News

Location and specialisation are the keys to Queensland competing successfully for a share of the world’s lucrative space industry, according to a recently released report.

Queensland’s greatest competitive advantage is its geographic location, which provides unique opportunities for space systems, launch activities, ground systems and more, according to the Deloitte report Sky is not the limit: Building Queensland’s space economy.

The report also finds that there is real potential for Queensland producers to export existing niche, value-added goods and services to feed into the global space-industry supply chain.

Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said the report recommended capitalising on the state’s existing strengths in research and manufacturing to take advantage of the global space economy.

‘Queensland’s space industry employs more than 2,000 full-time positions and generates $760 million per year through core industry services like satellite communications,’ Mr Dick said.

‘Queensland universities and companies are at the forefront of space research and technology, including NASA’s mission to identify inhabitable planets beyond our solar system, world-leading hypersonic rocket development, the design and manufacture of advanced composite materials, and in new satellite launch and communications technologies.

‘Queensland is already the home to Australia’s vehicle and aviation manufacturing sectors.

‘With our advanced manufacturing supply chain and world-leading research programs, it makes sense for Queensland to also be the home of Australia’s space manufacturing industry.’

The Deloitte report estimates that, under a medium-growth scenario, the space industry could create around 5,000 jobs and contribute $1.3 billion to the Queensland economy over the next two decades.

Announcing the new report, the government said it would use Deloitte’s findings as the economic foundation for a policy position on development of Queensland’s space industry.

Local interest in the global space industry has intensified since last year’s launch of the Australian Space Agency, which has been tasked by the federal government with growing a globally respected Australian space industry.

In addition to the Deloitte report, a Queensland Government parliamentary inquiry has been investigating how Queensland can best take advantage of opportunities flowing from the new space agency. The parliamentary inquiry’s report was also released recently.

The Deloitte report was commissioned by the Queensland Government and released on 24 February 2019.

The aerospace sector is identified as an emerging export priority in the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2017–2022.

Gold Coast business PWR Performance Products will purchase high-tech equipment and improve its international competitiveness using a $1.095 million grant from the Made in Queensland program.

Made in Queensland offers matched grants to help Queensland’s manufacturing sector become more internationally competitive and adopt innovative processes and technologies.

PWR manufactures high-performance cooling systems used in race cars and military vehicles worldwide, and will use the grant to buy an advanced 3D CT scanner.

PWR CEO Kees Weel said the new scanner would help PWR strengthen its position as a premium supplier to industries such as high-end motorsport, aerospace, defence and electronics, and create new jobs in the company.

‘We have employed an additional 100 full-time employees since 2015 and currently have 185 full-time employees at the PWR facility at Ormeau,’ Mr Weel said.

‘With the purchase of the 3D CT scanner, we expect to employ a significant number of additional graduate engineers and programmers to further grow the business.’

PWR is a two-time winner in the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards and was also named Australian Exporter of the Year in 2012.

It is one of 25 businesses across Queensland that will receive a total of $17.62 million under Round 2 of the Made in Queensland program.

The program offers grants between $50,000 and $2.5 million to manufacturers looking to adopt innovative processes and technologies in order to generate highly skilled jobs and become more internationally competitive.

Manufacturers must go dollar-for-dollar with the government to fund business improvements.

Advanced manufacturing is one of the emerging export sectors identified in the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2017–2022.

Queensland companies showcased their products at the Arab Health trade show in Dubai in January, including Gold Coast company Dola Orthotics, which left the show with a significant distribution deal.

Arab Health is the Middle East’s largest healthcare event, attracting exhibitors from 46 countries and thousands of buyers and distributors from around the world.

Nine Gold Coast companies made the journey to Dubai, showcasing everything from beach wheelchairs to nutritional supplements, probiotics and eczema cream.

The group travelled as part of a delegation led by Gold Coast City Council/TradeStart AI Group, and was also supported on the ground by staff from TIQ’s Middle East office.

Queensland Trade and Investment Commissioner for the Middle East Donna Massie said Arab Health had been a great success for Queensland, with one deal signed and more in the pipeline.

‘The Queensland exhibitors were able to meet with a wide range of potential business partners from around the world at meetings organised by Craig Ford from Gold Coast City Council and TIQ Middle East staff,’ she said.

‘One of those companies, Dola Orthotics, negotiated an initial South American distribution deal as a direct result of Arab Health, and other companies have solid leads that we’ll help to follow up in coming months.

‘Representatives from some of the larger Middle East pharmacy chains also visited the Queensland displays, and they were very interested in the Queensland products.

‘The event was a great example of collaboration between TIQ and the council to advance the interests of the participating businesses and the Queensland economy.’

Arab Health ran at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 28–31 January.

Advanced manufacturing, including medical technology, is identified as one of Queensland’s emerging export strengths in the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2017–2022.

