investbrisbane.com.au BRISBANE ECONOMIC SERIES G20 EDITION TOP REASONS WHY BRISBANE IS A GLOBAL 5 RESOURCE HUB Brisbane a global think tank Leading from the front Q&A with CSIRO BRISBANE ECONOMIC SERIES G20 EDITION For Brisbane, the opportunity to host the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit and the leaders of the world’s most influential economies is recognition of the city’s evolution into a new world city. The Summit will place Brisbane squarely in the global spotlight and offers a once-in-a generation chance to show off our vibrant and entrepreneurial business community, world-class facilities and enviable subtropical lifestyle. Being the Summit host city for 2014 positions Brisbane as a strong competitor among other emerging new world cities of the 21st century. It is a profile the city continues to build on, as a leading destination for business investment, exports, education, conventions, tourism and the arts. These industries along with our work to cultivate innovation and creativity have helped drive Brisbane’s strong economic success, which over the last decade has grown to $135 billion and is forecast to increase to $217 billion by 2031. In a first for the G20, Brisbane will launch the Global Cafe – an initiative bringing together some of the world’s most influential thinkers. The two day program of key-note speeches, discussions and workshops will explore issues of health, technology, tourism and the future of cities. The Global Cafe is a bold concept which we hope will be adopted by other G20 cities in the future. Brisbane City Council along with Brisbane Marketing has been doing a lot behind the scenes to leverage this once-in-a- generation opportunity for Brisbane. As Lord Mayor, I also want to ensure that the G20 leaves a valuable and lasting legacy for our city. I hope you enjoy reading this special edition of the Brisbane Economic Series. Lord Mayor Graham Quirk 2 | WELCOME CONTENTS Brisbane a global think tank – Global Cafe 4 Leading from the front 6 A changing landscape 8 Global resource hub 10 Brisbane in numbers 12 Q&A with CSIRO 14 Investment Attraction Column 18 CONTENTS | 3 Brisbane a global think tank BRINGING THE FUTURE TO LIFE. When Ian Frazer moved from the than Professor Frazer over recent and we can more consciously utilise cooler climes of Edinburgh to decades. Its combination of it. Brisbane, he carried with him more lifestyle, education facilities and than a change of clothes. entrepreneurial talent has furnished “Brisbane and Australia have an a reputation for innovation across excellent human capital base in the Professor Frazer brought with him sectors including life sciences, sector and the opportunity is there the innovation that would change energy and IT. for it to be built on.” lives. In a supportive environment at The University of Queensland, The Brisbane Global Cafe – with Brisbane’s innovation environment Professor Frazer toiled to develop a its 75 international speakers and has attracted the headquarters of cervical cancer vaccine. an audience including many of the global companies, home-grown delegates in Australia for the G20 businesses that are export-oriented, His work saved lives and provided summit – underlines Brisbane’s and key innovation precincts and Professor Frazer a unique status as a new world city bristling research centres with world-wide perspective on the value of human with innovation and opportunities. reputations. capital. Dr Alex Wonhas, CSIRO’s executive Tritium – a fast-charging battery Armed with that knowledge, director of energy and resources, is specialist sought out by filmmaker Professor Frazer has assembled a another key player at the Brisbane James Cameron to power his world-class panel at the Brisbane Global Cafe. Dr Wonhas has submarines to the deepest parts Global Cafe – a thought leadership assembled a list of energy experts of the ocean – continues to carve forum to be held as a curtain-raiser whose insights will include the an international foothold from its to the G20 Leaders Summit. value of innovation and momentum. Brisbane base. Professor Frazer’s list of speakers “The people working in the energy The city also boasts service for the event at Brisbane City Hall sector are as valuable as the providers offering technical is cloaked in the type of human resources,” Dr Wonhas said. expertise and training to support capital that transforms cities and various industries. lives. “We need to recognise more the human capital we have in the The city’s liveability and continued Brisbane has attracted more sector. It’s a globally leading edge growth ensures the attraction and 4 | BRISBANE GLOBAL CAFE retention of talent and investment the Brisbane Global Cafe, said that new world cities, and to make to the city. mix of agility and experience in them hubs for summits and research was fundamental for new decision-making. They offer At any one time, 75,000 world cities. great environments for thinking international students learn in