Page 686 - Week 03 - Tuesday, 17 March 2015
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The establishment of Invest Canberra is strengthening the value proposition for investment in Canberra from several core markets, including Singapore, China and the USA. Its ongoing engagement with key stakeholders ensures a strong pipeline of investment leads. For example, last year Invest Canberra joined with National Australia Bank to hold a roundtable in Hong Kong at which the former Chief Minister was the keynote presenter. The roundtable was an opportunity to advise NAB’s Asian clients of investment opportunities in the ACT. These campaigns have resulted in follow-up visits to Canberra by investors to better understand our investment value proposition and the opportunities here.
Recently a research report by Ray White confirmed that these efforts are yielding results and that international investment in Canberra is growing and contributing to retaining jobs and creating demand in the construction sector. The Singapore trade delegation delivered on a number of objectives, including investment promotion; facilitation of trade for ACT businesses who attended—for example, through participation in CommunicAsia 2014, one of the world’s largest IT trade shows—advancing the case for direct flights to Canberra; supporting tourism relationships; and studying relevant Singaporean infrastructure projects.
In addition, the government continues its strong support for individual companies to undertake their own international market development activities, like participating in international trade shows or establishing overseas offices. This support is critical as the current business environment is challenging for small businesses.
Our increased international efforts to create export opportunities for Canberra and our export development support programs are increasing the number of companies that can extend their entrepreneurship overseas and that can venture out in the early stages of international business development.
Some of the notable successes coming out of the ACT include Intelledox, who recently won two ACT export awards and announced a major partnership with the global entity Fuji Xerox during the Singapore trade mission. Intelledox has also built a strong export market in the USA and is investigating opportunities in the Middle East and South America.
ONTHEGO, another winner at this year’s export awards, also announced in Singapore a major deal to sell custom-made sports apparel uniforms to Anytime Fitness Asia, and they are also exporting to the USA. Datapod has completed its first sale into the North American public sector market, with the purchase of one of its unique modular data centres for the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Datapod’s growing list of clients includes the CSIRO, BHP Billiton, Saab Technologies, Papua New Guinea maritime and the Australian federal government.
Seeing Machines, this year’s ACT exporter of the year, has recently opened an office in California and has contracts in Latin America. It is also partnering with Toshiba to develop new uses for its technology.
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