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AHK Mining 4.0 Dialogue

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Main Picture, from left to right: Dr. Thomas Bartnitzki (RWTH Aachen University), Andrew Mackenzie (BHP Billiton), Roland Ehrl (Siemens), Dr. Michael Schulte Strathaus (VDMA Mining), Dr. Lars Pierburg (Eickhoff Bergbautechnik GmbH)

The German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK) organized a President’s Delegation to Germany on May 17-19. The delegation was chaired by Honorary President Andrew Mackenzie. Visits were planned in Munich and Berlin.

Today a dialogue about Mining 4.0 took place with key German stakeholders and senior Siemens representatives at the Siemens world headquarters in Munich.

Key notes were given by Andrew Mackenzie, CEO BHP Billiton and President of the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG.

In a panel discussion, moderated by Jeff Connolly, CEO Siemens Australia and New Zealand, opportunities between Germany and Australia in the mining sector were emblazed.

The German Australian Business Council was represented by Board Member Eberhard Goihl.

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Australian Business in Europe Network Meeting

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The heads of approx. 10  organizations from the informal Australian Business in Europe Network gathered in London for the half-yearly international meeting on 5th and 6th of May 2017. Our hosts, the Australia-UK Chamber of Commerce, had compiled a very professional and high profile programme featuring briefings from the Senior Trade Commissioner, David Watson, the Counsellor (Trade), Kyle Naish, at the High Commission in London as well as the CEO of the Australian-British chamber of Commerce in Sydney, David McCredie. Participants agreed on a collective mission statement which will feature on the common website www.abie.eu and discussed synergies and how to leverage off each other’s experience. The main aim of the ABIE network is to provide members of each organization with a broader benefit through the international network. Our sister organization in London deserves praise for the highly professional organization of this conference which provided further momentum to the international group. The next meeting will take place in Brussels in mid October 2017.

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Business Breakfast Australien & Neuseeland: Geschäftschancen Down Under

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On May 5th, 2017 the IHK München und Oberbayern held a breakfast event for businesses and other interested people to evaluate potential future business opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. Most insightful and first hand information was given by Birgit Tegethoff who is a Director Consulting Services at AHK Australia and Monique Surges who is the CEO of AHK New Zealand. From an investor’s point of view, Prof. Klaus Josef Lutz, CEO (BayWa AG) shared his experiences having invested in both countries in different industry sectors. The presentations were followed by a Q&A session and a networking opportunity.

The German Australian Business Council was represented by its Board Members Melanie Töpfer and Eberhard Goihl who introduced the German Australian Business Council to the participants.

 

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Networking Reception Frankfurt

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The German Australian Business Council continued our 20th anniversary by launching our “Bring a Friend” promotion at a business networking reception in Frankfurt, kindly hosted by our co-patron, Richard Leather, Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner.

Our new friends were able to learn more about the Council and meet existing members and friends over drinks and canapés.

Frankfurt hosts to the Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir, Lucianne Brady and Catherine Stephen, also gave a lovely and heartfelt introduction to the Choir and their journey towards organising an all-volunteer-led concert at the Liebfrauenkirche Frankfurt as part of the Choir’s European Tour.

For his efforts in bringing new friends, Bob Gogan, a long-time German Australian Business Council member was gifted with 20% discount vouchers to be used for his next event registrations. We encourage all members and friends to take part in our 20th anniversary promotions (details to be found on our website).

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Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir Concert

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German Australian Business Council members and friends enjoyed a special concert evening in Frankfurt on Saturday, 6 May with Australia´s Gondwana Indigenous Children´s Choir touring Europe for the first time. Together with the choir of the Frankfurt European School, the children truly fascinated the audience of around 500 guests in Frankfurt´s packed Liebfrauenkirche.

Participation was made possible by German Australian Business Council corporate member Sonic Healthcare Germany who supported the event together with Tourism Australia as part of the “Australia now – Germany 2017” program (www.australianow2017.de) .

 

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World Doctor’s Orchestra 2017

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For the first time in its 10-year history, the World Doctors Orchestra visited Munich and on the evening of 22 April and played a brilliant concert at the historic Herkulessaal at the Münchener Residenz. Members and friends of the German Australian Business Council joined the symphony orchestra’s performance of pieces by Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner, including arias sung by renowned soloist mezzosoprano Stella Grigorian and a highly demanding arrangement of ‘Der Ring’. Led by conductor Professor Stefan Willich, the World Doctors Orchestra is a unique symphony orchestra consisting of physicians from more than 50 countries who come together to perform high-end classical music for a charitable cause. The evening’s proceeds were donated to Obdachlosenhilfe St. Bonifaz in Munich.

