ATEC News

The Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium has entered a new phase of service, collaborating with TropLinks to provide members of both organisations with a wider range of benefits.

From the beginning of April, TropLinks will deliver business matching for members of TropLinks and ATEC, while ATEC will continue to provide a wide range of training and professional development activities to prepare members for export; and deliver web-based communications and market intelligence via email and regular eNewsletters.

Here is what the respective memberships will offer:

ATEC and TropLinks are committed to fostering a strong working relationship to ensure that business, industry, and universities and research institutions across Northern Australia are given the opportunity to maximise their capacity to develop, commercialise and export their unique Tropical Expertise.

Marketing the unique tropical knowledge and services in northern and central Queensland to international aid project co-ordinators will be the focus of the Australian Tropical Expertise Consortium Business Matching Roadshow, which will kick off in Cairns next week.

The Roadshow will roll through Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton on three consecutive days starting from Tuesday, December 8 in Cairns. It will bring an array of Australian Managing Contractors (AMCs) and project co-ordinating firms to the regions to meet with Tropical Expertise service providers and share with them the intricacies of engaging with such firms, how to procure international aid work, and the ins and outs of working in-country.

Companies presenting on the Roadshow, which is being co-ordinated by Advance Cairns in partnership with the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, include Uniquest, Queensland University of Technology, JTA International, Cardno (PNG division), Trade Queensland and McLeod Training Organisation.

International aid projects in the developing world are administered by firms, such as the ones represented on the Roadshow, who subcontract organisations to complete assignments of varying budgets and timeframes. Northern and central Queensland professionals have been recognised by leading Australian Managing Contractor firms as among the best experts for international development projects in tropical countries.

This event was first held in Cairns in November 2008 and attracted more than 70 participants. Several Queensland companies, with unique Tropical Expertise, who attended have since been invited on international tenders by AMCs they met on the day.

The Roadshow will be held in the following locations:

CAIRNS – Tuesday, December 8 @ the Shangri-La Hotel from 8:15am – 1:30pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

TOWNSVILLE – Wednesday, December 9 @ Rydges Southbank from 8:15am – 1:30pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.

ROCKHAMPTON – Thursday, December 10 @ Rockhampton Leagues Club from 8:45am – 2pm. Cost $44. Click here to register.