Aerospace company Boeing will create 250 technical and advanced research jobs in Adelaide.

The South Australian Government has used funds from its investment attraction agency to lure the company to set up a base in the Adelaide CBD, but Premier Jay Weatherill is not revealing how much was spent.

"This is a 10-year commitment, they'll be recruiting immediately, so that's a very exciting first phase," he said.

Boeing's work will support advanced military systems and wider research and development over the long-term, the Premier said.

The company plans to work closely with South Australia's universities and research organisations.

Mr Weatherill said it would give SA a tremendous and immediate economic boost and he hoped the deal would extend beyond its initial period.

"When you get a big player like this, the next step is to work with them to realise the ambitions of this company to grow and find other ways in which they can expand their operations," he said.

"That'll be the task now we've got them here — that's a fantastic foothold, we now want them to expand their operations even beyond the 250 [jobs]."

The Government said the deal was pivotal in the state's push toward creating more high-tech advanced manufacturing industries.

"These are the types of high-calibre opportunities that will attract and encourage our young graduates and students to work in South Australia," the Premier said.

Boeing employs about 140,000 people globally in manufacture of commercial airliners, military aircraft and defence, space and security systems.

The company said its Australian presence was the largest beyond the United States, employing more than 3,000 people, most of them in Queensland.

Mr Weatherill and Boeing executive Darren Edwards today signed the deal in Adelaide and the new office will open within days.

"The deed that we're signing today is a big commitment from the Boeing company to the growth of South Australia," Mr Edwards said.

"Boeing will also be investing $500,000 to the Techstars global accelerator program over the next five years.

"Part of that program will be providing local start-ups each year with access to experienced mentors, advanced research and technology."

Techstars is a worldwide program which supports entrepreneurship by helping start-up businesses secure capital, marketing and skilled workers.

At a time when South Australia has been losing jobs in car manufacturing and other industries, the state has had successes such as luring engineering support services company Babcock, which announced last year it would move its Australasian headquarters to Adelaide from Brisbane because of SA's growing Defence industry.