Upon invitation by our corporate member Sonic Healthcare Germany, German Australian Business Council members joined a reception immediately after the concert themed ‘Meet the Musicians’.

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Aesop Frankfurt Store Tour

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Just one day after International Women’s Day, the German Australian Business Council was privileged to host a members-only visit of the Aesop store in Frankfurt.

Our Aesop hosts, Edna and Juliana, shared the fascinating story of Dennis Paphitis who launched the business from his former Armadale (Victoria) hair salon in 1987. Its products now extend to body and skin care; and the business has expanded overseas to over 40 countries with 11 stores in Germany alone.

Aesop, which means “storyteller” in Greek is a fitting name for the brand as every store has a unique story.

The Frankfurt signature store was created in collaboration with the Philipp Mainzer Office for Architecture and Design, taking for its primary inspirations the city’s Modernist roots and cultural heritage.

The store interior arrangement also alludes to the Die Frankfurter Küche – the 1920s prototype for kitchens prevalent in the West, first used in public housing project Das Neue Frankfurt.

The store tour was followed by personal skin consultations by Aesop and attendees went away with goodie bags courtesy of Aesop.

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Expat in the City Fair 2017 in Munich

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On Sunday 11 March, The German Australian Business Council participated in the Expat in the City Fair in Munich for the first time.

The Expat in the City Fair was a one-day event full of information and inspiration for all internationals living in Munich. Questions about topics such as finances, insurances, education, daycare, expat life, job search and fun things to do in the Munich area were all answered at the fair – all in one day and all under one roof at the BMW Welt.

More than 2700 visitors came looking for and found all the great information and inspiration provided for them.

We had a lot of interesting conversations and found many new contacts and business opportunities.

Rita Roider, City of Munich opened the fair

German Australian Business Council Board members Eberhard Goihl and Rob Harrison ran the booth together with Susanne Schierok and Dali Vukadin.

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Michael Rosemann – Munich’s first Breakfast Meeting

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How can we use idle spaces? That was one of the questions proved by Prof. Michael Rosemann, honorary German Consul in Brisbane, and Head of the Information Systems School at the Queensland University of Technology in a recent meeting in Munich. Michael inaugurated what will hopefully become a regular series of informal „Boomerang Breakfasts“ in the city. He explained how we need to use or refuse facilities that are lying idle for other purposes – for example toilets to measure the health of their users? He is interested in how we can better exploit infrastructure for uses for which it was not designed.

Michael is also interested in supporting young entrepreneurial companies. He looks at twinning up startup hubs in various cities, which lead to a discussion of Munich’s advantages over Berlin (the location of Australia’s start up landing pad). As one of the participants pointed out, Berlin might be good for IT, but Bavaria and Southern Germany has more traditional industry that are starting to reach out and look for opportunities.

Michael also wants to reach out into the wider community in Brisbane and promote Germany. He’s working on German weeks in the city and supporting German language clubs for students and teachers. He is also extremely excited about a German-Australia Startup summit being organised in November in Brisbane.

A great speaker and we hope that we can have him back soon.

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Australia Day Business Networking Event in Munich

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The German Australian Business Council kicked off its 20th anniversary and first official event of 2017 in Munich with our Australia Day Business Networking Event at the Academy of the Martini Club Munich.

We were pleased to have Gabi Thye from Wacker Chemie AG as guest speaker. Gabi is a globally experienced Executive Business Manager in the chemical industry with assignments in Europe, North America, Greater China and Australia. Gabi and attendees shared German-Australian experiences at the event in the spirit of celebrating Australia day.

Eberhard Goihl, German Australian Business Council Board member highlighted in his welcome the ‘Australianow2017 initiative’ and launched the new ABIE International website. Abie.eu is a collaboration between the different ABIE groups – currently Australia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, United Kingdom – and provides a common platform highlighting various initiatives taking place across Europe.

25 attendees enjoyed the event in an excellent environment with a Flying Buffet and special Cocktails.