by brandsa2018

Chief scientist Caroline McMillen taking SA research to the world

Six months into her three-year tenure as South Australia’s Chief Scientist and Professor Caroline McMillen is working towards her aim of taking the state’s health and science capabilities to the world.

Lured back to SA in 2018 after spending seven years in NSW, biomedical expert Prof McMillen is confident SA’s health research outcomes and infrastructure are “well above world-class” and our transforming industries capable of attracting international interest.

“I know from the work I do and access to detailed analyses that exist, that SA’s research is well above world standard,” she says. “The translation of that research delivers value to the state, it’s what brings people into SA, it builds new opportunities for business and industry and it’s what builds a global footprint to put SA on the map.”

“World-class, high-quality research, when it includes collaboration and engagement with industry and government, drives and delivers real impact for our economy, our health and our environment.”

Prof McMillen draws attention to the work required to attract over $100 million in funding for a co-operative research centre focused on SA satellites, an example of how great research, collaboration and investment can build a new space industry sector right here in the state.

Succeeding former Chief Scientist Leanna Read, Prof McMillen gives independent advice to the State Government, education institutions and industry on matters of science, research, technology and innovation.

SA’s chief scientist Caroline McMillen returned to SA after seven years as vice chancellor at the University of Newcastle. She is pictured at SAHMRI. Photo by JKTP.

Prof McMillen’s own research is internationally recognised, in particular, her research into the impact of the nutritional environment in early development on cardiovascular health and metabolic disease later in life.

Born in Northern Ireland and growing up in England, Prof McMillen went on to attend Oxford University, where she completed a BA (Honours) and a Doctor of Philosophy. She also completed her medical training, graduating with a MB, BChir from the University of Cambridge.

Moving to Australia in the early 1990s, Prof McMillen launched a career at Victoria’s Monash University in academic leadership roles before a call came for her to head to SA to lead the University of Adelaide’s Department of Physiology.

Prof McMillen’s family has been based in SA ever since, with her three children raised here and her husband still working as a doctor in a busy general practice at Christie’s Beach.

In 2011, she left SA to become the University of Newcastle’s vice chancellor and was instrumental in driving collaboration between industry, researchers, start-ups and investors, leading the institution towards its ranking in the top 1% of universities worldwide.

During her time in Newcastle, Prof McMillen travelled regularly back to SA to be with family. However, it wasn’t until she made the move back permanently last year that she was able to appreciate the full extent of Adelaide’s rejuvenation, both from a lifestyle perspective – small bars, laneways, and affordable living – and from an industry and economic perspective.

“There is a literature on ‘magnet cities’, cities that have gone through a period of decline and then transition to blossom,” Prof McMillen says.

“At the heart of that transition are creative, young professionals. Whether it’s Pittsburg or Barcelona, across the world you can chart journeys of these cities from decline to success. I think the creative industries in Adelaide and the strong STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) base provides the city with a real buzz and sets Adelaide on a clear upward trajectory.”

Settling into her role as Chief Scientist, Prof McMillen is engaging with businesses, government departments and key industry stakeholders in a range of STEM fields and is currently working on The State of Science Plan with government agencies to determine future priorities and strategies to build SA as ‘The State of Science’.

She also meets with start-ups, university students and faculty members, as well as school students to discuss pathways into STEM careers and engage with the next generation of researchers.

SA chief scientist Professor Caroline McMillen is a champion for science education and gender equality in STEM. Photo by JKTP.

Prof McMillen is a champion for gender equality in STEM and highlighting issues that are still prevalent in the sector, including the gender pay gap.

A study conducted by Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel showed in 2011 that only 16% of people with a STEM qualification were female.

“When I became a scientist many years ago at Oxford I was pretty sure that we’d have any gender issues sorted in a few years, but it turns out I was wrong,” Prof McMillen says. “I’ll be more than 100 years old before 50% of our professors in science are women and frankly I don’t think we should have to wait that long!”

As part of her role, she continues to champion women at all stages of their careers in STEM and is determined that SA can lead the change towards gender equity in science careers.

“I’m keen to be able to do that and make sure we’re having the outcomes that will set the stage for success for girls and women in STEM,” Prof McMillen says.

“SA has reached many gender equality milestones, we were the first in the world to run for parliament, so if there’s any state that can do it, it’s us.”

Prof Caroline McMillen is Brand South Australia’s latest I Choose SA ambassador for the health industry.

Industry in focus: Health

Throughout the month of April, the state’s health industry will be explored as part of I Choose SA.

