The South Australian Government has named Dr Tom Hajdu, a US “global innovation specialist, technology entrepreneur and CEO of Disrupter,” as its first chief advisor on innovation.
South Australian premier, Jay Weatherill, said his appointment follows his key role in helping to establish GigCity Adelaide, which brought super-fast internet to 14 innovation precincts. He said Hajdu had also been instrumental in developing the state’s partnership with US Ignite.
Last September IoTAustralia reported that Adelaide had become the first non-US city to join the US Smart Gigabit Communities program, led by US Ignite, a non-profit organisation that “fosters the development and deployment of advanced networking applications that will profoundly change the way Americans live, work and learn.”
Hajdu said that, as a GigCity, Adelaide now had “a seat at the table to participate in global innovation, enabling the city to become a place where start-ups and entrepreneurs can start and develop new ideas and attract clients from all over the world.”
In his new role he has been tasked with helping South Australia capitalise on the growing digital economy by encouraging new technology start-ups to establish a base in South Australia and driving new jobs in digital innovation.
Also, as the state’s chief advisor on innovation, he will continue his already extensive collaboration with local industry, business leaders and the innovation community, and support the state government’s policies and programs in attracting national and international entrepreneurs to South Australia, Weatherill said.
Who is Tom Hajdu?
A profile of Hajdu on the innovation.sa web site said:
“Hajdu co-founded US music production company, tomandandy, which used technology to revolutionise the way music was produced and used across film, television and advertising industries.
“Dr Hajdu and his company were key influencers in the early days of MTV and collaborated with artists such as Lou Reed, David Byrne, U2 and Oliver Stone, eventually becoming one of the world’s biggest music production companies.
“He migrated to South Australia on a Distinguished Talent Visa and chose South Australia for its quality of life, premium food and wine and the state’s ambition to establish itself as the first carbon-neutral city and world-class innovation hub.”
