At the AusBiotech South Australian BioBriefing, SAPC Chair Adrian Tembel outlined key economic insights, noting that South Australia has reached full employment with one million people in work for the first time. Despite this strong labour market, real wages remain constrained by inflation, and recent employment growth has been concentrated in health and social assistance rather than higher‑value sectors.
Mr Tembel highlighted that these short‑term conditions sit within a longer trend of South Australia’s declining national share of population, economic activity, exports, and federal parliamentary representation. This sustained decline reinforces the need for a renewed and carefully targeted economic growth strategy for the state.
He emphasised several structural challenges affecting South Australia’s competitiveness, including low business investment in research and development—currently only 0.7% of GSP—and comparatively low patent activity. These issues are compounded by a business landscape dominated by small, low‑growth firms and skills shortages across ICT, engineering, and science.
In outlining potential policy directions, Mr Tembel stressed that traditional innovation approaches—such as dispersed grant programs and infrastructure‑focused measures—have not delivered the desired outcomes. He argued that the state must instead focus on attracting and retaining world‑class research talent and strengthening connections between universities and industry to generate higher‑value economic activity.
He also identified the establishment of Adelaide University as a pivotal step, given its statutory responsibility to support research, innovation, and economic development. The SAPC has provided the Premier with further advice on evidence‑based policy reforms aimed at lifting South Australia’s R&D intensity and supporting long‑term, high‑quality growth, with outcomes to be considered by government in due course.