South Australia’s health sector is among the best in the world, renowned for developing new and advanced technologies and research outcomes. Our health industry infrastructure is world-class, providing new pathways and job opportunities, as well as a growing potential for health tourism.

Read more health stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Largest indigenous health program based in SA

Adelaide’s renowned health precinct is home to some of the nation’s best researchers fighting shocking statistics showing indigenous Australians have a 10 year lower life expectancy.

The precinct’s Aboriginal Health Research Unit is now the largest dedicated indigenous health program in Australia – and possibly the world.

“This is extremely unusual, all of our work is focused on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people and we focus our work on things most important to their communities,” says Professor Alex Brown.

When Prof Brown was appointed to lead the unit at the new world-class South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) in 2012 there was only one another staff member. Now it has 58 staff with half of the team indigenous.

“Identifying and supporting people to develop career opportunities in research is part of our core foundation,” Prof Brown says. “It makes us better, it makes it more real, more translatable in terms of policy and practice and keeps us accountable to what communities want us to deliver.”

When Prof Brown was first approached about the job seven years ago, he saw a rare opportunity to establish this unique Aboriginal response in the heart of the precinct near the River Torrens. Most research in this vital area was usually retrofitted at an existing institution.

Professor Alex Brown leads the Aboriginal Health Research Unit, one of the e largest programs of its kind in Australia.

“We went from one staff to 50 staff fairly quickly and all because people have realised how unique an opportunity this is to make a substantial difference in Aboriginal health,” he says. “We started with asking the community what their research priorities were.”

The Wardliparingga team in the unit, named after a Kaurna term meaning ‘house river place’, has particularly focused on finding ways to reduce the impact and incidence of chronic disease along with understanding psychosocial determinants of illness and health.

It has also focused on determining how disparities in access to quality treatments and services can be improved to drive better health outcomes.

The disparity in health between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people is still significant, not just in terms of life expectancy, but generally in rates of heart and kidney disease, diabetes, cancer and depression.

Prof Brown says the unit is currently running about 40 different research projects and “we would be in the top group of researchers in terms of Aboriginal health across the country in what we do, and the sheer size of us as a group, we’re one of the best”.

He has been at the forefront in tackling the issue since he first trained in medicine in New South Wales consistently working to engage governments and agencies in making change.

Professor Alex Brown addresses media.

Prof Brown completed a Masters of Public Health and worked in Alice Springs managing the local Centre for Disease Control before starting in research, earning a PhD exploring the links between psychosocial stress, depression and heart disease in indigenous men. He is now also a professor of Aboriginal Health at the University of Adelaide.

At SAHMRI, Prof Brown is proud of the work the unit has achieved in policy recommendations and “we’ve trained a whole generation of young Aboriginal people to pursue careers in research”.

He is likely to have further impact on national change after being named as co-chair of a new advisory board overseeing the allocation of $160 million in national funding for indigenous health research announced in February by the Federal Government.

As part of the funding, $35 million was earmarked to develop a vaccine to eliminate Rheumatic heart disease, a complication of bacterial infections of the throat and skin. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are 64 times more likely to develop the disease than non-indigenous people.

Prof Brown also sits on a range of national committees, including the Heart Foundation and the Cardiac Society Indigenous Cardiovascular Council and was previously a member of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equality Council. Yet his core work is still firmly in SA.

“This is exactly the right place for us to be, we’re in the middle of the country, we can commute anywhere, we can access metropolitan, regional and remote communities we want to work across,” he says.

“There’s a single health system, single administrative structure and we’re in the heart of the medical research precinct…. Aboriginal health is right in the heart of it, it couldn’t be in a better place.”

Industry in focus: Health

Throughout the month of April, the state’s health industry will be explored as part of I Choose SA.

South Australia’s health sector is among the best in the world, renowned for developing new and advanced technologies and research outcomes. Our health industry infrastructure is world-class, providing new pathways and job opportunities, as well as a growing potential for health tourism.

Read more health stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

After 40 years, Koonibba community finally has general store

Residents of the Koonibba Aboriginal Community at South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula now have access to fresh groceries locally for the first time in 42 years with the commenced trading of the Koonibba General Store.

Previously, the closest shops were located in Ceduna, over 40km away, and were not easily accessible due to lack of public transport and travel costs.

Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation CEO Corey McLennan says that a store within the community has been long sought after by residents as a crucial addition to its infrastructure.

“Having an onsite community store was a key priority,” Corey says. “Community demand for products and services was constant due to the lack of accessible shops and facilities. The absence of local shopping options was a clear disadvantage to the local community, economy and functioning.”

