The first regional Chinese Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Chinese regional authorities and the Hunter region was recently signed at AIMEX at the Sydney Showground last week, attended by IM, with the deal further consolidating mining sector trade. The agreement is the result of Hunternet’s ongoing work to boost trade and collaboration with the Chinese city of Tai’an, helped by a grant from Austrade.
Hunternet CEO, Tony Cade, said that it supported the Federal Trade and Investment Minister Andrew Robb’s plan to pursue opportunities created by the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement. “The Hunternet/CCPIT MOU will go a long way to foster opportunities for local Hunter businesses, which is in line with the Government’s goal to harness commercial opportunities in Asia for small to medium sized Australian businesses.”
“Thanks to the support received from Austrade we have already signed two separate MOUs with Chinese industry bodies and agencies in 2014, and these have resulted in at least one multi-million dollar win to a local Hunter business. We have several more opportunities in the pipeline that are leading towards new products and patents of significant value.”
This latest MOU has been signed between Dr Zhang Bin, Vice President of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, (CCPIT) Taian Branch and Vice Chairman of China Chamber of Commerce, Taian Chamber, and Hunternet’s CEO, Tony Cade. Dr Zhang said that Australian suppliers have a “very impressive” reputation on the international market and that Australian technology is “at cutting edge around the world”, in part because of the continued support of Australian universities and scientific institutions to drive innovation in mining equipment technology as well as the ongoing establishment of co-operative agreements between the Australian and Chinese governments.
”There are plenty of patents and new technologies under development in Australia, and Australian suppliers have significant experience,” he said. “We really hope we can bring Australian companies and new technology into China, as well as introducing complementary companies and technologies into Australia to promote cooperation in mining equipment and other hi-tech areas between us.”
In terms of newly available technologies, Dr Zhang said that energy conservation innovation in mining equipment and technologies have made the deepest impression on him. By way of example, he cited a joint agreement to develop an experimental rail conveyor, developed in the Hunter region by Associate Professor Craig Wheeler from The University of Newcastle in association with Tunra Bulk Solids. The conveyor potentially offers up to 50% energy savings as well as improves the transmission distance by up to twice the distance of traditional conveyors. “We believe such technology has the potential to completely change traditional conveying in the aspects of design concept and equipment composition, and could potentially have a profound influence on the transport industry,” he said.
Digital equipment, environmental and green technologies are products that are also particularly of interest. “The equipment manufacturing industry is one of the pillar industries in Tai’an, so I am particularly interested to meet companies interested in pursing opportunities to manufacture of high-end equipment, digital and ‘intelligent’ equipment, as well as products around environmental protection technology, green energy-saving technology and equipment.”
Dr Zhang’s visit to Australia included signing the agreement but also visits to the Hunter district to visit a range of companies as well as to the University of New South Wales, and the University of Newcastle on behalf of CCPIT’s 500 member companies.