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Tonsley comes alive on Sunday

The growing innovation district at Tonsley will host this year’s Adelaide Mini Maker Faire on Sunday, bringing more than 100 exhibitors to the main assembly building area.

Oct 30, 2015, updated Oct 30, 2015

Inventors and designers, including Flinders University engineers and scientists, will join artists and traditional craftspeople in showcasing their skills – from filmmaking and special effects to robotics and 3D printing.

With the Tonsley site now hosting more than 30 companies and about 800 jobs, the 61 hectare former car-making precinct is gaining strong momentum, says Megan Antcliff Director, Technology and Creative Industries and Tonsley Redevelopment, Investment Attraction Agency.

“In just over three years, the State Government and our founding partners including Flinders University, have transformed an empty site into a place where local companies can collaborate closely with global companies, potential investors and partners, research and development companies, training organisations and other services,” she says.

“We spent a lot of time looking at what companies need to flourish in an innovative working environment in ways that hadn’t been done before.

“One of the great benefits of small to medium businesses co-locating at Tonsley is the ability to access co-working spaces near global, innovative companies such as Siemens, to learn from start-up supports such as Flinders’ New Venture Institute and Innovyz, and to understand what they need to succeed and attract customers.”

There will be further developments at the site in 2016, including further planning for residential and commercial buildings and occupants.

Flinders’ School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics (CSEM) is expanding, along with further developments at the new Tonsley TAFE, or the Sustainable Industries Education Centre, where renewable energy group ZEN Energy is co-located.

Flinders is inviting visitors at Sunday’s open day to see their mini robots, autonomous catamaran and students’ fuel-efficient racing car on display in the main building and nearby heavy mechanical workshop.

The public is also invited to see more of the computer science, engineering and math students’ work at the CSEM Expo at Flinders at Tonsley from 1-3pm on Wednesday 4 November. Postgraduate students will present and display posters from their 2015 project work. 

The 2015 Adelaide Mini Maker Faire, from 10am to 5pm this Sunday 1 November, will celebrate technology, science, engineering, arts, craft, food, sustainability, and promote the Tonsley site as a hub of innovation, education and entrepreneurship.

Presentations will be given at the Flinders at Tonsley Lecture Theatre 1 including a talk by Mad Max: Fury Road prop-maker Matt Boug, science experts Rob Morrison and Deane Hutton from The Curiosity Show and about this year’s State Government’s Open Data competition.

Special trains will run hourly on the Tonsley train line this Sunday, enabling easy access to the Adelaide Mini Maker Faire via the Clovelly Park train station.

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