Koonibba Community Aboriginal Corporation CEO Corey McLennan, left, with Mai Wiru CEO Dennis Bate at the store’s official opening. Photo courtesy of Luca Cetta, West Coast Sentinel. 

“Very few community members have vehicles and the cost of regular travel back and forwards is significant. In previous consultations community members reiterated the need for a local store that will provide foodstuffs and healthy food options.”

Corey says the store will positively impact the communities employment opportunities, provide access to fresh, healthy foods, increase the potential for future growth and reduce travel for the elderly and other community members.

“The community has identified a clear commercial opportunity that will lead to real job outcomes and career pathway for community members,” he says. “Profits from the store will be distributed back into the community to grow its economy even further, particularly in the tourism sector.

“Developments into tourism will be a focus especially on the history of Koonibba and regaining artefacts that are being stored at the SA Museum to put on show for the community to be proud of and the tourists to learn from.”

The general store will provide locals with fresh produce and groceries locally for the first time in more than four decades. Photo courtesy of Luca Cetta, West Coast Sentinel.

The $850,000 project has been five years in the making and was funded by numerous sources including the Indigenous Entrepreneur’s Fund, Indigenous Business Australia, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the fundraising efforts of Koonibba residents.

The venture was also supported by the Mai Wiru Regional Stores Council Aboriginal Corporation, which currently manages five supermarkets on the APY Lands and other remote indigenous communities with the intent of ensuring “continuous access to nutritious and affordable food and essential items”.

The store officially commenced trading on February 11, 2019 with plans to work with Mai Wiru to train a store manager and additional staff members once more positions become available.

Feature image courtesy of Luca Cetta, West Coast Sentinel. 

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by brandsa2018

Hello From SA brings together expats interstate and abroad

South Australians living, working or learning interstate and abroad are set to be connected through a new network, launched by Brand South Australia this week.

Bringing together South Australian expats, the Hello From SA network is content-driven, creating an informed, engaged and positive network for South Australians all around the world.

This content will encourage expats to become advocates for SA by maintaining or deepening their connection with the state.

“No matter where you are in the world, you’ll find fellow South Australians, and wherever they end up they take with them a connection to the state,” says Brand South Australia executive chairman Peter Joy.

“There are so many talented and inspiring South Australians out there achieving great things and we want them to re-engage with our state. SA has a lot to offer in terms of business and investment opportunities, and we want our expats to be aware of this, and perhaps even consider SA as a place worth returning to for career and lifestyle opportunities.”

Central to the network is the Hello From SA website www.hellofromsa.com.au, LinkedIn page, (@Hello From SA) and Facebook page (@HelloFromSA).

Through these platforms, SA expats can stay up to date with the latest news, business opportunities and industry insights from around SA, read in-depth profiles of successful South Australians and find out about the latest cultural happenings in the state.

The network also gives expats the opportunity to interact and connect with fellow South Australians all around the globe.’

All South Australians are encouraged to share Hello From SA with their family and friends living interstate and overseas.

SA was once home to many notable faces, including Adelaide-born Gold Logie award-winning TV and radio presenter, Carrie Bickmore, most known for her role in hosting The Project.

Australia’s former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop grew up in the Adelaide Hills and studied law at the University of Adelaide. Now living in Perth, Julie was the country’s first ever female foreign minister.

University of South Australia graduate Tim Piper is the founding partner of award-winning New York creative agency Piro. Time Magazine named him one of the most influential people on the planet for his content work for brands.

Successful actor, musician and TV presenter Hugh Sheridan was born and raised in Adelaide and is well-known for playing Ben on popular Aussie family drama Packed to the Rafters. He now lives in Los Angeles.

Vogue Australia’s fashion director Christine Centenera was raised in Adelaide and now based in New York. In 2017 she co-founded WARDROBE.NYC with partner and Australian fashion designer Josh Goot.

Ken Wong is a successful game designer, director, and creative mind behind many popular apps. Growing up in Adelaide and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from UniSA, Ken was the lead designer of award-winning game Monument Valley.

Bruna Papandrea is an SA-born now US-based film and TV producer and founder of production company Made Up Stories. Prior to this, Bruna co-founded Pacific Standard with Reese Witherspoon, a production company working on blockbusters Wild, Gone Girl and Big Little Lies.

So, do you know a South Australian expat, living, working or studying outside of SA? Share the Hello From SA network!

Feature image: Adelaide Oval, SATC.

Hello from SA is the global community for South Australians living, working and learning interstate and abroad.

