SA boosting its 'secret' technology

If results of a South Australian survey are anything to go by, that state is harbouring an unknown high tech industry in Adelaide's suburbs.

When respondents were asked to name the three most important industries in South Australia, electronics came in 12th. The top three spots went to automotive, agricultural and wine industries, despite the fact that electronics produces similar revenue to the wine industry and employs twice as many people with a growth rate the envy of many others.

The survey was part of the March McGregor Tan Household Omnibus Survey, where a number of questions were asked of 400 Adelaide adults (aged 18 and over) for the Electronics Industry Association (EIA) to investigate community perceptions towards the electronics industry.

On a positive note, when the industry was described to respondents, two thirds of those surveyed also indicated that they would be likely to recommend a career in the electronics industry and held a very positive perception of the industry.

Respondents also ranked the electronics industry in terms of importance, ahead of the retail, hospitality, fisheries/aquaculture and education industries.

The results are important for the electronics industry in South Australia. It is on the brink of one of its largest ever growth curves, which if successful will see it become the state's leading export industry by 2015.

Formulation of this bold but realistic growth target has been developed as a result of a 2004 ICT survey and extrapolation of theses figures into the Export Council's export projections.

A critical factor that will ensure the success of this growth is a steady supply of appropriately skilled staff. Currently, many electronics engineers are recruited from interstate and overseas.

This is an issue that the EIA has been addressing for the past two years, culminating in the creation of the Electronics Industry Education Initiative (ei)2.

"Many people don't realise that there are more than 400 electronics companies in South Australia and that 8900 people are employed," said EIA executive director Jason Kuchel.

"However, our electronics industry struggles for recognition because it mainly sells electronics parts to other businesses."

The EIA is attempting to shed the unflattering and outdated perception of electronics professionals as soldering iron crazed nerds.

"These days you're more likely to find outgoing, intelligent, sophisticated young people who work in the recently created fields of nanotechnology, photonics, biotechnology, opto-electronics or robotics," he explained.

Mr Kuchel added that the EIA has created a CD-ROM to tell students, parents and career counsellors about the benefits of a career in South Australia's electronics industry.

The free CD is available from the EIA, phone (08) 8272 5222 or email Jayne Osborne on josborne@eiaa.asn.au