October 3 2017
Adelaide has officially become the first and only city outside of the United States to join the US Ignite network, connecting local application developers with global businesses.
A partnership between the State Government and the University of South Australia, Ignite SA will support entrepreneurs, developers and start-ups to develop new smart gigabit applications that appeal to local, national and global markets, supported by South Australia’s GigCity high speed internet network.
Through UniSA’s Innovation and Collaboration Centre (ICC) and Information Strategy and Technology Service Department (ISTS), Ignite SA will provide community and technical leadership and support to entrepreneurs and start-ups to engage, collaborate and explore new ideas for businesses.
Background
US Ignite is a not-for-profit group, supported by the United States’ National Science Foundation, devoted to fostering the development of next-generation applications that provide transformative public benefit, using new technologies like software defined networks and cloud computing.
The State Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with US Ignite in 2016 to establish Adelaide as the first non-US city partner, linking to a growing and sustainable ecosystem of smart gigabit city testbeds and applications across 20 communities in the US.
UniSA will work closely with local and global companies including Microsoft, Dell, Optus, Cisco and eResearchSA to provide early stage start-ups and entrepreneurs with community support and access to technology they need to get their gigabit application ideas up and running.
Adelaide is the first GigCity in Australia to offer ultra-fast internet speeds of up to 1 gigabits-per-second across key innovation precincts.
Businesses that are tenants of those precincts will have access to gigabit-speed internet service plans ranging from $49.90 to $179.90 per month, providing access to affordable and less restrictive plans than what is currently available in the marketplace.
Quotes attributable to Manufacturing and Innovation Minister Kyam Maher
Ignite SA will focus on the creation of new ideas and the incubation of start-ups and drive engagement with industry and the community.
This important agreement between the South Australian Government and US Ignite will give South Australian businesses the opportunity to collaborate with companies and research organisations across 20 cities in the US.
This strategic partnership will provide a vibrant environment of enterprise and engagement delivering tangible opportunities for South Australians to lead innovation and economic growth across the country and the world.
With ultra-fast internet, entrepreneurs and start-ups can develop leading-edge ideas that will drive economic development, create new jobs and position South Australia as a world-leader in a rapidly evolving innovation economy.
Quotes attributable to UniSA Vice Chancellor David Lloyd
As Australia’s University of Enterprise, we are committed to engaging with researchers, industry and individuals to explore opportunities for innovation in the information and technology sector.
We are thrilled to have further cemented our partnership with the State Government with the appointment of the ICC and our Information Strategy and Technology Services Department as the Community and Technology Leaders for Ignite SA.
We are looking forward to continuing to promote our city as a smart, globally connected place to do business.
Quotes attributable to US Ignite Chief Operating Officer Joe Kochan
Creating smarter, more liveable cities requires global thinking and collaboration. That’s why we’re pleased to have our first international city and university, Adelaide and UniSA, join the US Ignite Smart Gigabit Communities program.
Adelaide’s participation in this program will put South Australia at the forefront of smart city research, innovation, and creative development, and will further enable Adelaide to take advantage of its advanced networks and many digital assets.
This program will accelerate the development of advanced networking applications that will profoundly impact how South Australians live, work, and learn, while building a critical mass of hyper-connected communities with ripple effects for the South Australian economy.
US Ignite welcomes Adelaide into partnership with its other Smart Gigabit Communities, and I am delighted to visit Adelaide next week to experience this global gigabit community first-hand.