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by brandsa2018

Ngeringa’s bounty draws a complete biodynamic picture

More than just a farm, Ngeringa has become a significant South Australian brand synonymous with freshness and flavour – across a raft of premium wines, vegetables, fruits and meats that are featured in many of the state’s best and most progressive restaurants.

It proves that Erinn and Janet Klein’s diverse 75-hectare farm at Mt Barker has captured something special through embracing biodynamic farming principals.

However, somewhat surprisingly, Erinn says the farm’s cohesive output hasn’t been the result of a master plan, rather that the Kleins have kept reacting to change and seizing opportunity as it has occurred through the past two decades.

“The original vision was simply to create a biodynamic vineyard, according to the biodynamic farming principals of Rudolf Steiner, and the concept has grown as it went along,” Erinn explains, acknowledging that Ngeringa was previously his parents’ world-renowned Jurlique herb farm.

The Ngeringa farm at Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills embraces biodynamic farming principals.

This land has been certified biodynamic for more than 20 years, establishing a unique platform for the five-hectare vineyard and straw-bale winery building that was established in 2001.

While the certified biodynamic Ngeringa brand produces a raft of significant wines – from its estate harvest of chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah and viognier grapes, with some sangiovese, nebbiolo, and aglianico – it’s the farm’s diverse food output that has made the Ngeringa biodynamic story so compelling.

“We inherited a significant fruit orchard that was established long before Janet and I got here. We introduced animals to help the land remain in balance – sheep to reduce the weeds that grow among the vines, some chickens, some Southern Highland cows,” Erinn says. “Vegetables came almost as an afterthought. It took a long time and a long of hard work before the farm managed to look complete.”

The current situation has evolved thanks to the introduction of Andy Taylor to the farm about two years ago, to specialise in vegetable production – and this only occurred because an experiment in leasing parts of the farm for share farming didn’t work.

“We found that we couldn’t attract people who were prepared to look after the land as we would ourselves,” says Erinn. “We know that requires a lot of hard work, but we were very disappointed by the outcomes, until Andy came along.”

Animals such as these Southern Highland cows, were introduced to the farm to help the land remain in balance. Photo by Tyrone Ormsby.

His expertise and commitment to growing a diverse mix of vegetables has bolstered Ngeringa’s produce output from two garden beds (which mostly fed the Klein family and a few friends) to now cover two hectares.

“Word about our vegetables kind of leaked out. We’d give a few boxes of surplus food to restaurants that bought our wine, as an added extra, and the chefs went nuts about the flavour and freshness,” Erinn says. “Everyone wanted more, but we just couldn’t provide. Andy’s energy and focus on the gardening has made expansion possible.”

Ngeringa doesn’t sell through wholesalers, because Erinn says that system couldn’t guarantee the absolute freshness of vegetables being promptly delivered. Instead, they pick to order – orders placed by Monday mornings are picked on Monday and Tuesday, and delivered on Wednesday.

Beyond this food being received by six local greengrocers and about 12 restaurants – including award-winners Orana and Africola, Gather @ Coriole and Etica – there are about 25 boxes of mixed vegetables sold to local customers.

“Having some regular families placing orders keeps it real for us, but we are now at the absolute capacity of what we can provide,” says Erinn. “Growing an array of vegetables is seriously hard work that requires an incredible skill set, and Andy is an exceptional gardener.”

Chef Brendan Cato of The Farmed Table, left, with Erinn Klein at a Ngeringa vintage lunch prepared with produce fresh from the farm.

The patience of chefs and customers to only receive what food is available rather than pressure Ngeringa for constant supply has been a game-changer – not only with seasonal vegetable supplies, but also with sporadic meat. Ngeringa runs about 110 ewes and lambs a year, which means that chefs can only be offered fresh lamb every six weeks or so as a special offer. They don’t complain.

“We’re not viewed as unreliable because we don’t have everything available all the time,” says Erinn. “Adelaide has a whole group of smart chefs who respect this. They know that food from our farm has guaranteed freshness and incredible flavour.”

The best advertisement of what the farm provides are sporadic weekend feasts held at the winery cellar door, either as special events for regular customers or as part of festivals, recently using freelance chef Shannon Fleming (formerly at Orana Restaurant) to use only Ngeringa produce.

“We can provide everything that the chefs use, except dairy, and it shows that what we have here is very special,” says Erinn. “Our biggest challenge is how to figure out how we could do more without making it impossible for ourselves to manage.

“At Ngeringa, everything is still a work in progress – perhaps it always will be – but what we’re doing is working well.”

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Strong future ahead for Adelaide’s international education sector

Prime Minister Scott Morrison recently announced his national migration plan to ease the pressure on capital cities in the eastern states and support growth in the regions. StudyAdelaide CEO Karyn Kent explores how the changes could bring even more international students to study, live and work in South Australia and what this means for local businesses.

