Archive for category: EVENT REVIEW

As part of the first official Germany visit of 2026 by the Commissioner for Victoria to Europe, the German Australian Business Council was pleased to co-host a networking evening in Berlin strengthening the partnerships between Victoria and Germany.

The delegation was led by Gönül Serbest, Commissioner for Victoria to Europe, the Middle East, Türkiye and Africa, accompanied by Anne-Sophie Boulet, Investment Director, and Léonore Marteville, Strategic Advisor. Their visit to Germany included engagements in Munich, Frankfurt, and Berlin, aimed at deepening relationships with partners and further raising Victoria’s profile across the German market.

The Berlin networking event brought together around 50 investors, Victorian companies, GABC members, and key stakeholders from business and government. Opening the evening, Commissioner Serbest highlighted the strong complementarities between Victoria and Germany, including close alignment across priority sectors such as life sciences, technology, advanced manufacturing, and energy. Gönül Serbest reaffirmed Victoria’s strategic focus on Germany as a key market for trade, investment, and long-term collaboration.

Victoria and Germany share highly developed, stable and innovation-driven economies, with a strong emphasis on research, skills development, advanced industry and sustainable growth. Both are recognised for their world-class education and research institutions, robust manufacturing and engineering capabilities, and leadership in clean energy and emerging technologies, creating a solid foundation for deeper commercial partnerships and joint innovation.

We were honoured to hear from H.E. Ms Natasha Smith, Australian Ambassador to Germany, who highlighted the strength and depth of the Australia–Germany relationship. German Australian Business Council Co-Chair Robert Harrison also spoke about the importance of people-to-people links between Germany and Victoria and highlighted the potential for further engagement and collaboration.

Looking ahead, Commissioner Serbest expressed her hope to see continued momentum and expanded engagement between Victoria and Germany, with more opportunities for collaboration, investment, and knowledge exchange in both markets in the years to come.

The German Australian Business Council extends its sincere thanks to the State Government of Victoria, Invest Victoria, and Global Victoria for leading this important engagement. We also thank our Board Members and team, in particular Jessica Walker, Robert Harrison, Diah Yulianti and Suzanne Heim for their support in delivering this successful event.

Pictures by Olga Baczynska – www.berlineventfotograf.de

25 November 2025. Australian Embassy, Berlin.

The German Australian Business Council hosted the launch of the H₂ – Beyond the Hype report at the Embassy of Australia in Berlin.

The event brought together around 35 guests from industry, government, and research. Board Members based in Berlin were also in attendance, representing the German Australian Business Council.

The event offered a concise overview of the current state of green hydrogen and the opportunities for deeper German–Australian collaboration.

Setting the Scene

The report, jointly developed by the German Australian Business Council and DECHEMA, aims to bring clarity and realism to the fast-moving hydrogen conversation. The event opened with remarks from H.E. Natasha Smith, Australian Ambassador to Germany, followed by Mascha Katharina Thomas from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).

Dr. Sabine Pittrof, Co-Chair of the German Australian Business Council, then introduced the motivation and background of the report before Dr. Florian Ausfelder from DECHEMA presented the key findings. His remarks highlighted the technological, economic, and regulatory challenges and opportunities shaping the hydrogen landscape. Following the official launch, guests continued discussions during an informal networking session.

Takeaways

– Green hydrogen is progressing, but large-scale deployment still faces cost, technology, and regulatory hurdles.

– Financing is available, but bankable projects require clearer offtake commitments and risk structures.

– Hydrogen’s strongest impact lies in hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, chemicals, and heavy transport.

– Germany and Australia have complementary strengths and and long-term cooperation is essential.

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Sabine Pittrof of the German Australian Business Council and Dr. Florian Ausfelder of DECHEMA for driving the Roundtable discussion and leading the development of the H₂ – Beyond the Hype report. We also extend our thanks to all experts and contributors involved, to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) for its support, and to the Embassy of Australia in Berlin for generously hosting the event.

Download the Report

English: H2 Beyond the Hype Report_English

German: H2 Beyond the Hype Report_German

Photo credits: Kat Loughrey and Gary Combes

Rare earths, a topic of immense and growing global relevance, attracted more than 60 participants worldwide to this week’s webinar. With two outstanding speakers and highly engaged attendees, the German Australian Business Council was pleased to see such strong interest and a rich, insightful discussion.

Moderated by our Board Members, Matthew Reynolds and Dietrich Klusemann, the session began with Alina Pieper, CEO of IEM Experts in Germany. Alina delivered a compelling overview of how the Western world became so dependent on rare earth elements, highlighting that few everyday products function without them. While Western democracies often operate within short electoral cycles, China has worked with decades-long strategic horizons, positioning itself as the “silent dealer” and making Western economies “dangerously addictive” to rare earths.

Our second speaker, Darryl Cuzzubbo, CEO of Australian mining company Arafura, and an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience, outlined the dramatic surge in demand expected over the coming decades. The next ten years will be driven primarily by EVs; the decade after by EVs and robotics; and within 30 years, robotics — particularly humanoid robotics — is set to dominate. The humanoid market alone is projected to reach USD 5 trillion by 2050.

Arafura’s Nolans Project in Australia’s Northern Territory — only the third mine-to-oxide project of its kind globally — is now fully funded and moving toward development. With the average mine taking 18 years to reach production, both speakers emphasised the urgent need for political and commercial speed.

An eye-opening discussion on a topic that will shape industries, economies, and technologies for years to come — far more than many of us realise.

The recording is available upon request. Please email info@gabc.eu for access.

The Atrium of Australian Embassy in Berlin provided a fitting backdrop for the German-Australian Business Council’s flagship event, the Ambassador’s Dinner 2025. Welcoming over 100 members and guests, the evening was a celebration of our shared values and business culture, collaboration, and the ever-growing ties between Germany and Australia. Guests  enjoyed an exquisite three-course dinner while engaging in valuable networking and establishing new professional connections.

The evening was opened by our Co-Chair, Robert Harrison, who reflected on the importance of strengthening the German-Australian economic relationship.

We were honoured to hear from H.E. Ms Natasha Smith, Australian Ambassador to Germany, who highlighted our common challenges and ambitions, recent political developments in both countries, the importance of energy security, and the renewed momentum behind finalising the Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement.

Our Gold Sponsors, Sonic Healthcare and Vulcan Energy, provided inspiring insights into Australian business leadership in Germany. Evangelos Kotsopoulos, CEO of Sonic Healthcare Germany, reflected on the company’s 20 years of success in the country and announced a major new partnership with German family-owned company LADR Laborverbund Dr. Kramer. Representing Vulcan Energy, Cris Moreno, CEO of Vulcan Energy, shared the company’s pioneering vision for carbon-neutral lithium production – Europe’s first battery-grade lithium project and a lighthouse for sustainable industry.

We are also grateful to our Silver Sponsors: the Victorian State Government, Government of South Australia, and Trade and Investment Queensland as well as our Premium Sponsor, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, for their ongoing support.

The evening concluded with further networking and lively conversations at the art’otel Berlin, underscoring the spirit of collaboration and the strong business ties between Germany and Australia. We would also like to thank the Business Council board members and staff whose dedication and hard work made this flagship event possible, especially Jessica Walker, Kat Loughrey, Dietrich Klusemann and Suzanne Heim.