The Sunshine Coast has been shortlisted as one of three finalists for the Innovative Regions Award.
The Australian Technologies Competition (ATC) has announced the following regions as being the best places in Australia to grow technology companies:
- Sunshine Coast, Queensland, with its Business Gateway, Innovation Centre and Smart City Framework.
- Greater Adelaide Region, South Australia, featuring 109 innovation programs, fourteen co-working spaces and eleven incubators.
- Hunter Region, NSW, with an Innovation Cluster, accelerator program and industry showcases.
Combined, the regions represent around 10 percent of both the country’s population and GDP. The finalists are judged to be the regions that provide the most supportive environment for SME emerging technology companies. It is not about scale but rather about the quality of the innovation ecosystem that has been built.
Judges looked at existing programs, networking opportunities, the celebrating of failure and at links with research, business and investors.
“This nomination is wonderful recognition that our region is building on its enviable lifestyle to also create an environment where the industries of the future can thrive,” Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said.
“The Sunshine Coast Regional Economic Development Strategy has identified seven high value industries as the keys to future employment and economic strength: health and wellbeing; education and research; professional services and knowledge industries; tourism, sport and leisure; agribusiness; clean technologies; and aviation and aerospace.”
The Innovative Regions winner will be announced along with Australia’s best technology companies at a gala event in Sydney on 20 October 2015.