The outlook for Adelaide’s international education sector – and SA’s business community – has been boosted with the Australian Government’s release of its ‘Plan for Australia’s Future Population’.

As recently announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the plan features a range of measures to create better incentives to encourage new migrants to settle outside of Australia’s largest cities.

Included among these measures is an additional year in Australia for international students who have completed their studies at a regional campus of a higher education institution, lived in the region during their first post-study work visa and who wish to continue to live and work in the region.

The whole of SA, including Adelaide, is considered regional for migration purposes and the potential of that extra year will now be offered to existing and new international students in the state.

StudyAdelaide is a partnership between government and the education sector, promoting Adelaide to international students. We are delighted to see these changes and confident they will provide a significant additional incentive for even more international students to choose to study and live here.

It is great news for the SA economy given international education is our second largest export and was valued at $1.6 billion in 2017/18, with capacity to grow beyond the 38,000 international student enrolments we achieved in 2018.
It is also great news for SA businesses.

Students graduating with higher education qualifications can now work for a minimum of three years, giving local businesses extended access to their knowledge and skills which are in occupations of high demand, such as engineering, IT, commerce and health.

StudyAdelaide CEO Karyn Kent.

Many SA exporters, especially those in the wine sector (our largest export sector), have enjoyed great success employing international students and graduates.

International students deliver tangible benefits for these companies with their first-hand knowledge of target export markets, their language skills and their networks and contacts, to support and help deliver the export aspirations of our local businesses.

SA businesses can easily access these skills – the post-study visa (subclass 485) requires no employer sponsorship and international graduates are employed under the same conditions as an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

The Australian Government’s announcement builds on recent changes also announced by Immigration SA that benefit those international students who aspire to migrate, in recognition of the investment these students have made in an education here and the contribution they will make to the SA economy as a highly educated graduate. Many of these graduates go on to establish their own SA businesses, that in turn employ locals.

One of the founders of web and app developers PixelForce is originally from Hong Kong and now employs more than 25 people here in Adelaide. They developed the Sweat app for Adelaide’s fitness duo Kayla Itsines and Tobi Pearce, who were recently listed among Australia’s 250 richest people.

Nicho Teng from China studied at Glenunga International High School and Flinders University and has gone on to establish Haneco Lighting and Greaton, a property company that is developing the new Wirra Wirra five-star hotel and the Westin Hotel as part of the GPO redevelopment, which is set to open in 2022.

Deloitte Access Economics reported in 2018 that for every four international students in SA, one job is created.

These new jobs aren’t just limited to our education institutions who deliver Adelaide’s world-class education, they are spread throughout our economy.

In 2018 and 2019, four purpose-built student apartment buildings have been completed and another four are in the pipeline. Imagine the contribution to construction and ongoing operational jobs created by these alone.

Premier Steven Marshall has identified growing both international student numbers and our population as key priorities and, along with our members, StudyAdelaide looks forward to welcoming even more students here.

Together, these policies clearly add to SA’s significant appeal as a study destination for international students, alongside our world-class education institutions and vibrant, affordable lifestyle.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Indigenous communities benefit from new native fruit yoghurt range

Two South Australian food producers have partnered to create a new yoghurt range incorporating native Australian produce, providing jobs and support for an indigenous community involved in the fruit picking.

Fleurieu Milk Company and Something Wild have joined forces to launch a range of native Australian fruit yoghurts featuring Kakadu plum, muntrie, Davidson plum and quandong – bush fruits that have been eaten for thousands of years.

Owned by the Motlop family, brothers Steven and Daniel, and fellow former AFL player Danyle Pearce, Something Wild supplies indigenous ingredients to restaurants and consumers, often engaging Aboriginal communities to help supply the produce.

The Kakadu plum yoghurt, made with Fleurieu Milk’s fresh milk and cream sourced from the Myponga area, was the first tub to launch in the range.

The native fruit yoghurt range is available at independent supermarkets, the Adelaide Central Market and selected farmer’s markets. Photo by Myles Quist.

The Kakadu plums – which have the highest vitamin C content of any fruit in the world – are picked by Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory community of Wadeye.

Something Wild director Danyle Pearce says the women receive an income from harvesting the wild fruit, which can be found growing in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

“The Wadeye ladies up there have an absolute abundance of Kakadu plum. The Kakadu plum is the most well known native fruit in Australia but there’s not really many resources going around about what to use it for,” he says.

