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With Australia making up only two per cent of the world's market, it’s essential that South Australian startups are thinking globally from day one.

Traditionally, it was difficult for businesses in Australia to raise enough capital and to get their products and services into global markets, but things are very different now. Where startups in the 1990s were raising venture capital from a pool of venture funds around $300 million total, that pool is now in the billions of dollars.

These days, South Australia has some amazing examples of businesses that are at the forefront of innovation – they’re boosting productivity, they’re offering job opportunities, and they represent a new wave of growth for our state. They are exporting to more countries, and they’re generating more revenue.

In a country like Australia, where we don't have a lot of people, it’s tempting to think there’s not enough room for everyone to enjoy success. But the reality is that our competitors aren’t here – they're probably not even in Australia. And in smaller ecosystems like South Australia’s, we can turn this to our advantage.

Our collaborative ethos, our desire to share knowledge, is particularly evident here, and it’s a strength that we play to. Our innovation districts do this particularly well, grouping similar businesses together in geographic proximity, encouraging cross-pollination of ideas and ensuring answers to questions are rarely more than one conversation away.

Because success is a team sport, and you need a lot of players in the team for success. So, the closer those players in the team are to you, the more likely you are to be successful.

As the innovation ecosystem has grown, the pathway to opportunity for its participants becomes more complex. Innovation thrives when founders, industry leaders and entrepreneurs can connect, share collective wisdom, and learn from those who’ve walked the path. Finding the right people to help you with the right insights at the right time is critically important for success.

The ILN comprises four components.

The business acumen events are large format panel discussions focusing on specific topics for growing and scaling businesses, facilitated by participants who tell it like it is, sharing their lived experiences and the right places to go.

Innovation Leaders boardroom lunches are smaller format, in-depth conversations around a table with one or two experienced innovators or business owners in our system, who share mistakes they’ve made and important things they've learnt, in a safe, more intimate space.

The Innovation Leaders Leadership Program takes a small number of leaders through specific, one-on-one and group activities over a period of time, focusing on their leadership skills and how they can grow as their business grows. It also connects the participants to form a really strong network to bounce ideas off each other.

The final component is the Innovation Leaders Mentorship Program, which offers a more fluid version of the traditional structured mentoring program. Innovators with real-world expertise, who are generous with their knowledge and keen to help others offer their time, networks and their contacts to help others succeed.

Over time, we'll add to this program with new activities to continue meeting the market where it is and providing community members with what they need, when they need.

The beauty of the Innovation Leaders Network is that people can enter and exit at whatever point suits them – it's a real choose-your-own-adventure smorgasbord of activities.

But what makes it so valuable is the group of stellar South Australian businesspeople who are prepared to give back to the innovation ecosystem and hold the ladder for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Over the last 18 months, around 60 mentors and innovation leaders have contributed to our activities and events, giving generously to more than 1,200 participants. And we’ve had great feedback – in fact, our last event was oversubscribed and there were people in the doorway trying to get in.

We know South Australian businesses and people in general have a propensity to collaborate. We play well together. If success is a team sport, the future of South Australia’s innovation ecosystem is looking brilliant.

Judy Halliday is the Director for Research and Innovation at the Department of State Development. She has been part of Australia’s innovation ecosystem for more than 30 years, working across startups, industry and government.