Queensland foodtech and agtech opportunities

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Offering a strategic Asia-Pacific location, efficient processing and reliable supply chains, Queensland is already a world leader in food and agribusiness production and is now emerging as a key player in agriculture and food technology.

Queensland’s clean environment, climatic diversity and abundance of agricultural land make it possible to generate high-quality, fresh, clean and sustainably produced meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables, ensuring that Queensland is a global leader in tropical and subtropical agriculture.

Queensland foodtech and agtech capability – case studies

Innovative food and food-waste alternativesNatural Evolution Foods has pioneered the transformation of waste products, including green bananas, sweet potatoes and broccoli, into viable alternative nutrition sources, designing a new manufacturing system and expanding into Asian markets with its innovative range of skincare and health foods (pictured right).

The company has won a variety of national and international awards for sustainability and innovation, including a gold Edison Innovation Award for Food and Beverage.

Providence, trading platforms, supply chain and logistic technologiesAxsari and its philanthropic arm, AgUnity, provide distributed ledger technology solutions to help address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and have been featured in case studies by the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and Oxford University.

Axsari’s founder, David Davies, won the Global AgEntrepreneur of the Year 2018. The company’s diverse projects are supported by global non-government organisations such as the World Food Programme.

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Robotics, drones and livestock technologySwarmFarm Robotics is a Queensland company leading the development of agricultural robots for crop production. SwarmFarm robots are lightweight, efficient and autonomous robots equipped with technology (pictured below) that allow for new methods of farming, including harvesting, spraying, weeding, mowing and planting.

Agricultural and animal management software, sensors and IoTCeres Tag aims to make its smart ear tag (pictured below)the world’s first livestock smart ear tag accredited to international standards – National Identification compliant and utilising GPS positioning, providence data, and movement and health monitoring for livestock management and animal welfare for all stakeholders in the red meat supply chain from farm to fork.

Agricultural biotech and novel farming solutions (including foodtech, aquaculture, vertical farming, functional foods)Nexgen Plants provides genetic technology solutions that produce innovative plants, including virus-resistant tomato and sorghum varieties, and novel salt- tolerant rice varieties that address the soil salinity challenge in agriculture.

Biofuels and clean technologyQueensland’s cleantech sector also features companies with expertise in water management, biomass and waste mitigation, controlled environment agriculture, renewable fuels and carbon trading.

Queensland is one of very few developed economies located in the tropics, providing ideal conditions to transform high-quality, high-yield feedstocks into bioproducts.

By 2035 it is projected that the Queensland industrial biotechnology and bioproducts sector, which includes biofuels, could contribute as much as $1.8 billion to annual gross state product and support 6,640 full-time jobs in Queensland.

Innovation and government supportInnovation is a priority for the Queensland Government, and it is critical to the future competitiveness of all Queensland industries.

The government’s Advance Queensland program has a wide variety of programs to suit industry, entrepreneurs, researchers and small business.

The Queensland Government also offers a range of other programs to build business capability and access global supply chain opportunities.

A range of industry attraction and facilitation support services are offered by the Queensland Government to support the establishment or expansion of businesses in Queensland.

SwarmFarm robotic agriculture, Queensland, Australia

www.tiq.qld.gov.au

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Research and developmentQueensland is known as a global innovation hot spot.

Its investment in high-end research capacity has seen some of the world’s best scientists and researchers attracted to Queensland.

Investors can access a range of support services for research, development and innovation activities.

Key areas of research and capability include food technology, crop-breeding programs, plant biotechnology, animal nutrition and livestock technology, sustainable farming systems, tropical crops and biocommodities, robotics, drone and sensor technology and aquaculture.

Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation The Queensland Government developed the Health and Food Sciences Precinct and Ecosciences Precinct and partnered with the University of Queensland to establish the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI).

QAAFI aims to improve the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of the tropical and subtropical food, fibre, and agribusiness industries. QAAFI conducts research on food technology, crop breeding and genomics, plant biotechnology, sustainable farming systems and food safety systems.

TIQ – helping to create business opportunitiesAs the Queensland Government’s global business agency, Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ) promotes the state as an international supplier of choice and an ideal investment destination.

TIQ helps Queensland businesses connect with international markets, assisting with export development and market

selection advice, business matching and in-market promotion including trade missions and trade shows.

We work with international companies looking for opportunities to partner with Queensland start-ups, companies and research institutions to explore and test new and innovative technologies, source ingredients, products and technology and utilise Queensland’s world-leading research and development capabilities.

TIQ’s specialised team assists companies wanting to export internationally and invest in Queensland by:

> sourcing and providing detailed industry knowledge providing targeted market intelligence

> organising outbound and inbound visits > facilitating participation in international trade shows

to promote Queensland products and services > connecting potential investors with industry, business

and key supply chain allies > identifying potential partners for Queensland business

joint ventures or collaborative opportunities.

Ecosciences Precinct, Queensland, Australia

For more informationTo find out how Trade and Investment Queensland can help you with your investment inquiry, please contact:

Kirsty Hodgen Senior Trade and Investment Officer Trade and Investment QueenslandE: kirsty.hodgen@tiq.qld.gov.au P: +61 7 3514 3145

www.tiq.qld.gov.au

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Disclaimer: The information presented in this booklet is distributed by the Queensland Government as an information source only. The State of Queensland makes no statements, representations, or warranties about the accuracies or completeness of, and you should not rely on, any information contained in this publication. The Queensland Government disclaims all responsibility and all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and

costs you might incur as a result of the information being inaccurate or incomplete in any way, and for any reason. Any reference to any specific organisation, product or service does not constitute or imply its endorsement or recommendation by the State of Queensland.

+61 7 3514 3147 @tradeinvestqld

tiq.qld.gov.au/contact-us Trade and Investment Queensland

tiq.qld.gov.au Trade and Investment Queensland

For more information, contact Trade and Investment Queensland.