Tasmania has risen to first place in Australia in terms of ease to do business in the Cisco Australian Digital Readiness Index 2020 report, and when combined with its lack of coal use and reliance on hydro, the state jumped from near the bottom of the Australian states ranking to be firmly mid-table.
The Apple Isle gained its increase on the back of having the highest five-year business survival rate in the country, being rated as the state with the highest level of government support for small businesses and having the second-highest rate of confidence among small to medium-sized businesses. The state was also boosted for having 99.9% of its premises able to receive an NBN connection.
On the flip side, Tasmania had the second-lowest per capita level of business investment in research and development.
Overall, the postage stamp-sized ACT was rated the most digitally ready place in Australia, followed by New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.
As the home of the Commonwealth public service, the sheep paddock cum national capital scored well for having a trained labour force, high government expenditure per capita on R&D, and being able to cater for basic needs. It dropped down the ranking, however, in categories such as startup environment and ease of doing business.
Leading the way in venture capital investment was NSW, which had almost double that of the now second-placed ACT. Despite this, the state was ranked only sixth for technology adoption and seventh for technology infrastructure.
The report, which was based on surveys completed in June 2020, was an update on a report first completed in 2018.
Vice president of Cisco ANZ Ken Boal said the first report was a chance to encourage businesses and governments