The South Australian government will spend $750,000 over the next three years to create a “cluster” of companies that can innovate on IoT for the resources sector.

The state’s manufacturing and innovation Minister Kyam Maher said the cluster would be “developed” by the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).

However, it appeared both the state government and AIIA would have a say in the cluster’s make-up, with interested parties invited to register with either the Department for State Development or the AIIA.

It is expected to broadly comprise “technology firms, research organisations and supply chain operators in the mining and energy resources sector”.

“The Internet of Things will open new opportunities in the mining and energy resources sector, with the power to make our local industry more productive and better able to maintain competitiveness in highly volatile global markets,” Maher predicted.