World Leading Technical &
Management Expertise in the Tropics

Living and working in the tropical environment of northern Queensland has given businesses and research organisations the opportunity to develop unique ways of working in the demanding tropical conditions typical of the Asia Pacific Region and other tropical regions.

Whether it is in protected area management, tropical health, planning and project management of tropical buildings, infrastructure and construction or water management, the Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium offers innovative and practical solutions to global tropical economies.

Many individuals in ATEC are recognised as international experts in their field. Institutional members include James Cook University, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.

Management bodies such as Wet Tropics Management Authority create best practice governance platforms for natural resource and protected area management. The ATEC network includes international engineering firms such as ARUP, Maunsell and GHD.

What makes North Queensland the centre for Tropical Expertise?

• Proximity and access to the Asia Pacific region
• Significant capacity in research and development
• Strong partnerships between industry and research institutes
• An extensive network local stakeholders

Key stakeholders

• Industry groups
• Local companies
• Research and development, education and training bodies
• Government

Become a Member of ATEC

Are you an Australian individual or belong to an organisation which works within the Tropical Expertise sector?

ATEC invites Tropical Expertise practitioners to add their capabilities to the database and become part of the network of professionals working within Australia and abroad.

Why become a member of ATEC?

• Be found by project proponents through the database
• Build new networks and industry linkages
• Find opportunities to join project teams
• Communicate with other Tropical Expertise practitioners

Opening the Door to International Markets

Australia’s wet tropics is the only region of this type in the world with a developed economy. The majority of other tropical countries are in second or third world developing economies and, for this reason, receive an estimated $40 billion in aid annually.

A quarter of this funding is allocated to buy expertise to assist in achieving economic and social development goals.

Enormous potential exists for local organisations and individuals to participate in this market, utilising their skills and knowledge to facilitate change abroad and to create new business opportunities for themselves.