One of the latest initiatives is the launch of the Asialink Business Academy.

Asialink is Australia’s leading centre for creative engagement with Asia. Established in 2013, it is hosted by Melbourne Chamber member University of Melbourne and supported by the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources.

The Asialink Business Academy offers programs that transform skillsets and mindsets, building practical skills and connections to grow your business in Asia. Program series include:

• Doing Business in Asia
• Digital Economy in Asia
• Green Economy in Asia.

The Academy was launched at a special event, Australia’s success in Asia: from rhetoric to reality.

“Over the past 10 years we’ve delivered over 850 training programs, reaching almost 25,000 individuals. But the times demand more of us,” Asialink Business CEO Leigh Howard said at the launch.

“Our vision for the future is to push beyond the boundaries of our current programs and scale from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of participants over the decade ahead.

“That’s why we’ve developed the Asian Link Business Academy, providing a full suite of programs to help Australian businesses and their people acquire the skills and knowledge they need to seize opportunities in Asia.”

Federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said taking advantage of Asia’s growth will be critical for Australia’s economic growth and future prosperity.

“Building strong relationships with our friends in the region has never been more important.

“That’s why the Australian Government’s been a supporter of Asialink Business and its mission to prepare our business leaders with the skills and expertise they need to succeed in Asia.

“I’m delighted to see the launch of the Asialink Business Academy to build practical skills, connections and drive capabilities in areas that serve our local businesses, but also our national interest.”

Opportunities for business and education

The launch audience heard from Orica Managing Director and CEO Sanjeev Gandhi and Universities Australia CEO Catriona Jackson, who had both been part of a recent delegation of senior leaders accompanying Prime Minister Albanese to India.

Aligning with the theme ‘from rhetoric to reality’, the overarching message was that there was no going back in Australia’s relationship with Asia, with a growing reliance on each other particularly in areas such as the energy transition and the digital economy.

With two-thirds of the world’s growth predicted to come from Asia by 2030, Mr Gandhi spoke of the untapped potential in Asia for Australian business to develop strong links, drawing on his more than 30 years in the chemical industry in Europe and the Asia Pacific.

“You have a lot of very eager investors in Asia wanting to partner with Australian companies. It’s a fast-growing market. They’re looking for technology, they’re looking for access to products and services that Australia is good at making and that could be an opportunity.

“I have 18 joint ventures globally with local partners in geographies that are difficult to operate.

“There’s always a way to find a business model and then continue to engage with Canberra and ask for support. There’s a huge presence of the Australian government in most of our modern markets.

“It’s never easy in Asia. Building the relationship takes time. It needs a lot of patience. But once you’re in, you’re in for a very long and successful ride.”

Ms Jackson said Australia must see universities as part of the story, providing foundational connections and developing the skills to succeed in the region.

She cited Deakin University becoming the first university in the world to open an international teaching campus in India as a milestone moment for the tertiary sector.

Aligning with the Victorian Chamber’s view on creating a more sustainable future and unlocking financial opportunities in the transition to a net-zero economy, both Ms Jackson and Mr Gandhi spoke of the prospects – and necessity – of Australia aligning with the region on energy.

“I think there’s been a shift. We’ve much more clearly aligned to our region to support us in what is a massive challenge globally – that transition from digging stuff out of the ground and selling it into an economy that’s more sustainable and based on renewables. Those things we cannot do by ourselves,” Ms Jackson said.

Mr Gandhi added: “The greatest opportunity is that Australia is one of the few places in the world to be extremely cost competitive in renewable energy, whether this is solar or wind. And we have the land and the skill set. Solar technology was invented in this country.

“When we had the discussions in India, one of the hot topics there was renewable energy. India has this massive ambition – they want to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into renewable energy so that they can achieve their decarbonisation targets.

“So there are a few strengths that this country has, and those need to be leveraged.”