“We have a sustainable ecosystem here in Australia … but I don’t think we’ve tapped into what we have here in our own backyard. You just have to have a look for it and you can find it. What we’ve done, the story behind it, it’s a great product and we hope people really get behind it.”

Once the plums are picked by the Wadeye women they are pureed and sent to Fleurieu Milk’s Myponga factory to be made into the 125g yoghurt tubs.

“We flew all the (Wadeye) ladies down here and we took them on a tour of Fleurieu Milk and showed them everything we’re doing with their fruit,” Danyle says. “They absolutely love the produce and love the final outcome.”

The other native fruits in the range – muntrie, quandong and Davidson plum – are also harvested by Something Wild from their native areas.

The muntries (small red and green berries) and the peach-like quandongs are gathered in SA, while the Davidson plums are sourced from Queensland where the fruit is grown.

Fleurieu Milk sales and marketing manager Clay Sampson says the native fruit yoghurt range is first of its kind in Australia and was born from a desire to incorporate bush food into an everyday product.

“We were looking at different yoghurt flavours … and obviously the yoghurt market is saturated. We wanted to do something totally different,” he says.

“We think it’s a great story in terms of cross promotion and the harvesting of the fruit with the indigenous community.”

The native fruit yoghurts are available in independent supermarkets in SA, the Fleurieu Milk and Something Wild stalls at the Adelaide Central Market, and farmer’s markets at the Adelaide Showground and Willunga.

The yoghurts are also distributed in the NT, with plans to take the product to other states such as WA in the future. Part of the proceeds of sales go to the Little Heroes Foundation.

Header image features Fleurieu Milk Company sales and business relations manager, Kym Koster, left, former AFL footballer and Little Heroes Foundation ambassador Tony Modra, Something Wild director Danyle Pearce, and Fleurieu Milk sales and marketing manager Clay Sampson at Something Wild’s Adelaide Central Market stall.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

SA a testbed for modern ageing solutions

South Australia has a global role to play in developing innovative products and services for an ageing population, says Adelaide-based Global Centre for Modern Ageing (GCMA) CEO Julianne Parkinson.

SA has the oldest population of all mainland Australian states, with the GCMA aiming to take the state to the forefront of modern ageing in Australia and the world.

With the proportion of Australians aged over 65 continuing to increase, due in part to higher standards of health care, businesses have a greater need to ready themselves to better understand this growing but diverse group.

Globally, people are now living for longer at unprecedented rates. Across the Asia Pacific, the population aged over 60 is set to more than double from 547 million to 1.3 billion by 2050.

Launched in October 2018, the GCMA provides a living laboratory (dubbed LifeLab), paired with research, insights and advisory services to businesses, organisations and government to help bust ageing myths and assist clients to develop better products, services and solutions to meet the needs and wants of those over 60.

The centre, based in the Tonsley Innovation District, is home to the LifeLab, a demonstration, usability and co-design facility that allows businesses, researchers and over-60s to co-design and validate new and innovative products and services to improve the quality of life and experiences for older people.

The LifeLab at the Global Centre for Modern Ageing.

A first of its kind in Australia, the LifeLab hosts innovative initiatives including developing solutions that increase mobility, reduce isolation, address nutritional needs and allow people to enjoy a better quality of life.

“The LifeLab network provides services at the demonstration facility and in a myriad of real-life settings. Complementing this, the GCMA’s research and insights capability allows organisations to access the facts to make informed decisions about customer and market opportunities,” says Julianne.

“Together these allow companies and other stakeholders to engage with older people in order to co-create and co-design what products should look and feel like. We can mobilise and scale our offering to assist clients locally, nationally and internationally – a great benefit to SA businesses with export markets and partnerships.

“What we see through our work is that older people are really guiding and informing every step of the way, organisations and their R&D partners. By leveraging the GCMA’s expertise with end users central to the co-design and co-creation, businesses will have improved insights and hence confidence that their product will be better received in market.”

At the head of LifeLab is executive director Veera Mustonen, who joined the team from Helsinki, Finland, as a smart city living lab expert. Veera is currently leading several co-design initiatives that explore how people can age well and continue being active participants in their community.

Residents at the Lendlease-owned Elliot Gardens retirement village in Port Elliot have welcomed an autonomous vehicle trial.

Each project involves a co-operative approach with over 60s included in the design, creation and trial of the initiatives. One example is the engagement to co-design with residents and others in the redevelopment of an aged care precinct in the regional town of Strathalbyn.