Brisbane, taking advantage of “As new sectors globalise, so about the future and the world an education base that includes additional waves of cities become with a sense of opportunity and world-class universities including new world cities,” Mr Clark said connection. The University of Queensland, from London. Queensland University of “And Brisbane boasts those Technology and Griffith University. “New world cities provide the qualities.” eco systems for knowledge and These institutions have technology-intensive sectors and The Brisbane Global Cafe is the underpinned the city’s research they are becoming important brainchild of Brisbane Marketing, output, highlighted by the likes of hubs of decision-making for these which ensured that the city The Translational Research Institute sectors. would be more than just a host – Professor Ian Frazer’s latest vehicle. “The newly globalising sectors to the leaders of the world’s most are talent dependent and the new powerful countries. TRI promotes “bench to bedside” world cities provide the quality of medical research funded by a life and well-run cities that talent The forum at City Hall on group of passionate partners. needs. November 12 and 13 aims to throw The research is conducted on up solutions and ways forward to “And, by staying smaller, the new the grounds of one of the state’s problems that impact globally. largest teaching hospitals, enabling world cities avoid some of the the vision to take research from the problems of the larger congested With the likes of Professor Frazer cities, whilst retaining leadership laboratory to making a difference in leading the discussion, Brisbane will people’s lives. and specialisation in a few world- class activities. propel thought leadership into the Internationally recognised urbanist most important annual gathering of Greg Clark, another contributor to “The world likes to meet in world leaders. BRISBANE GLOBAL CAFE | 5 LEADING FROM THE FRONT Brisbane is Australia’s most northern capital city deep water port and as such is well placed to capitalise on the future growth opportunities and trading advantages brought about by Asia’s growing middle class. Important infrastructure is needed Companies looking for direct links “We’re about $100 million in annual to meet this demand and Brisbane’s to Australia and the world choose sales to over 20 countries, which makes world-class industrial trading precinct TradeCoast to support their business, the Port of Brisbane and the Brisbane TradeCoast is a gateway to Asia. including one of the world’s largest beef Airport fairly critical in our export TradeCoast is one of the fastest-growing supply companies, Australian Country success.” trade and industry regions in Australia Choice (ACC). ACC’s global operations are based in Brisbane and the company In turn, the speed of distribution has and is home to Brisbane Airport, The processes and manufactures retail-ready led to significant cost savings, enabling Port of Brisbane and 1500 businesses packaging for more than 150,000 head ACC to increase its primary processing and 60,000 employees, growing to of cattle annually. production volumes by 15 per cent and 110,000 by 2026. Australian Country Choice CEO David its volume in value-added retail product The Port of Brisbane is up to five sailing Foote said Brisbane provided his company by 30 per cent. days closer to Asia than the southern with the infrastructure and facilities to “We are Coles’ principal supplier and ports of Melbourne and Sydney. It has compete anywhere in the world. currently we are around about 75 per more than 35 shipping lines from around “Brisbane’s quite critical to our growth, cent of the market supply on the eastern the world currently servicing it and an eastern seaboard distribution seaboard. And we’ve grown today to more than 2500 commercial ship visits centre this close to Asia, surrounded where we have more than a thousand each year. Brisbane Airport operates by road infrastructure to 35 per cent of people.” 24/7 and is the second-busiest capital Australia’s population made our job very city airport in Australia by aircraft easy on where to set up our operation,” The brand’s reputation has soared movements. In 2021, a $1.3 billion parallel Mr Foote said. internationally and domestically, prompting runway will deliver the same capacity a substantial period of growth. This ACC has invested more than $120 million as Hong Kong and Singapore airports. in capital works to develop its Brisbane growth has enabled ACC to expand Australia’s TradeCoast is accessible facility into a world-leading operation, its operations and increase the value by Australia’s most connected and and on average the company produces and volume of its exports, with a target accessible road and rail network which a carton of finished product every three of servicing the increasing demands connect to Queensland’s regional cities seconds, equating to over 80 million for high-quality and safe foods on the and interstate.