3% forecast average annual real GDP growth for 2015 to 2019.
  • Home to the world’s 3rd-largest pool of funds under management and the largest in the Asian region.

An innovative economy

Australia is a world-class innovation destination, with solid foundations of modern ICT infrastructure, high levels of investment, generous R&D tax incentives for businesses and strong intellectual property protection.

  • High-quality research outcomes: 6.2% is the proportion of the world’s most cited publications produced by Australian researchers.
  • Rapid growth in expenditure on R&D: 11% is the growth in gross Australian expenditure between 2000/01–2011/12, which is twice the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average growth in gross expenditure on R&D.
  • AU$9.2 billion in Australian Government’s 2014/15 support of science, research and innovation in the country.
  • Australian innovations or discoveries: bionic eye, Google Maps, high-speed Wi-Fi, spray-on skin for burns victims, cervical cancer vaccine, ultrasound, cochlear implants, and civilian use of penicillin.

A talented workforce

  • The Australian labour force is one of the most educated, multicultural and multilingual in the world.
  • Australia has the world’s highest secondary education enrolment rate.
  • Almost 40% of the workforce holds a tertiary qualification or advanced diploma.
  • A ‘first choice’ education destination within the Asian region.

Ease of doing business

  • Doing business in Australia is easier than in most other countries. With one of the most transparent and well-regulated business environments in the world, Australia’s political stability and regulatory framework provides investors with confidence and security.
  • Ranked 3rd on the Index of Economic Freedom (6 years running)

South Australia: An investment destination

Shared economic focus for businesses

Creative collaboration and connectedness focus Tonsley’s vision. Tonsley’s suitability assessment process requires potential occupants to demonstrate that their business activity is aligned to the precinct’s vision and will contribute to boosting its reputation as an innovation district.

This means investors can be confident that Tonsley is focussed on industry sectors that are in local and global demand. Tonsley’s collaborative nature accelerates products and services to market.

Tonsley sits within the South Australia’s development credo of maximising opportunities while minimising risks.

  • The state’s regulatory environment is stable. We are business-friendly, and politically low-risk.
  • Our capabilities in the sector are well established, long-standing, and expanding.
  • We have a highly skilled workforce and an internationally well-regarded education sector.

Business clustering

Aligned to the European model of business clustering, which has resulted in economic and job growth, the South Australian Government supports the development of clusters based on smart specialisation in:

  • defence (aerospace)
  • creative industries (music and technology)
  • cleantech (water)
  • health and medical devices (medical lasers)
  • mining and resources (internet of things)
  • food and wine.

A great place to live

South Australia is one of the most attractive places in the world to live and work and has the lowest cost of living of all capital cities according to the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling.

A myriad of attractions on your doorstep:

  • Excellent schools and universities
  • Relaxed lifestyle
  • Tonsley is close to prime beaches and southern vineyard districts
  • Excellent healthcare
  • World-class sporting facilities like the Adelaide Oval
  • Great transport
  • It’s a cliché, but a clean green environment is very important.

South Australia: A lower cost for doing business

  • Full-time labour costs are 9% below the Australian average.
  • Creating the lowest taxing state for business by July 2018.

Gateway to Asia

  • Tonsley is just 12km from Adelaide International Airport.
  • Adelaide has excellent air and sea import/export facilities.
  • There is a strong government focus on assisting exporters, with a particular focus on China, India and South East Asia.
  • Regular, highly effective trade missions to existing and developing export markets, led and supported by government at the highest levels.

Leading agriculture region producing quality food and wine

  • The value of South Australia’s food and wine industry is $17 billion.
  • Almost 80% of Australia’s premium wine is produced in South Australia from some of the oldest vines in the world.
  • Food and wine is South Australia’s highest export earner, with exports of premium wine to 100 countries.

Adelaide: A smart and connected city

The first Internet of Things region in the Southern Hemisphere

Securing its reputation as Australia’s most tech-savvy region, South Australia signed an agreement with French global Internet of Things (IoT) network provider, Sigfox to assist the network’s roll-out across the state to link everyday personal devices and household appliances with other devices such as vehicles, buildings and infrastructure embedded with electronics, software and sensors.

The South Australian Government, Adelaide City Council and Cisco have also signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Australia’s first IoT Adelaide SmartCity Studio to test, trial and install digitally enabled transport, health care, education, utilities, energy and a range of other services and information for the community through the AdelaideFree Wi-Fi network. The SmartCity Studio is part of the Cisco Smart+Connected Communities™ concept, which positions technology and connectivity at the heart of economic development and quality of life in modern cities.

Australia’s first Cisco Lighthouse City

South Australia’s credentials as a smart city have been recognised by technology giant, Cisco, naming Adelaide as the first smart and connected ‘Lighthouse City’ in Australia, one of only 10 in the world.

AdelaideFree Wi-Fi

Adelaide has the largest and best performing city Wi-Fi network in Australia — on par with the best in the world — and it’s free.

Australia's first Gig City

The Government of South Australia committed $4.65 million to establish Adelaide as part of the Gig City network, offering businesses internet speeds of up to 100 times the national average, and at least 10 times the download speed of the National Broadband Network.

The network will make Adelaide the first Gig City in Australia and the capital of ultra-fast internet for business, attracting investment from high tech global companies, as well as creating jobs in future industries.

Gig City will use SABRENet’s optical fibre network, and will be rolled out at Tonsley, Technology Park, Techport, Thebarton BioScience Precinct, St Paul’s Creative Centre, the Majoran Co-working Space, Hub Adelaide, and the Stretton Centre. It is expected roll out of the Gig City network will begin by the end of 2016.

Innovation & Collaboration Centre

The Innovation & Collaboration Centre — a partnership between the University of South Australia, the South Australian Government and global technology business Hewlett Packard — provides a unique environment that connects technology, knowledge and commercialisation expertise, and helps businesses and industries transform ideas into market success.

Co-working space and entrepreneurial ecosystem

Adelaide has multiple co-working spaces, including HUB Adelaide, the Majoran Distillery and CO-HAB at Tonsley, in addition to co-working spaces in each of the major universities.

Sustainability: Adelaide’s Green Zone

Striving for carbon neutrality is an important part of environmental planning world-wide, and South Australia is a national leader in this area.

The South Australian Government has recently committed to establishing a carbon neutral ‘Adelaide Green Zone’. The initiative is designed to drive further emissions reductions, increase the demand for renewable energy, build the state’s green industries, increase resource efficiency, improve waste management and facilitate the transition to cleaner transport modes.

More information

This booklet contains more details on the practical advantages and benefits of doing business and establishing a base at Tonsley.