But that’s not all, the GCMA is also undertaking an explorative study on the roll out of an autonomous vehicle trial at a retirement village in SA’s Fleurieu Peninsula. The trial, in collaboration with the SA Government’s Future Mobility Lab, Regional Development Australia and leading autonomous vehicle manufacturer Aurrigo, involves studying the experiences of residents at the Lendlease-owned Elliot Gardens retirement village at Port Elliot who chose to travel around the village in a small driverless vehicle.

The battery powered ‘podzero’, which has been named ‘Elliot’, will be operating at 10km/h with a capacity of four passengers. Embracing a new way of moving around and allowing for greater social interaction between village residents, the trial will provide user feedback which is expected to contribute to determining the adoption and acceptance of new mobility solutions.

Lendlease Retirement Living managing director Tony Randello says the company is always looking for ways to make its villages more liveable.

Autonomous vehicle ‘Elliot’ allows residents increased mobility, allowing for greater social interaction.

“This trial may show us how technology could extend mobility and help our residents age in place, among friends and provide them a sense of freedom and independence,” he says.

“We also expect the trial will show that no matter how old you are, you can always embrace new technology into your lifestyle.”

But greater mobility is just one of the needs of our ageing population, with seniors also calling for easier food and food packaging solutions, support for isolation, new learning and training opportunities, and more guidance on transitioning into later stages of life.

Julianne says Asia Pacific countries are taking a collaborative approach to the ageing sector, with other countries reaching out to the GCMA for advice on businesses already developing innovative products and services for older people.

The GCMA also recently hosted senior international delegations from Malaysia, Sweden and China to share insights, opportunities and challenges of modern ageing.

“We know SA has a leading role to play in a global sense in how people transition throughout all of their life’s course.  Many of the opportunities and challenges are universal,” Julianne says.

“It’s world class and pioneering work that is proudly being undertaken with the important support of many.”

Industry in focus: Health

Throughout the month of April, the state’s health industry will be explored as part of I Choose SA.

South Australia’s health sector is among the best in the world, renowned for developing new and advanced technologies and research outcomes. Our health industry infrastructure is world-class, providing new pathways and job opportunities, as well as a growing potential for health tourism.

Read more health stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

3D skull library advances SA’s craniofacial unit

An important collection of 3D model skulls is growing in Adelaide as the state’s renowned craniofacial unit pursues world-leading technologies to transform lives.

Parents can now be shown skulls from the new library at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital to see common congenital problems first hand, making it easier to explain surgery on their babies, Australian Craniofacial Unit specialist Walter Flapper says.

“It’s obviously a stressful time and they can have a better understanding of what’s going on,” says Walter, one of the unit’s plastic and reconstructive surgeons.

“There are other advantages, it means we as surgeons can also hold the model and it helps us to visualise the problem we need to address, whether it’s a congenital problem or trauma.”

The 3D library gives the unit another important support tool as its surgeons operate on up to 45 babies a year to correct craniosynostosis that causes abnormal head shapes and can affect brain growth.

A 3D printed skull within the library at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital allowing parents to see common congenital problems first hand.

Whilst the unit has been using 3D printing to aid surgery for several years, it was only about a year ago that it began building the library with the skulls made using a 3D printer bought by the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

The process involves first taking a high tech scan of a patient’s skull. This incredibly accurate 3D imaging information is then used to program the printer that, in turn, uses a plastic compound rather than ink to print out a replica model.

Walter says it also means surgeons can study models of individual patient’s skulls to pre-plan surgery, can use the model to pre-bend titanium plates into the correct shape for an individual skull and even practice before surgery.

“It can be used as an educational tool for junior doctors and overall it means patients are not spending as long in surgery, it can help with more efficient operations and less anaesthetic use,” Walter says.

“This is of benefit as the longer the operation the higher the risk of complications.”

Surgeons are able to hold the model to help visualise the problem needed to address.

Models are also used in treating a wide range of other disorders across the unit’s two sites at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in North Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital in North Terrace where its patients are adults.

They include distortion of the skull and facial shape, cleft lip and palate deformities, facial growth anomalies, tumours requiring removal and reconstruction and trauma needing reconstruction of the head or jaw.

It is yet another tool for the unit that is well recognised internationally after being established in 1975 by craniofacial surgeon Professor David David. The unit is now a designated National Centre of Excellence and one of only two standalone craniofacial units in the world.

Founder Prof. David David was named 2018 South Australian of the Year, received the Companion of the Order of Australia in 1988 and in 1990 was named South Australian of the Decade in recognition of his work in the field.

“The unique thing about the unit is we are a standalone unit, others are linked to other surgery departments, and we work with children right through to older adults,” Walter says.

