Victoria celebrates its growing relationship with Latin America and expands trade and investment opportunities.
2024 marks an important year for Australia’s engagement with Latin America.
Global attention is shifting to the region as Brazil hosts the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Peru hosts APEC, and several elections take place in the region.
These multilateral forums provide opportunities to advance strategic agendas and relationships. They can also be leveraged to promote opportunities in Latin America and collaboration across industries, trade, investment, and international education.
Highlights
Victorian Government leads successful education mission to Latin America
In April, Global Victoria’s Study Melbourne led a Victorian Education Mission to Latin America, targeting Brazil and Colombia. Delegates from six Victorian universities participated in a week-long program, engaging in high-level meetings with key stakeholders and decision-makers to foster collaboration with Colombian and Brazilian education and research agency counterparts.
In Brazil, the mission provided an opportunity to showcase Victoria’s cutting-edge educational programs and research at the prestigious FAUBAI Conference, and explore new areas for collaboration on scientific research, innovation and technology with Fundacao Araucaria and FAPESP — one of the main funding agencies for scientific and technological research in Brazil.
In Colombia, a highlight was the engagement and collaboration with prestigious scholarship bodies such as COLFUTURO. Victoria is delighted to welcome over 100 Colombian recipients of this prestigious scholarship to Victorian universities next year, including Monash University, University of Melbourne, RMIT University and Deakin University.
The education mission significantly enhanced awareness of Victoria, and stronger educational ties between Victoria, Colombia, and Brazil. Global Victoria looks forward to building on these connections and continuing to strengthen bilateral relationships in Latin America.
Global Victoria Women (GVw) - Building Connections with Latin America Forum
In May, Global Victoria hosted the two-part Global Victoria Women (GVw) - Building Connections with Latin America Forum in Melbourne.
The first session – Female Leaders Accelerating Business with Latin America boardroom discussion gathered over 25 female leaders from industry, government and higher education playing a key role in driving business and engagement with Latin America.
The discussion covered the current state of play, opportunities, and challenges for Victorian businesses in Latin America, cultural nuances and tips for business engagement.
Participants also shared inspiring stories of female leadership and empowerment across trade, investment, and education.
The second session – Inspiring the Next Generation of Latin American Leaders was an energising networking initiative delivered in collaboration with Study Melbourne.
Latin American students, alumni, and emerging leaders connected with leaders, driving strengthened engagement between Victoria and Latin America. Monica Mendez, Chief Delivery Officer at SECOS Group, a highly successful Victorian exporting business, shared insights about her career journey and working across international markets.
Victoria’s business ties with the Latin American region continue to grow and diversify.
Through the GVw initiative, we look forward to continuing to support, inspire and empower women in international business connected to Latin America.
Global Victoria’s METS Trade Mission to Exponor 2024
Latin America is one of the world's most dynamic regions for mining and natural resources.
Recognising the strategic importance of this region, Global Victoria recently led a Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) Trade Mission to Exponor 2024 in Chile's mining capital, Antofagasta.
Opportunities in the Clean Technology sector in Chile
Global Victoria partnered with Austrade to host the Opportunities in the Clean Technology sector in Chile event in Melbourne, featuring presentations led by senior delegates of Universidad Adolfo Ibanez (UAI) – Chile’s top technology and business university.
The session aimed at sharing information on Chile’s Clean Technology Institute (Instituto de Tecnologías Limpias or ITL), a recently established consortium of Chilean universities and industry stakeholders focused on turbocharging the development, piloting and adoption of clean technologies in Chile.
With a strong international focus, ITL plans to allocate funding to implement novel technologies that will help reduce Green House Gas emissions, optimise water use and mitigate other environmental impacts in the mining, energy, and industrial sectors in Chile.
Twelve Victorian organisations, including clean technology exporters and higher education institutions attended the session and explored opportunities for partnership and collaboration to test and deploy their expertise and solutions in the Chilean mining and energy industries.
Global Victoria looks forward to continuing to support Victorian businesses in the clean tech sector to enter and explore opportunities in the Chilean market.
World Agri-Tech South America Summit
The AgTech ecosystem in LATAM is one of the most dynamic globally. In June, Santiago VGTI Trade Manager, Macarena Fuentes, participated at the World Agri-Tech Summit 2024 held in São Paulo. Innovative leaders, founders, investors, and global agricultural experts discussed the latest trends, technologies, and solutions transforming the sector.
The visit included strategic meetings with Brazilian companies and partners such as JBS, which opera
The Victorian Government’s participation at the summit provided an opportunity to deepen our connections with the South American AgTech ecosystem, convey Victoria’s value proposition as an AgTech hub in Australia and attract fast-growing technology providers from Latin America into Victoria.
Looking ahead
- 7 August 2024: ALABC Melbourne Dinner and Business Excellence Awards
Global Victoria is an event partner of the ALABC Melbourne Dinner 2024 that will celebrate ALABC’s 35-year anniversary and Victoria’s growing relationship with Latin America through trade, investment, and education links.
- September 2024: Brazil Week 2024
Brazil Week is coming to Melbourne for the first time, and Global Victoria is supporting the Australia Brazil Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) to forge bridges for business, trade and investment between Victoria and Brazil.
- September: EXPOSIBRAM 2024
Global Victoria will support a group of Victorian mining technology providers with a tailored business program (including access to the Australian pavilion, networking and pitching opportunities, branding, and business development support) at EXPOSIBRAM 2024 in Brazil. The event is an opportunity for Victorian METS to explore opportunities and accelerate their expansion in one of the world’s leading mining markets.
- October/November: Incoming delegations from Latin America
Global Victoria is working with partners to support several delegations from Latin America from varied sectors who are planning to visit Victoria around October and November 2024.