Queensland companies participating in Arab Health

• Cramp Fix
• Dola Orthotics
• ESMI
• Hope’s Relief
• Mavell
• Morlife
• Nature’s Gold
• Rochway
• Sandcruiser (exhibiting with American partner)
• Sensuous

David Hackett from TIQ Middle East, Craig Ford from Trade Start Gold Coast/City of Gold Coast, and Luke Sinclair from Dola Orthotics at Arab Health.

Individuals and small businesses can now apply for grants of up to $5,000 to run an event during Queensland Small Business Week in May.

Local councils and industry organisations are also eligible to apply.

Small Business Week celebrates Queensland’s small businesses and their contribution to communities across the state.

Each year it features a range of events where business-owners can network and learn new skills.

This year’s Small Business Week will run from Monday 27 – Friday 31 May and, for the first time, grants are available to support individuals and organisations who would like to host an event.

The Small Business Weeks Grants Program is now accepting applications from eligible individuals, small businesses, councils and industry bodies for grants of up to $5,000.

If you’re interested in applying, please read the eligibility criteria, application guidelines and terms and conditions first.

Applications close Sunday 3 March.

Supporting small to medium-sized enterprises is a priority of the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2017–2022.

The value of Queensland’s goods exports rose by 16.3% to reach a record $81.7 billion last year, according to trade figures released recently by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Driven primarily by exports of coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG), the results make Queensland Australia’s second-largest goods exporter by value behind Western Australia, and a bigger goods exporter than Victoria and New South Wales combined.

The updated figures show that the top 4 contributors to the state’s export income in 2018 were:

• coal exports – accounting for 53.0% of annual export income
• LNG – accounting for 16.5%
• minerals – accounting for 13.0%
• meat – accounting for 6.8%.

The value of coal exports rose by $5.7 billion during the year, reflecting an increase in both coal prices and volumes for all types of coal.

Minerals exports increased in value by $1.8 billion, and beef exports were also up, increasing by $769 million.

Major export markets were:

• China – Queensland’s largest export market, taking 32.1% of the state’s exports by value, and injecting $26.2 billion into the Queensland economy last year
• Japan – 15.2% by value
• India – 12.3% by value
• South Korea – 11.0% by value.

The ABS trade figures for the 2018 calendar year were released on 5 February 2019.

Increasing Queensland’s share of national exports is one of the targets identified in the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2017–2022.

If you’d like to get your product into overseas markets, connect with TIQ today or attend one of our upcoming Business growth essentials workshops running in regional Queensland in February and March.

Cross-cultural ecommerce is just one of the topics on the agenda at the upcoming Get Set and Go Global! workshop in Brisbane on 27 February.

Specialists in ecommerce, intellectual property, finance, distribution, pitching and more will speak at the workshop, which is for both experienced and beginner exporters.

CEO of 2M Language Services Tea Dietterich will share her secrets for increasing online visibility in international markets.

Ms Dietterich said businesses wanting to maximise global sales should seriously consider translating online content and tapping into cultural knowledge.

‘Research shows that that 90% of non-English speaking customers are more likely to purchase products if online content is provided in their own local language,’ Ms Dietterich said.

‘During the workshop, I’ll talk about the practical aspects of translating and localising business content for multiple markets, and how businesses can use cross-cultural knowledge to increase sales even further.

‘We’ll also discuss strategies for repurposing foreign-language content across communication channels to get maximum value out of your investment.’

Presented by the Export Council of Australia, the workshop will also include expert presentations on:

• understanding intellectual property
• understanding your bank’s expectations
• business process improvement through innovation
• setting up the right business structures
• pitching for international success
• asset maximisation and tax minimisation.

TIQ is the venue host for the workshop, which will be held at 1 William Street, Brisbane, from 9.30am to 3.00pm on Wednesday 27 February.

Register now if you’d like to attend.

Chinese doctors and other health professionals will receive advanced training from Queensland medical experts under a new multi-million dollar training agreement.

Experts from TAFE and universities across the state will train doctors and allied health providers under the Assist Chinese Healthcare Reform project.

From 2020, Chinese doctors, specialists, GPs and hospital administrators will participate in courses of 2–3 weeks across a range of disciplines.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the training was an opportunity to share Queensland’s healthcare expertise to achieve positive clinical and economic outcomes.

‘We have some of the best hospitals, universities and healthcare experts in the world,’ the Premier said.

‘This is about sharing our expertise in healthcare and converting it into economic growth and new jobs for Queenslanders.

‘Over the next 10 years, the Chinese doctors’ training program will generate at least $50 million for our hospitals and universities.’

The training project will be coordinated through the new Queensland Healthcare Professional Development Consortium, which comprises Queensland Health, 7 universities and TAFE Queensland.

TIQ is supporting the project through Study Queensland’s International Education and Training Partnership Fund, which has provided $297,000 in matched funding to support the consortium’s work.