The Australian Craniofacial Unit team including specialist Walter Flapper, third from left.

He was drawn to the unit having finished medicine and surgical training in Auckland, New Zealand, then winning a fellowship post in Adelaide. After the placement he trained at the prestigious Oxford Craniofacial Unit in the United Kingdom for a year, before the return opportunity arose in the Adelaide unit in 2010.

“My initial plan was to come here for a year only to do the fellowship, then I was going to go back to New Zealand,” Walter says.

“The job came up here just as I finished up in the UK, we’d enjoyed our time here and the family liked it so we came back, and we’re still here. We have quite an international contingent of surgeons at the unit that came here and stayed.”

He lists the unit’s head Mark Moore as also being originally from New Zealand, specialist Peter Anderson is originally from the UK and visiting medical officer Vani Prasad Atluri from India.

The unit also operates on about 15 patients from overseas each year supported by charities and the State Government – and Walter travels regularly to Indonesia to help train local teams.

“I think we do pretty well considering the size of the city and the state, we punch above our weight, we have had strong overseas connections for quite some time and we train a number of people from overseas,” Walter adds.

Industry in focus: Health

Throughout the month of April, the state’s health industry will be explored as part of I Choose SA.

South Australia’s health sector is among the best in the world, renowned for developing new and advanced technologies and research outcomes. Our health industry infrastructure is world-class, providing new pathways and job opportunities, as well as a growing potential for health tourism.

Read more health stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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by brandsa2018

Living colours inspire Wilmington fashion designer

From hues of toffee, brown and gold that add a softness to the harsh dry of the Flinders Ranges to the brilliant blues of the Spencer Gulf, designer Nikki Atkinson creates with inspiration from her ‘backyard’.

From the family property in the Flinders Ranges and nearby Wilmington to Port Augusta, where she has opened a boutique selling her own Liv Sienne designs and fashion from other Australian designers, Nikki says it is easy to see beauty in even the harshest conditions.

“My inspiration comes currently from the drought conditions and the colours, I draw so much from the environment around me,” she says.

Nikki first launched into design and production after studying at Marleston TAFE, going on to co-own the successful Betrothed bridal boutique in Adelaide at just 26-years-old.

One of Nikki Atkinson’s Liv Sienne bridal creations.

After eight years, love lured Nikki back to the country, when she married husband Dallas and moved to Wilmington in the Mid North. She continued made-to-measure couture and design from home for a number of years with her young children often playing at her feet while she sewed.

As a farmer’s wife and mother of three, Nikki says her passion for the fashion and design industry was bubbling away under the surface and in 2013 she decided to launch her Liv Sienne label and eventually a store in nearby Port Augusta.

It has not been easy, but Nikki has been determined to make it work and share her passion for design and creating, forever fortunate for what her ‘home’ brings to her work.

Liv Sienne designer and creator Nikki Atkinson at home on her family’s Flinders Ranges property.

“The farm is my zen place – to go home at night and see the wildlife and hear the kookaburras really is very special, although I don’t slow down nearly enough to appreciate it at times,” she says.

“Life is busy, but I really needed some of me back. Designing and fashion is ‘me’ and so we make it work.

“When we’re shearing or crutching on the property, I have meals to prep before the kids go off to school, and it’s crazy and it’s busy but we make it work.”

As a woolgrower and also a farmer’s daughter who grew up on a grain, cattle and sheep farm at Buckleboo on Eyre Peninsula, wool and natural fibres have been an obvious choice for Nikki, who is fiercely supportive of Australian-made products.

“I’m very passionate about wool – it’s such an easy fibre to work with,” she says. “It is amazing, it’s pliable, you can do anything with it. It’s a long way from the scratchy, itchy fibre people associated with wool before we really discovered the beauty and versatility of fine wool.

One of Nikki Atkinson’s Liv Sienne designs, photographed in the Flinders Ranges by Meridee Groves Photography.

“I probably shouldn’t be so emotionally attached to Australian-made – it is more expensive to create and produce in Australia – but if we don’t, we lose the skills of being able to use a sewing machine, thread a needle and pattern making, and I’m passionate about keeping those skills.”

Nikki’s return to the fashion industry has been well-supported, her designs popping up at country race meets, weddings, formals and even as far as New York where she was asked to design the “perfect dress” for DeVoe magazine’s Full Figured Fashion Week.

Having concentrated the last 12 months on developing the Liv Sienne brand and storefront in Port Augusta, Nikki is now ready to launch back into her real passion for design.

“This is going to be a big year, I’m really excited for what lies ahead,” she adds.

Feature image by Meridee Groves Photography.

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