Steps in process:

  1. Notice of inquiry13 Dec 2022
  2. Initial consultationDec 2022 - Feb 2023
  3. Draft report16 March 2023
  4. Final reportMay 2023 - current step

Final report

12 May 2023
The Hon Peter Malinauskas MP
Premier of South Australia
State Administration Centre
200 Victoria Square
ADELAIDE  SA 5000

Dear Premier

SAPC Inquiry into “Turning Research into Economic Competitiveness for South Australia”

In accordance with the terms of reference received by the Commission on 13 December 2022, I am now pleased to submit the South Australian Productivity Commission’s Final Report on our inquiry into “Turning Research into Economic Competitiveness for South Australia”.

The Commission’s central purpose is to provide you with independent evidence based advice on how to improve our State’s economic growth and in turn, South Australian household incomes.

The key conclusions of our report are as follows:

  • notwithstanding nearly 40 years of State Government activist innovation policies, our State remains less innovative than the national average;
  • this is economically significant for South Australian households. It explains why our wages remain materially lower than the national average;
  • our State Government innovation policies need to change focus;
  • that focus should for now be on South Australian Universities and their potential to shift South Australia to become an innovation state;
  • more specifically we recommend the Government pursue well-crafted and carefully implemented long-term reforms designed to support our Universities on their journey to becoming entrepreneurial universities that value their economic and social impacts on the state just as much as they value their excellent teaching and high-quality, internationally connected, research.

We believe that our 48 findings and 17 recommendations are a framework for this important economic reform that will likely, over the long-term, increase the incomes of South Australian households and provide us all with more stimulating and interesting lives.

I take this opportunity to thank my colleagues, Christopher Findlay and Steve Whetton, and Steve’s inquiry team, for their high-quality assistance on this assignment.

Yours faithfully

Adrian Tembel

CHAIRMAN

Government Response to the Final report

All Government responses to SAPC inquiries and reviews can be found on the Department of the Premier and Cabinet website.

South Australian Government’s Response to the South Australian Productivity Commission Inquiry into Turning Research into Economic Competitiveness for South Australia (PDF, 318.4 KB)

Contacts

Chair and Presiding Commissioner

Adrian Tembel
T: 08 8226 7744
E: adrian.tembel@sa.gov.au

Inquiry Lead

Steve Whetton
T: 08 8226 7705
E: steve.whetton@sa.gov.au

Administration

Simone Vanzati
T: 08 8226 2654
E: simone.vanzati@sa.gov.au