The SA Government has established a $10 million fund to encourage the research, development and testing of connected and autonomous vehicle technology in the state.

Accelerating the deployment of driverless vehicles is one of the fund’s objectives.

“As demand on our roads continues to grow, it’s vital that we look for more efficient ways to move traffic around the state,” Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan said.

“We are looking for creative proposals that will accelerate the rollout of these technologies on our roads and open up new opportunities for SA businesses and our economy.”

The state will host Australia’s first road trials of driverless cars in Adelaide next month, after passing legislation to allow autonomous vehicles on public roads.

It is estimated the driverless vehicle industry will be worth $90 billion worldwide by 2030.

“Transforming the SA economy depends on our ability to adopt new ways of doing things, using advanced technologies to build globally competitive, high-value firms and sustainable, well-paid jobs,” Mr Mullighan said.

“Getting our state involved early will open up new opportunities for SA businesses and our economy.”