Regional insights

While physical travel has been restricted in recent months, our engagement and trade activities with the Americas through virtual platforms has continued to be strong and positive.

Clinical trials and biotech collaboration

Victoria is regarded as one of the premier locations in the world to conduct clinical trials. In June, the Victoria Clinical Trials Gateway went virtual. Thirty-five delegates participated in the Global Victoria virtual stand at BIO USA, the largest biotech focused event in the United States.

Through virtual meetings and events, delegates uncovered new business opportunities and formed new collaborations and partnerships. As part of the event, Global Victoria held a live panel featuring Dr Tina Soulis, (Neuroscience Trials Australia), Dr Megan Robertson (St Vincents Health Australia) and Dr Amanda Caples, Lead Scientist (Victorian Government) highlighting opportunities for conducting clinical trials in Australia.

In August, American company Novavax announced positive phase 1 data for its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate which was conducted in Australia (a large portion of the trial conducted in Melbourne). Victorian companies 360biolabs and Nucleus Network both contributed to the Phase 1 trial. Phase 2 of the trial was initiated in the United States and Australia in late August.

Building on the long and extensive history of collaboration between the life sciences ecosystems in Victoria and Maryland, Global Victoria supported a Victorian delegation at the Maryland Bio Innovation Virtual Conference in early October.

Emerging EdTech opportunities

One industry that's seen a dramatic shift in 2020 is the education sector – with a large proportion of education providers switching to digital platforms and remote learning.

The Melbourne EdTech Summit was held from 8-10 September and discussed the education innovation agenda with Australia’s EdTech leaders and global innovators (including around 90 participants from the Americas).

Global Victoria was a key partner for EduGrowth’s 2020 USA EdTech Trade Mission, held over the last two weeks of September. Seventeen Victorian EdTech companies participated in the virtual mission which highlighted key opportunities and the potential for growth in the USA EdTech market. For Victorian EdTech companies, Global Victoria hosted a session giving companies insight into the Latin American EdTech sector.

Expanding research collaborations with the State of Parana, Brazil

International research partnerships and collaboration continue to grow between Victoria and the State of Paraná, Brazil.  In July, funding was approved for joint research projects between multiple Brazilian and Victorian universities covering diverse topics such as:

• water management
• water security
• sustainable agriculture
• rural agricultural productivity planning
• capacity building primary care responses to domestic violence.

Universities involved include:

• La Trobe University
• Swinburne University
• Deakin University
• State University of Maringa
• Federal University of Paraná
• State University of West Paraná.

Female leaders from Latin America converge on Melbourne

Early in March, Global Victoria hosted three female leaders from Latin America to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) and promote collaboration between the 60 international delegates that visited overall and Victorian stakeholders.

Claudia Bobadilla, Executive President of the Industrial Telecommunication Association in Chile and CSIRO Board Member and Juanita Rodriguez, Vice-Chancellor of Innovation at EAN University in Bogotá participated in Global Victoria's all-women business summit , GVw 2020 from 5 to 8 March 2020. GVw 2020 showcased Victoria’s world-class capabilities in STEM, transport/infrastructure, sport, medical technology and pharmaceuticals.

Claudia learnt about the work of Monash University, CSIRO and the Australian Synchrotron in driving world-leading research, and partnership opportunities. Juanita visited the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project at Parkville and experienced first-hand the innovative and sustainable Arup engineering office in the Docklands as part of the infrastructure program.

Photo: GVw 2020 delegates on a site tour of Melbourne's Metro Tunnel - part of Victoria's $70 billion Big Build Infrastructure Project

Both had the opportunity to connect with influential female leaders – from women driving key medical research projects to women leading major road projects in Victoria – as part of the state’s $70 billion infrastructure program.

Claudia Bobadilla also featured as the keynote speaker at the ALABC boardroom luncheon held on 6 March 2020 at Global Victoria’s International Chamber House which included participation by Australia’s Ambassador to Colombia and Venezuela HE Sophie Davies. Claudia shared her insights on drivers behind the recent social unrest in Chile following 40 days of being completely immersed amongst the most affected communities. A key lesson Claudia took away was the importance of companies incorporating social values in their business plans and strategies to ensure dignity for all.

Following GVw was the annual Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival (VAMFF).

