Kirstyn Thomson: The Australian Government is keen to see Australian businesses grow and thrive through global expansion.
Gaurav Johri: Today, we have 16 Australian companies who will be with us for two and a half days, in Singapore and Johor, to investigate investment opportunities in these two markets.
Kirstyn Thomson: There's a new special economic zone that is being created and we're keen to see how Australian companies can benefit, as value chains are remapped across the region and global supply chains are also changing.
Gaurav Johri: And this is just a part of our broader program to boost the level of Australian corporate and institutional investment in Southeast Asia.
Grahame Aston: With the Special Economic Zone that's been introduced between Singapore and Johor, I see that as being a fantastic advantage for anyone that's looking to come up here. The ability to be able to move freely between Singapore and Johor should actually just open up the opportunities for businesses and also movement. So getting staff in and out – it should be a fantastic opportunity for up here and I'm excited to see how it actually does pan out.
Kath Long: Being on this trade mission has been an absolutely amazing opportunity for our company. We've met wonderful people from all walks of life with all range of experience. Everybody's been really, really willing to share their own experiences. It's been reassuring to see our own Australian companies that have already established here in Malaysia and in Singapore.
Grahame Aston: I was actually asked if I could allow the people to come in to my site, but then I was given the opportunity to join the mission and I think it's actually been fantastic and beneficial. You meet so many like-minded people and it's a good place to network as well.
Nick Northcott: It's fantastic to see manufacturing sites. It's fantastic to meet investors. I think the major highlight for me though is there are entrepreneurs who are further on their journey than we are and I am. And to learn from them what's worked, their missteps maybe, the benefits that they've had and also just to see the success stories has been amazing and frankly inspirational. I'd love to be here in 15 years or 20 years and having the same kind of story as Grahame from PPC or others that we've met on this journey.
Gaurav Johri: This is the fifth outbound investment mission that we've brought to the region, and we have a program of many more to come. So if you're an Australian company that's interested in investing in Southeast Asia, please talk to the Southeast Asia Investment Deal team, who are located across the region and can provide you with the support that you require to execute on your investment strategy.
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