Autonomous Vehicle Manufacture

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:46): My question is to the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. Can the minister inform the council of an historic MOU recently signed with EasyMile and Transit Australia Group (TAG) to advance autonomous vehicle manufacturing and technology in South Australia?

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment) (14:46): I thank the honourable member for his interest in technology and driverless vehicles (or autonomous vehicles). On Tuesday, I had the privilege of signing the memorandum of understanding between the French autonomous vehicle manufacturer, EasyMile, and the Transit Australia Group. The MOU will see EasyMile establish their Asia Pacific headquarters in Adelaide—a good outcome, I think, Mr President—and see autonomous shuttles manufactured in Adelaide for the Australia Pacific region.

Transit Australia Group will also establish its national operation control centre for the management of autonomous vehicles in Adelaide for the whole of Australia. Again, an MOU to deliver a tangible outcome here. There is no doubt that South Australia is leading the way in autonomous vehicle development in Australia and that this agreement provides the foundation for a partnership with Australian businesses to be involved in the manufacturing and support of EasyMile's cutting-edge autonomous shuttles for domestic and export markets, from South Australia. It sends a positive global message to autonomous vehicle manufacturers and supply chain businesses that South Australia is well-positioned to support and maintain its lead in the autonomous vehicle sector.

New industries such as this create new types of jobs for South Australians and open up opportunities for further collaboration with our universities. It's likely to open further opportunities to connect businesses with other sectors, including defence, space and agribusiness, thereby increasing investment and trade opportunities across South Australia. EasyMile will also partner with the City of Playford to deliver the Playford Connect trial, which will receive a $350,000 grant from the Future Mobility Lab Fund. The trial will take place over the next 12 months, over two phases. The first phase will provide first and last mile mobility between the car park and the Lyell McEwin Hospital, and the second phase will provide first and last mile mobility around the Elizabeth shopping precinct, integrating with existing public transit services.

The trial will be the first South Australian validation of EasyMile's market readiness and its technology platform as a mobility solution. Furthermore, tomorrow I will be in Renmark as part of one of my regional tours, where the first EasyMile EZ10 shuttle will provide a static demonstration of EasyMile's autonomous vehicle platform, with the intent to showcase how the technology could address transport challenges for the elderly and those with disabilities in the regions.

I would like to thank Mr Gilbert Gagnaire, the CEO of EasyMile, and Mr Damien Brown, the chief executive officer of Transit Australia Group, for signing the MOU with me on Tuesday. It was a lovely little ceremony up in the Plaza Room—a bit crammed, but it was great that Mr Gagnaire came here, having flown directly from Toulouse to be able to sign the MOU. He was delighted to be able to be here. He was also delighted that France had won the World Cup. He was still pretty excited about that as well.

The Department for Trade, Tourism and Investment has been working closely with EasyMile over the past 18 months to encourage the company to become an integral part of the future mobility ecosystems in South Australia, with the on-road testing of their vehicles and their manufacture in our state. I thank both EasyMile and TAG for making this important investment in our state and for recognising that South Australia is indeed the centre of development of future transport mobility in the Asia Pacific region.