Victoria continues to support and celebrate Victorian exporters in Latin America
New and emerging opportunities for Victorian businesses continue to grow as the Latin American economies become increasingly sophisticated – and so does our bilateral economic engagement.
New sectors, including energy, technology, data analytics and artificial intelligence offer opportunities in a broad range of sectors and industry verticals. Below, we share some examples of emerging Victorian businesses successfully launching operations in the region.
Financial services company Pepperstone marks one year of operations in Chile and vows to expand into the rest of LATAM
A leading player in over-the-counter financial assets trading, Pepperstone identified Latin America as a key market for international growth. With the support of Global Victoria and the Victorian Government Trade and Investment office (VGTI) in Santiago, Chile, the company chose Chile as a springboard into LATAM.
In little more than a year, Pepperstone has established operations, built a team of sixteen talented developers and business managers, and achieved extraordinary success. In a visit to Santiago, Pepperstone’s Group CEO Tamas Szabo announced the company would build on its success in Chile and launch into other markets in the region, including Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil and Peru.
We look forward to continuing to support Pepperstone as they bring technology-based, seamless financial services to LATAM customers.
Victorian Government support to secure opportunities for Opturion in Chile
The Santiago VGTI proactively supported Opturion's successful entry into Latin America.
Headquartered in Victoria, the company has developed a unique decision-making optimisation platform based on data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence that is transforming how businesses are making strategic decisions.
Opturion’s platform can be used to optimise the use of a fleet of vehicles, make complex decisions about strategic investments, manage scarce resources, and many more applications. Opturion’s platform caters to a wide range of industries, including energy, mining, logistics, and forestry, among others.
Global Victoria and the Santiago VGTI partnered with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and CSIRO Chile to develop a high-quality induction program for Opturion in Chile, which led to the company securing its first contract with a mayor local industry player.
Doing Business with the Americas
Global Victoria, in partnership with Regional Development Victoria, delivered a series of in-person ‘Doing Business with the Americas’ seminars in Geelong, Morwell, and Ballarat in April 2024.
The seminars provided an opportunity to hear valuable insights on key trends, opportunities and exporting strategies from Global Victoria’s trade specialists visiting from the US and Latin America, Brian Carnahan and Pablo Schatz.
Victorian Government collaboration with LATAM Airlines to further strengthen the Santiago-Melbourne service.
In February, the Santiago VGTI conducted a series of webinars in partnership with LATAM Airlines for education agents across the region. The webinar aimed to promote an initiative by LATAM Airlines to offer discounted airfares to Latin American students travelling on the Santiago–Melbourne direct flight.
The discount rate program for students will contribute to supporting international students and further strengthen the Santiago-Melbourne service, which was reintroduced in September 2023.
You can watch the recording of the webinar in Portuguese and Spanish through the Global Victoria YouTube channel.
Support to Victorian Mining & METS companies engaging with LATAM stakeholders at PDAC.
In March, the Santiago VGTI travelled to Canada to support Victorian mining technology providers seeking to engage with LATAM-based decision-makers at PDAC.
The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Conference (PDAC) is one of the world’s largest and most renowned mining events. The conference attracts delegations of senior government and industry decision-makers from across Latin America. The Santiago VGTI facilitated engagement and access to networking opportunities for Victorian METS companies seeking to access LATAM clients and partners.
Looking ahead
3-6 June 2024: Global Victoria METS Trade Mission to EXPONOR, Chile
Global Victoria, in partnership with Austrade, is planning a Trade Mission to EXPONOR 2024 in Antofagasta, northern Chile from 3-6 June 2024. The VGTI Santiago will support a selected group of Victorian mining technology providers with a tailored business program that includes access to the Australian pavilion, networking and pitching opportunities, branding, and business development support.
The Trade Mission to EXPONOR is an opportunity for Victorian METS to accelerate their expansion in one of the world’s most established and dynamic mining markets.
You can find more information on this trade mission here.