Dr Maria Carrasco, a leading fashion commentator in Chile and practising Psychiatrist travelled to Melbourne to attend a full program of activities during VAMFF including;

• exclusive runways shows
• meet and greets with leading Melbourne designers
• visits to the RMIT Design Studio and fashion school LCI
• attending the latest exhibit at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Photo: Maria Carrasco (pictured on the right) with Global Victoria's CEO, Gönül Serbest at the National Gallery of Victoria.

Spring 2019

Melbourne and San Francisco will be connected better than ever before, with United Airlines launching its first non-stop flight between the two cities.This is the airline’s second non-stop flight between the US and Melbourne and will operate three times a week.

The new route means that there are more direct flights from San Francisco to Melbourne than ever before, with seven flights over six days a week.

Along with the 16 direct flights currently operating from Los Angeles to Melbourne and four to Vancouver, the new service will make travel even easier for Northern American businesses who have offices in Melbourne and those considering establishing a presence in Australia’s fastest growing city.

Melbourne is a popular destination for US investors, particularly those in the tech sector, with San Francisco-based tech companies such as Zendesk, Square, Splunk and Eventbrite having all established offices in Melbourne.

Showcasing Victoria's world-leading capabilities

Over the past few months, our Americas VGTI has been very heavily involved in promoting Victoria’s capabilities through a very eclectic mix of activities – from tech and creative industries in the US to education and mining equipment and technology services in Latin America.

South by Southwest (SXSW) Regarded as the leading global conference for music, film and interactive media, Global Victoria led a trade mission to SXSW in Austin, Texas in March 2019.

Supported by the Americas VGTI and Creative Victoria, 15 Victorian tech startups and a separate cohort of 30 delegates from Victoria’s creative scene travelled to the Silicon Hills to build new connections and soak up fresh new ideas from leaders across a wide range of industries, including, marketing, music and film equipment, robotics, aerospace, mobile apps, 3D printing, and many more.

Global Victoria, in collaboration with the Victorian Music Development Organisation, G'Day USA and Sounds Australia, put together a day-long celebration showcasing Melbourne’s best music, tech and film talent at Melbourne Hub, a venue takeover at AUSTRALIA House at SXSW 2019. The evening featured leading Melbourne acts Oh Pep!, Two People, Angie McMahon, Mojo Juju, Amyl and the Sniffers (DJ set) and DRMNGNOW (DJ set). With the venue at full capacity, the evening concluded with a late night screening of the Australian documentary, Her Sound Her Story by filmmaker Claudia Sangiorgi Dalimore.

Several Melbourne-based artists and companies gained wider recognition in the US and beyond, and number of Victorian delegates reported hugely promising business outcomes, with some reporting estimates of $3.4 million in new business over the next 12 months, and $23 million over a two-year period.

Latin America

Lopez-Lochert Scholarship

In January 2019, nineteen Victorian TAFE students travelled to Chile under the Victorian Government’s Lopez-Lochert Scholarship program to undertake a two-week exchange program at Duoc UC, Chile's leading VET institution. Students undertook two-week courses on “Doing Business in Latin America” and “The World of Chilean Wines”. As part of the academic program, the group visited multiple local companies, startups and vineyards and immersed themselves in the local culture.

The scholarship is the result of a unique first-ever partnership between the Victorian Government, TAFE Victoria and Duoc UC aimed at facilitating student exchanges between Victoria and Chile, fostering cultural connections and promoting Victorian VET opportunities in Latin America.

Learn more about Victoria’s relationship with Latin America by reading the Victorian Government's Latin America Trade and Investment Strategy.

Exponor 2019: Global Victoria travels to the heart of copper mining in the world.

In late April 2019, the Victorian Government’s Office in Santiago supported nine Victorian mining equipment and technology services (METS) companies on a trade mission to Exponor 2019 – one of Latin America’s largest mining events, held bi-annually in Antofagasta, Chile.

The Antofagasta region is the main mining centre of Chile and is responsible for over 55 per cent of domestic copper production, as well as 100 per cent of the production of lithium carbonate, lithium chloride and lithium hydroxide. Several of the world’s major mining companies have operating assets in the region, including BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Antofagasta Minerals Teck, Codelco, Yamana, KGHM, Rockwood and SQM.

Global Victoria’s mission aimed to connect Victorian METS with management, executives and technical personnel at some of the largest and most sophisticated mine sites in the world. The program included tailored B2B meetings, networking opportunities, customer briefings and visits to key mining sites.

