The Enterprize chief executive believes the state is well suited for his company’s latest project, which focuses on the burgeoning Internet of Things network.

“Launceston is very pragmatic,” Dr McDarby said.

“There are elements such as space, property and education that could possibly be under exploited in one of the bigger cities.

“Small companies can establish themselves here, because it is an affordable place to live that is not overly populated.

“It’s got everything you need.” 

Considered the next step for the online community, the Internet of Things involves the interconnection of computing devices in everyday objects, allowing them to send and receive data.

While the concept was theorized as early as the 1980s, it has only been in the past few years that technological developments have allowed it to come into fruition. 

Dr McDarby said the nature of the Internet of Things means it relies more on internet infrastructure than anything else, making Tasmania an ideal base.

“If you think about the direction we are heading with technology, as long as your connectivity is good enough, there is an almost utopian vision where you don’t have to go to work,” he said.

“This means that you wouldn’t have to commute, which brings into question why we would have cities.

“It makes more sense to have really good regional areas where you can do all your work and the digital network does not require anyone to travel for long periods of time.”  

The rise of regional centres as technological hotspots can already be seen in places like Ireland where the small port town of Dingle has experienced a renaissance through the opening of a creativity and innovation hub.

In America, Silicon Valley may still be synonymous with start-ups, but the latest index report for the region showed its population growth has slowed throughout the past two years.

Dr McDarby said while it was difficult to pinpoint exactly when Tasmania could feel the full impact of Internet of Things, the technology was definitely on its way.

“It won’t be days, but it won’t be decades,” he said.

“There’s a huge shift in the way we think about technology occurring probably every six to 12 months at the moment. The Internet of Things would be an explosion for the application of data, which we are starting to see.”