The Sunshine Coast, a sprawling municipality in eastern Australia, was once known principally for sunshine, scenery and a climate that made it a destination for tourists and retirees. Not content with this fragile economic base, local leaders led development of a 20-year growth strategy focusing on high-value, knowledge-based industries including professional services, advanced manufacturing and high tech.

This ambitious transition was based on strong and effective leadership from business and continuing collaboration with employers, nonprofits and educators. Economic development focused on supporting existing businesses with an innovation edge and attracting new ones. Education was revamped to target local career opportunities for an increasingly skilled workforce.

The city successfully lobbied for broadband investment from Australia's NBN Network and invested in an international submarine cable landing at a new greenfield city center. Step by step, leveraging local investment and the talents of its people, the city built an innovation ecosystem from scratch, became a high-tech destination without losing the attractions that support tourism and quality of life.

Learn more

Learn from Sunshine Coast and 21 other communities in Accelerate Your Economic Development, a discount bundle of courses in the Community Accelerator online training program. Sunshine Coast is profiled in the course on Innovation: Building an Ecosystem for Growth. Produced in partnership with Economic Development Australia and the Economic Developers Association of Canada.

How did Sunshine Coast do it? ICF tells the story in an online profile - one of hundreds on our site that take you inside technology-centric development of communities that builds inclusive prosperity, strengthens societies and enriches local culture.
 

Communities accelerate by starting an Intelligent Community Journey. Each is different, but all follow similar paths. Start yours.