De-risking and opening international doors

HunterNet has been exploring international opportunities and facilitation to export and invest in foreign opportunities since 2015.
We’ve conducted trade missions and made representations in countries across the APAC region.

These countries include Malaysia, Japan, Vietnam, Chile, Peru, South Korea, Myanmar, New Zealand and China. Our early exploration and research into some markets helps us to de-risk early member efforts and triage opportunities back to our members for consideration.

Our Export cluster goals

• Facilitate connections between members (and sometimes non-members) and opportunities and key stakeholders in overseas markets.
• Share knowledge and insights on trends and horizon changes in international markets so that members can position themselves for future relevance.
• Promote member capabilities in international markets.
• Set priorities based on members or opportunities as they present themselves and by specific Austrade forms assistance, such as Free Trade Agreement Market Entry Grants and SME Export Hub Grants.

Attend our upcoming Export events

To facilitate our work, we hold a range of events including forums – which include a presentation, a review of major project opportunities, and networking – as well as dinners, awards nights and conferences.

Our Export cluster at work

Strategic alliances formed with Vietnam and TAFE

We explored opportunities in Vietnam and formed strategic alliances. This helped facilitate the establishment and investment of some members into the country. We further deepened this by liaising with TAFE and developing an exchange program between the member and their in-market presence.

Malaysia, Chile & Peru: Training and virtual mission

We used a Market Entry Grand from Austrade to deliver training to potential members and non-members looking to explore Malaysia, Chile and Peru. The session opened wider conversation with new contacts and connections in these target markets.

We also undertook a research mission in Malaysia in 2019. This led to the identification of various opportunities and business matching to other members/non-members who hadn’t participated. They were invited to participate in a trade mission planned for Q1 2020.

Many contacts and introductions were made remotely in Chile and Peru with the assistance of Harris Gomez & Associates, Australian Latin America Business Chamber, Australia Peru Chamber of Commerce, Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), and Southern Peru Mining Cluster (renamed as SAMMI)/Arequipa Chamber of Commerce.

However, as COVID struck, the trade missions were placed on hold only days from departure. With enduring turmoil in world travel and the global consequences of the pandemic, the program was deprioritised to more critical activities for our organisation and members.

With signs that economy and industry activity were emerging from the pandemic, we reinvigorated the program alongside Austrade. As international travel had still not returned to its pre-COVID state, we recommended a ‘Virtual Trade Mission’.

The Virtual Trade Mission was conducted over three days in January 2022. It involved the participation of around 15 Australian businesses, attending 20 separate online sessions with invited speakers from Malaysia, Chile and Peru.

Feedback from participating businesses included that the activity assisted with forming early-stage strategy, not starting from a zero baseline. Others were grateful for the opportunity to assess the target market(s) and gain sufficient information that their strategy is totally revised to nil future participation in that market.