Summer 2018

Victoria's Latin America Strategy

Victoria's Latin America Strategy sets out the Victorian Government’s vision for enhanced engagement with Latin America as well as underscoring the important efforts and initiatives that have taken place to date to strengthen Victoria’s relationship with the region.

The Victorian Government is committed to informing Victorian stakeholders, including the business and education sectors about the opportunities to collaborate and do business beyond traditional partners and to understand the diverse opportunities that Latin America presents.

Priority sectors include Mining and METS, International Education, Food and Agricultural Innovation and Liveability, while emerging sectors include Tourism and Major Events and Medical Technology and Pharmaceuticals.

The Government plans to increase Victoria’s exports to Latin America as well as grow student numbers and visitors from Latin America going forward.

Read the Strategy

• Download and read the full Strategy PDF, 3.2 MB
• Download and read an accessible version of the full Strategy  DOCX, 962.1 KB

Latin America is open for business

During a period when certain economies are becoming increasingly protectionist, others are embracing the opportunity to leverage the benefits of global trade through the expansion of networks created by free trade agreements.

Australia and key Latin American markets have demonstrated their commitment to free trade with several agreements under negotiation or signed in recent months, broadening opportunities for Victorian companies.

In February, the Peru Australia FTA (PAFTA) was signed by Australia’s and Peru’s Trade Ministers. In March, Australia signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership 11, which brings together eleven countries, including Australia, Chile, Mexico and Peru among other key Asia-Pacific countries. In late March, the third round of Pacific Alliance FTA negotiations was held in Chile. The Pacific Alliance, comprising Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru extends Australia’s FTA network to Colombia, a country undergoing significant changes following the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which brought an end to 50 years of conflict.

These agreements present opportunities for Victorian companies and institutions:

• The PAFTA provides improved market access for Victorian farmers, dairy producers and processed food suppliers as well as METs companies.
• TPP-11 builds on Australia’s existing agreements with Chile and Peru by providing a pathway for further business opportunities with Mexico, Victoria’s largest trading partner in Latin America.
• The four countries of the Pacific Alliance, together, account for 37 per cent of Latin America's population, 35 per cent of its nominal GDP, 46 per cent of its exports, and 50 per cent of its total imports, again offering an opportunity to facilitate business for Victorian companies across all four markets.

Autumn 2018 Update

The new Victorian Government Trade and Investment (VGTI) office in Santiago, Chile, the launch of Latam’s direct flight between Melbourne and Santiago and the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Peru as well as the Pacific Alliance have paved the way for enhanced trade and investment ties between Victoria and Latin America.

In 2018, Victoria’s Minister for Trade and Investment will release the Victorian Government’s Latin America Trade and Investment Strategy, which will outline the key markets and priority sectors that align with Victoria's capabilities.

Opportunities for Victoria:

• Our enhanced presence on the ground will help Victorian businesses gain market intelligence and enter or expand their trade activity with Latin America through the office’s key relationships with the businesses sector and governments in-market.
• Improved air links will drive increased two-way travel by businesspeople, tourists and students as well as family and friends.
• The rapid conclusion of the Australia-Peru FTA negotiations will facilitate market access for Victoria's METS, infrastructure and Agtech companies as well as food and beverage exporters. Plans to conclude negotiations of the Australia-Pacific Alliance FTA in 2018 will multiply these opportunities with key markets that are open for business.

Spring 2018

The new Victorian Government Trade and Investment (VGTI) office in Santiago, Chile, the launch of Latam’s direct flight between Melbourne and Santiago and the negotiation of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with Peru as well as the Pacific Alliance have paved the way for enhanced trade and investment ties between Victoria and Latin America.

In 2018, Victoria’s Minister for Trade and Investment will release the Victorian Government’s Latin America Trade and Investment Strategy, which will outline the key markets and priority sectors that align with Victoria's capabilities.

Opportunities for Victoria:

• Our enhanced presence on the ground will help Victorian businesses gain market intelligence and enter or expand their trade activity with Latin America through the office’s key relationships with the businesses sector and governments in-market.
• Improved air links will drive increased two-way travel by businesspeople, tourists and students as well as family and friends.
• The rapid conclusion of the Australia-Peru FTA negotiations will facilitate market access for Victoria's METS, infrastructure and Agtech companies as well as food and beverage exporters. Plans to conclude negotiations of the Australia-Pacific Alliance FTA in 2018 will multiply these opportunities with key markets that are open for business.