Innovation Minister and Ministerial Champion for International Education Kate Jones said the consortium would first provide bespoke training courses in Queensland and later training courses were expected to be delivered in China as well.

‘Major reforms in China in the areas of preventative healthcare, community care and aged care are driving demand for Queensland’s expertise,’ she said.

‘We have the experts in these areas that China – and many other countries – do not.

‘International education is currently worth more than $4 billion to Queensland every year.

‘But we know that if we can tap into the global demand for training in the healthcare sector, the sky is the limit.’

The education and training sector is identified as Queensland’s second-largest services export (after tourism) in the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2017–2022.

Universities participating in the Queensland Healthcare Professional Development Consortium

• Queensland University of Technology
• Griffith University
• University of Queensland
• James Cook University
• University of the Sunshine Coast
• University of Southern Queensland
• Bond University

Applications are now open for the current round of the International Education and Training Partnership Fund, which closes on 15 March.

The $175 million Susan River Solar Farm near Maryborough has officially opened, and will soon add another 95 megawatts of renewable power to Queensland’s electricity system.

The project uses 290,000 panels to generate electricity, connected to the state’s power grid via a new Ergon Energy substation on the solar farm site.

It is owned by international investors Elliott Green Power, an affiliate of hedge fund Elliott Advisors (UK).

Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said Susan River was the twentieth renewable-generation project to come online in Queensland over the past 2 years, with another 13 large-scale projects under construction in Queensland.

‘These 13 large-scale projects will generate more than 1,200 megawatts, boost investment by around $2.5 billion and most importantly create more than 1,900 jobs during construction,’ Dr Lynham said.

Projects underway include Elliot Green Power’s other Queensland renewable project, the 75 megawatt Childers Solar Farm just 50km away.

The Childers project also recently completed construction and is in the early stages of commissioning.

More than 80% of the construction workforce for the Susan River project came from the local area.

It has the capacity to power about 40,000 homes when it reaches full generation.

Susan River Solar Farm was an initiative of Australian solar-farm developer ESCO Pacific.

Renewable energy is identified as one of the key sectors for investment attraction in the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2017–2022.

Members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are continuing their discussions around the WTO’s ecommerce initiative.

The initiative commits participating WTO members to negotiations on trade-related aspects of electronic commerce, with the goal of enhancing ecommerce benefits for businesses and consumers worldwide.

The initiative was launched in Buenos Aires in 2017.

The most recent meeting was held in Switzerland in January this year, where Australia, Japan and Singapore hosted an informal meeting of Ministers to discuss the initiative during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting.

Ministers meeting in Switzerland exchanged views on how WTO negotiations can capture opportunities offered by ecommerce for business, consumers and the global economy.

They also discussed the unique ecommerce opportunities and challenges faced by particular members, including developing countries and micro, small and medium enterprises.

The WTO ecommerce negotiations are a key step towards bringing international trade rules into line with modern business practices.

Modern digital trade rules will also create a more open and predictable environment for businesses participating in the global digital economy.

After the Switzerland meeting, 76 WTO members representing more than 90% of global trade confirmed their intention to participate in the ecommerce negotiations.

TIQ is currently rolling out ecommerce workshops for SMES across Queensland as part of its Business growth essentials workshop series.

If you’re an SME looking to attract new dollars to help your business grow, join us at one of our Attract funding workshops rolling out across Queensland this month.

Presented by TIQ, the workshops are ideal for businesses wanting to expand domestically or in global markets.

Come along to a local workshop where you’ll:

• learn how to assess what sort of investment or funding best suits your needs
• get a basic understanding of investment and funding pathways
• find out what investors, banks and governments are looking for when they make funding decisions.

SMEs are critical to the Queensland economy, accounting for 97.5% of all businesses in the state.

Yet many SMEs struggle to attract the funding they need to grow, whether it’s to purchase new equipment, increase inventory, engage in marketing or achieve some other goal.

In just two hours, the ‘Attract funding’ workshops will give you key insights to take practical steps towards securing the funds you need.

Workshops will be held in the following locations:

• MARYBOROUGH — Tuesday 26 February 2019, 7.00am–9.00am
• SUNSHINE COAST — Tuesday 26 February 2019, 10.00am–12.30pm
• IPSWICH — Tuesday 26 February 2019, 11.30pm–1.30pm
• TOWNSVILLE — Wednesday 27 February 2019, 7.30am–9.00am
• CAIRNS — Thursday 28 February 2019, 7.30am–9.00.

Visit our workshop registration page for more information and to register.

The ‘Attract funding’ workshops are part of TIQ’s Business growth essentials workshop program for 2019, which will offer Queensland SMEs training in areas such as ecommerce, funding and investment attraction, business pitching, and developing cultural awareness for international markets.

The workshop program is an initiative of the Queensland Trade and Investment Strategy 2017–2022.