Business owners in the City of Melbourne will have new opportunities to explore international markets thanks to an expansion in the Council’s Invest Melbourne team, the Council has announced.
Two new advisers have joined Invest Melbourne as part of the national TradeStart network – which assists small and medium-sized businesses to identify and secure trade opportunities across global markets in partnership with Austrade.
This will help support the growth of local businesses, as well as providing a boost to the City of Melbourne economy, said Lord Mayor, Sally Capp.
“Melbourne is the powerhouse of the state, offering the largest number of employment opportunities in Victoria across a range of innovative sectors such as health and tech,” she said.
“Through this new partnership, we’re giving our business community the tools to explore new and emerging global markets – creating more jobs and boosting the city’s economy.”
“We know many of our traders want to expand into international markets – and with business confidence on the rise, we’re laying the foundation for their success.”
Business and Global Opportunities portfolio lead, Councillor Kevin Louey said several priority sectors had been identified, including health and technology – which were globally competitive and likely to generate significant economic benefits for the city.
“We’re working to grow our export markets and harness our technology and innovation specialties to create new business opportunities for Melburnians,” he said.
“The opportunities are endless in Melbourne, and this is a significant step towards achieving long term success at home and abroad.”
The advisers will work directly with a range of Melbourne businesses to identify new international markets, assist with strategy and provide advice on regulatory requirements to streamline or fast-track new export opportunities – all with the intent of establishing businesses with global reach.
“Our new TradeStart advisers will be embedded in our global technology and health teams, delivering tailored support for small and medium-sized exporters to achieve long-term success in international markets,” said Austrade General Manager of Trade, Jay Meek.
“Exporting plays a key role in helping businesses grow and create increased employment opportunities which results in stronger economies.
“Our exporters are also a key source of secure, high paying jobs for Australians in both regional and urban areas. Collectively, they create 14 per cent more employment and pay median wages 43 per cent higher compared to non-exporters.”
Thirty businesses are already involved, and have expressed interest in exploring export opportunities in key markets, Council said in a statement.
Invest Melbourne was established to help cement the city as a global investment destination, and the best place to start and grow a business.
The Invest Melbourne team is working on more than 120 projects across multiple sectors, which could create more than 9,800 jobs.
