New Valet Parking at Adelaide Airport

Adelaide Airport has launched a new valet parking service available to all travellers.

The service will be run by the national operator First Class Valet and will be available every day of the year from 4:30am until 11:30pm.

Adelaide Airport Managing Director Brenton Cox said drive-up rates start at $85 per day with the daily rate reducing for longer bookings. Seven-day drive-up bookings are $345 but are cheaper through online bookings.

“Our new valet at Adelaide Airport will offer a convenient service and excellent value for our customers. Simply pull up out the front of our southern entrance, hand your keys to the valet attendant and head upstairs for your flight,” he said.

The service will initially accommodate around 270 vehicles with the potential to expand as demand increases.

– Jade Woollacott

SA the state to benefit the most from AI and emerging tech, says new report

A report suggests that South Australia will be the state to benefit the most from the introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies in industries and government.

The ACS Digital Pulse report found that the rapid adoption of AI, robotics and the Internet of Things – meaning devices that connect and exchange data using the internet – will affect over 900,000 Australian workers by 2030.

According to the report, there are 42,776 South Australians currently working in the tech industry. By 2030 that number is projected to reach some 86,000 people.

The report said the ICT sector contributed $4.7 billion to the South Australian economy in 2022, but outdated digital skills cost large businesses $160 million annually.

ACS South Australia Branch Chair Tapan Dave said: “South Australia’s strategic focus on cybersecurity and defence technology research positions us uniquely to harness the full potential of emerging technologies.”

“This presents an unparalleled opportunity for our state to drive innovation, create high-skilled jobs, and bolster economic growth.”

“As South Australia embraces the opportunities presented by emerging technologies, collaboration between government, industry, and academia will be crucial to ensure sustainable growth and competitiveness on a global scale.”

– Charlie Gilchrist

New opportunity for Adelaide-based start-ups

_SOUTHSTART has partnered with the Adelaide Economic Development Agency to launch a new initiative to facilitate the growth of Adelaide-based start-ups.

The new initiative MASTERM!IND will work with 10 “growth-ready founders” to help mobilise networks, skills and resources from May through to September.

This support will be provided through monthly meetings and personalised growth sessions led by industry experts geared towards converting goals into outcomes.

To qualify applicants must be based in the Adelaide CBD, have at least two years of experience and be able to demonstrate traction.

Applications open April 4 and close April 21 before the program kicks off in early May.

– Jade Woollacott

Sparc Technologies tests its scalable second-generation reactor

Sparc Technologies Limited has announced that Sparc Hydrogen – a joint venture between the University of Adelaide, Fortescue and Sparc Technologies – has successfully tested its scalable second-generation reactor.

The second-generation photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) reactor was tested at the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle, New South Wales on time and budget.

The process splits water into its elemental state of hydrogen and oxygen.

Sparc Technologies said that the newest generation of the reactor was a significant improvement on the original prototype, with better temperature and pressure control, gas production and measurement.

Sparc Technologies Managing Director Nick O’Loughlin said: “The performance and design improvements that have been demonstrated through the second-generation reactor validate the ongoing laboratory work along with the approach that Sparc Hydrogen has taken to on-sun scale-up as we head towards a pilot plant investment decision.”

“This prototype testing has persuasively demonstrated concentrated photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) in real-world conditions, which in turn reinforces the significant potential of PWS as an alternative to electrolysis for the production of low-cost green hydrogen.

“We continue to be encouraged by the market demand for alternative green hydrogen production technologies, given the challenges being faced by electrolysis projects globally.”

The test comes as Sparc Technologies continues to progress on the creation of its Sparc Hydrogen pilot plant.

– Charlie Gilchrist

Coursebox co-founders Travis Clapp and Alex Hey. Photo supplied.

Tech startup secures pilot contract with US University

Startup Coursebox has signed a six-month pilot project with Washington D.C. tertiary education institution Nexford University.

Under the partnership, Nexford will work with Coursebox to further refine the Adelaide-based startup’s AI assessment feature.

It will also test its content-aware, personalisation tools for students.

Co-founded by 40 Under 40 alumnus Travis Clapp and Alex Hey, Coursebox is an artificial intelligence-powered course-building platform.

Powered by US tech giant Open AI’s ground-breaking technology, Coursebox helps users create courses quickly and painlessly.

The simple layout lets users describe their course, provide guidance on how long it should take to complete and define the target users. It then spits out an editable course, and users can let the AI automatically write content for the pages.

– David Simmons

SA business network heads east

Tonsley-based The Executive Hub has launched its executive roundtable offering in Victoria and sees an opportunity for its networking and consulting services in New South Wales.

Founded by Phil Ransome and Mike Rowe, The Executive Hub is a consulting firm that connects leaders through executive roundtables, leadership development programs and management advisory services.

Ransome said the vision for The Executive Hub was to “build the service offering and expand the network throughout Australia and internationally”.

“We have invested significantly in building a scalable model and have been working with franchising experts to build a framework that supports our strategic objectives,” he said.

As part of the expansion strategy, the organisation appointed Suzanne Murphy as Principal and Strategic Partner in Victoria.

“Partnering with The Executive Hub is a testament to our shared dedication to fostering growth and excellence in SMEs,” said Murphy, who has more than 20 years of C-suite and executive management experience.

“I’m thrilled to join forces with a team whose mission aligns so closely with my passion for empowering leaders with the transformative power of peer-to-peer learning, driving a lasting impact in the business world.”

The organisation also announced ZEN Energy founder Richard Turner was appointed as Entrepreneur in Residence.

Co-founder Rowe said Richard would “bring a different and valuable perspective to our community as he is a successful entrepreneur that has significant commercial experience and expertise”.

“Our community now has access to a seasoned business leader with vast business knowledge.

“The cultural alignment is perfect and Richard shares our vision to improve lives through business.”

– David Simmons

Adelaide’s accommodation revenues grew by over 13 per cent during Gather Round, with hotels alone making $13.6M.Photo: AFL.

Gather Round produces $8.3m kick for SA hotels

The Australian Hotels Association (SA) and Accommodation Australia have welcomed what they said was a resounding success during the 2024 Gather Round.

They said that over the long weekend, Adelaide’s accommodation revenues grew by over 13 per cent, with hotels alone making $13.6 million. This is $8.3 million more than the 2016-2019 average.

Australian Hotels Association South Australian CEO Anna Moeller said: “It wasn’t long ago that the hotel industry was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, and now, hotels across Adelaide are buzzing with footy fans. Interstate visitors travelling by car saw regional areas also benefit from the event.

“To see numbers like this…it provides real confidence to our industry, and in turn, confidence to the 26,500 people we employ across what is now becoming known as the destination state,” she said.

– Xenia Hackett

Datacom opens a third customer integration centre in SA

Australasian tech company Datacom has opened a new customer integration centre in South Australia, which caters to government, corporate and commercial industries.

Datacom employs over 1000 staff across three SA locations. The new location can process and configure 2500 digital devices per week.

“We’d outgrown our previous facility and so the timing was right to invest in a bigger space that we could customise into the new industry standard for a facility of this type,” said Product Solutions Group Director Ross Salisbury.

The facility will remove and recycle product packaging in-house and dispose of expired devices for clients.

“Every activity is inherently managed with a circulatory sustainability approach,” Salisbury said.

– Louise Jackson