The initiative was formed in collaboration with Flinders University and Cisco.

Innovation Central Adelaide has been established at Flinders University’s Digital Transformation Laboratory at the Tonsley Innovation District, also launched by the minister.

Flinders University vice-chancellor professor Colin Stirling says the initiative represents the realisation of a national advanced technology network, complementing sister facilities in New South Wales, Western Australia, and Queensland.

“The partnership between Flinders and Cisco expands the co-innovation footprint of Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane, bringing together researchers and industry to facilitate collaboration and create opportunities to solve real world problems through technology innovation,” Stirling says.

“It further reinforces the world-class expertise that Flinders researchers are contributing to the evolution of advanced manufacturing in South Australia, supporting jobs and the economy,” Stirling adds.

Flinders pro vice-chancellor of research innovation professor John Spoehr says Innovation Central Adelaide will provide a high-tech treasure chest to South Australian firms, and turbo charge students’ real-world learning.

“Innovation Central Adelaide gives them that capacity, supporting them to apply cutting edge design processes, rapid prototyping, simulation, and high-tech visualisation technologies that would otherwise be beyond their reach,” claims Spoehr.

“In addition, companies will be able to use Innovation Central Adelaide to experiment with a range of robotics and automation technologies. Initial trials supported by the new facility will focus on collaboration systems, industrial networking, automation, industrial security, wireless systems and industrial sensor solutions,” he says.

Professor Spoehr says Innovation Central Adelaide will support product and service development by facilitating the uptake of digital technologies in South Australian companies.

“This important collaboration is unlocking a treasure chest of technology which will help accelerate advanced manufacturing across our state,” Professor Spoehr says.

“It will equip students to be industry-ready with the digital skills required in the knowledge economy that help to solve real-world industry problems,” he adds.

The partnership with Flinders University builds on Cisco’s commitment to innovation and research and will see Flinders join the National Industry Innovation Network (NIIN), a Cisco-led industry and university alliance to solve industry challenges through adoption of technology solutions, according to Cisco Australia and New Zealand vice president Ben Dawson.

The NIIN is co-funded through Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program, a $61 million investment to accelerate Australia’s digital capabilities in industries of national significance.

“The partnership with Flinders University and Innovation Central Adelaide represents new research and innovation opportunities that will transform advanced manufacturing with the application of digital technologies to increase efficiencies and scale across industries,” Dawson says.

“The National Industry Innovation Network is an alliance working on nationally significant projects including securing critical infrastructure, connected education, net zero and sustainability, digital health, and hybrid work, to realise digital opportunities that can benefit the whole country,” Dawson adds.

Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (IMCRC) CEO and managing director Dave Chuter sees IMCRC and the digital transformation laboratory as significant and important additions to the growing capability and capacity at Tonsley.

“Tonsley is further building credentials as a leading design and manufacturing hub. Digital technologies are profoundly changing Australia’s industry sectors. By bringing together researchers and innovators from across the public and private sectors, this creates a space where those digital technologies can be explored, tested and applied to drive commercial opportunities and outcomes,” Chuter says.

Innovation Central Adelaide strengthens the University’s partnership with Cisco at Tonsley, which currently supports research on innovative health technologies.