Intelligent community taps innovation partnerships smart city 21

With the Sunshine Coast named as one of the world’s Smart21 Communities for 2017, council has joined 19 peer groups to take regional collaboration to new levels.

Mayor Mark Jamieson said the Sunshine Coast had already achieved remarkable success and was in an excellent position to tap into new innovation partnerships.

“For the third time in four years, our region has been named as one of the world’s Smart21 Communities by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF),” Mayor Jamieson said.

“Sunshine Coast is now in the running to be named in the ICF’s Top 7 Intelligent Communities of the Year on January 18 and the Intelligent Community of the Year in June 2017.

“We have been recognised for our application of digital technology, and for effective leadership and collaboration in delivering economic opportunities - leading to jobs, investment and social development.”

The new regional initiative, #SCRIPT (Sunshine Coast Region Innovation Pipeline Team), promotes Smart 21 principles and leverages Advance Qld programs to further develop an innovation eco-system across the region, leading to more jobs, investment and social development.

“This group brings together a wealth of digital experience and expertise,” Mayor Jamieson said.

“Our aim is to support and foster innovation, embrace new ideas and technologies, share ideas, tools and resources and importantly help stimulate productivity gains across industry and business.

“We are submitting an application to the State Government’s Advance Qld Regional Innovation Fund which, if successful, will dedicate $1 million in innovation funding to the region over three years.”

The #SCRIPT team constitutes the largest state-wide collaboration of partners working to build a Regional Innovation Hub, building on the region’s strong social capital, locally, nationally and to further links internationally.

Ultimately, #SCRIPT will work to attract innovators to the Sunshine Coast region, showcasing our world-class location, talent and innovative pipeline of projects.

It will also better connect these innovators to our eco-system of co-working, mentoring, creative arts, makerspaces, labs, events, support programs, awards and certifications.

Mayor Jamieson said #SCRIPT was one of a number of actions Sunshine Coast Council was undertaking to make Sunshine Coast a truly smart region.

“We have a great many smart integrated technologies and innovations already in place and we’ve got many more to come,” he said.

“Last year we reached significant milestones including the procurement of Australia’s first automatic waste collection system, an enhanced free public WiFi offering across the region and the opening of Smart Centre and Living Lab in Caloundra, which trial new technologies.

“Council also adopted its Smart City Implementation Program in December which outlines a $1.6 million three-year program to deliver tangible smart technologies and infrastructure to the region.

“This year will see a number of significant projects completed including the Sunshine Coast Solar Farm which will allow council to become Australia’s first local government to offset 100% of its electricity consumption – a cross all its facilities and operations – from clean energy.

“We’ll be capturing unique business intelligence data through the new technologies to help council provide services where they are needed most.

“It’s fair to say our region is going from strength to strength and the future is here.”

Sunshine Coast Region Innovation Pipeline Team (#SCRIPT) partners include Sunshine Coast Council, Noosa Council, Regional Development Australia, SunCentral, CCIQ Noosa, Atmail, Food and Agribusiness Network, University of the Sunshine Coast, Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast, Spark Bureau, Tourism Noosa, Noosa Boardroom, SCCA Creative Alliance, The Old Ambulance Station, Junction2, Tafe Queensland East Coast, CQ University Australia, Causeway Innovation, Noosa biosphere and Zero Emissions Noosa.

2016 milestones of a smarter Sunshine Coast:

Named an International Smart 21 City for 2017 by the worldwide Intelligent Community Forum and now a Smart7 candidate.
Procurement of Australia’s first automatic waste collection system to be installed in Maroochydore City Centre.
Enhanced free public WiFi across the region.
Opened the Smart Centre and Living Lab at 63 Bulcock Street Caloundra, which trials new technologies such as waste bin sensors, parking space availability sensors, digital water flow meters and dimmable LED lights for evaluation before installation in other areas, and which is already delivering savings and community benefits. The centre is open for the public to see technologies on display and learn more about the Smart City Framework.
A range of smart technologies installed in Caloundra’s Bulcock Street during streetscape upgrade with more to come, including an innovative LED lighting canopy, waste and parking sensors and smart street lighting. It will become Australia’s first Smart City Urban Streetscape Demonstration and Testing Facility.
Hosted HackFest, a community event, to create publicly available apps using open data.
The Sunshine Coast Council app, available for Android and Apple, includes parking space availability in real time among a host of features.
Sunshine Coast Council’s Disaster Hub wins 2016 State and National Resilience Award.