Entrepreneurial support
Adelaide is an emerging global start-up community with the best coordinated entrepreneurial ecosystem in Australia. It has developed a strong culture of innovation and collaboration among the business community.
The city-wide entrepreneurial ecosystem now features a huge support network of 116 innovation programs, including 21 co-working spaces and 13 incubators.
Lot Fourteen, Australia’s first creation and innovation neighbourhood, will span across seven hectares. It is home to Future Industries eXchange (FIXE) which supports and facilitates high-quality education, skills and training programs to enhance entrepreneurial capability. Also situated within Lot Fourteen is the Stone & Chalk-managed startup hub, a thriving and collaborative environment that exists to aid highly skilled entrepreneurs.
With low overhead costs, extensive networking opportunities and formidable support from government and the business community, entrepreneurs are readily embraced and encouraged to build their businesses and capitalise on the extensive opportunities in Adelaide.
The City of Adelaide and State Government are committed to nurturing innovators with over 100 programs which support entrepreneurs – the majority coordinated by Adelaide’s own entrepreneurial community.
Many of Adelaide’s business leaders are actively engaged in mentoring young entrepreneurs, both independently and through structured programs. There are seven coworking spaces in the CBD alone that support innovation through collaboration and networking. Some spaces are industry specific and many have been the birthplace of successful technical, creative and professional ventures.
The coworking communities work closely with local businesses and Adelaide’s universities, many of which offer their own accelerator programs and mentoring frameworks.
Adelaide has a well-deserved reputation as a city that is open to innovation and offering a safe environment to introduce and test new products and services.
Global technology leader Microsoft launched its second Australian Innovation Centre in Adelaide in 2015.
“We felt South Australia gave us a unique opportunity in terms of access to talent and – probably more importantly – a joined-up ecosystem between industry, government and academia to make a go of it,” Microsoft state director Brian Kealey said at the time.
Research, education, innovation
Adelaide boasts three world-class research universities, an entrepreneurial ecosystem sparking with potential and a focus on future industries.
We have a comparative advantage in the hi-tech sector, with clusters in med-tech, cyber security, advanced manufacturing, advanced data analytics, AI and creative industries.
Lot Fourteen, an innovation neighbourhood located at the former Royal Adelaide Hospital, has strong links to the defence and space technology industries and is home to the Australian Institute for Machine Learning and the Australian Space Agency.
Adelaide is working towards becoming one of the world’s smartest cities with a globally connected and opportunity rich economy. We put people and businesses at the centre of everything we do. Our focus is on creating an ecosystem of open and citizen-driven innovation, building and sharing resources and services to generate new standards in the way people live, learn, work and do business. We have all the elements for success, with Adelaide's governing bodies, corporates and universities working closely together to advance our smart city achievements.
Innovate Adelaide is an across-organisation team approach in accelerating innovation through embracing emerging opportunities and solving smart initiatives, big data, connectivity and entrepreneurship problems.
The objective is to bring together initiatives with synergies in a coordinated approach to foster economic growth and community wellbeing. This includes delivering on improving the city experience, generating efficiencies, leading cultural change and better utilising City of Adelaide assets. The concept is evolving to best address the needs of the entrepreneurial community.
Adelaide’s creation and innovation neighbourhood.
Lot Fourteen, Australia’s first creation and innovation neighbourhood, will span across seven hectares. As a new focal point for the digital industry and the catalyst for significant employment and economic benefits for the state, the site will be the springboard for creation and innovation, establishing Adelaide as the destination of choice for progressive companies. This is underpinned by a AUD$551 million ‘City Deal’ and anchor institutions which include the new Australian Space Agency, Institute for Machine Learning and the presence of the world’s leading university in computer science, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Lot Fourteen is the home of Future Industries eXchange for Entrepreneurship (FIXE), a new model centred on supporting and facilitating high-quality education, skills and training programs to enhance entrepreneurial capability.
The Stone & Chalk operated start-up hub at Lot Fourteen will give highly skilled entrepreneurs the resources and community they need to scale and commercialise ideas. The hub’s bespoke Mentor Program provides access to rich national and international external networks and relationships. The space focuses on professional development, innovation programs, talent initiatives, investor engagement and thought leadership activities.
FAQs
Adelaide's business leaders are deeply involved in mentoring young entrepreneurs, both independently and through structured programs, contributing to a supportive environment that fosters innovation and business growth.
Adelaide's universities are integral to the entrepreneurial ecosystem, offering accelerator programs and mentoring frameworks that support the development of start-ups and foster a culture of innovation within the city.
The City of Adelaide, in collaboration with the State Government, offers over 100 programs to nurture innovators, with a significant number coordinated by the local entrepreneurial community, ensuring entrepreneurs receive comprehensive support to thrive.
Lot Fourteen plays a pivotal role in Adelaide's focus on future industries by hosting the Australian Institute for Machine Learning and the Australian Space Agency, and fostering connections with the defence and space technology sectors.