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Bill Clinton addresses AIDS 2014 delegates in Melbourne

Former US President Bill Clinton has told delegates at the 20th International AIDS Conference, AIDS 2014 in Melbourne, that finding more economically efficient ways to respond to HIV is vital to saving lives and preventing the spread of the virus. Mr Clinton’s speech was made to over 2,000 people at one of the most eagerly anticipated sessions at the AIDS 2014 conference in Melbourne.




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NZ company Transport Hydraulic Solutions sets up in Melbourne

New Zealand-based hydraulic equipment specialist, Transport Hydraulic Solutions (THS), has opened a large manufacturing facility in the Melbourne northern suburb of Campbellfield (26.5 km north of the city centre). “A growing number of Melbourne clients are located around this area, and for those who are based further away, our office is right near the freeway where the Western Ring Road and Hume Highway intersect,” said Managing Director of THS, Brenden Lyons.




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UK-based fleet management specialist TR Fleet opens office in Melbourne

Fleet management service provider, TR Fleet, recently launched TR Fleet Australia – the parent company’s first venture outside the UK. The Melbourne-based manufacturing business will offer a range of services in Australia and New Zealand, including a risk management tool to help employers comply with 2015 changes to workplace health and safety regulations.




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Bio blog: New therapy targeting the malaria parasite’s Achilles’ heel

Malaria is a devastating disease, affecting 200 million people worldwide and causing more than 600 000 deaths each year. In the past decade, great inroads have been made in reducing the number of infections, primarily through the implementation of insecticide-laced bed nets, and also reducing the death rate with combination therapies. However the emergence of drug-resistant malaria is rendering these therapies less effective, and there is an urgent need to develop novel therapies to cure malaria.




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Indian IT company opens HQ in Melbourne

Indian learning solutions company, Dexler, has opened its Australian headquarters in Melbourne. Dexler Education (Australia) is expected to create 25 new skilled jobs in Melbourne following its 2014 acquisition of Online Learning Australia which had clients including AMP, ANZ, BHP Billiton, Bluescope Steel, Coles, Myer, NAB, Target, Telstra and Westpac.




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Melbourne ranked world’s most liveable city for 4th year in a row

Australia’s fastest-growing city, Melbourne, has again been recognised as the best city in the world to live, topping the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) 2014 Global Liveability Index for the fourth year in a row.




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Coca-Cola Amatil investment secures 500 jobs in Victoria




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80 days of Melbourne – sporting and cultural events

Victoria will host an unprecedented number of international sporting, arts, cultural and trade events between 9 January and 29 March 2015 as part of the 80 Days of Melbourne initiative. A business-hosting component of the initiative is designed to attract high profile, senior international business leaders to Melbourne to secure international investment and jobs for Victoria.




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French tech giant Capgemini opens cloud services and global delivery centre in Melbourne

Leading global consulting, technology and professional services company, Capgemini, has opened its new Melbourne Global Delivery Centre and Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud services Lab. The French multinational operates in 44 countries around the world and offers a range of integrated services in the business sector.




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Rohlig Australia to set up new logistics site in Melbourne

Rohlig Australia will open a new branch office in the Melbourne western suburb of Truganina in mid 2015. The new Melbourne base for the international logistics company will be a modern 8,730sqm facility that includes space for a large warehouse and an open plan office.




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DataCore expands Melbourne operations

US-based data visualisation software storage company, DataCore Software, has expanded its operations in Melbourne. The new marketing function located in Melbourne delivers demand-generation programs and better serves the DataCore Australia-New Zealand partnership.




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Victoria the only Australian state with a stable AAA rating from both S&P and Moody’s




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Bio blog: Melbourne cancer research partnership led by Australian icons

La Trobe University in Melbourne will bring its world-class scientific expertise to the newly launched Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute (ONJCRI).




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Australia – China Business Council to move to Melbourne

Australia’s premier business organisation dedicated to promoting investment and trade with China will be the first bilateral business chamber to be part of the Victorian Coalition Government’s new International Chamber House (ICH). The Australia China Business Council (ACBC) will move its head office from Sydney to Melbourne to be part of ICH, which is set to open later this year in Melbourne’s city centre.




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Melbourne rises in Global Financial Centres Index

Melbourne’s dynamic environment for business has been reaffirmed by the Global Financial Centres Index 16 (report) which highlights Melbourne’s position amidst the Global Financial Centres. Melbourne is ranked sixth in the Asia-Pacific, with Sydney fifth - the top six centres all dropped in rating. Melbourne ranked 24th, which is one rating point difference between Melbourne and Sydney - an improvement of 11 points and a rank improvement of 13. Sydney, ranked 23rd, dropped eight rating points, but maintained its rank.




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CSL’s Melbourne expansion to create 190 jobs

Australia’s largest biotechnology company, Commonwealth Serum Laboratories (CSL), will invest A$210 million to expand albumin production at its Broadmeadows manufacturing site (25 minutes from Melbourne’s city centre) to meet increasing demand for its global ‘ablumin’ critical care therapy. The planned manufacturing facility for the Broadmeadows site is expected to create up to 200 jobs during construction, with a further 190 manufacturing jobs once the plant is operational.




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Aegis Services Australia expansion to create 550 new jobs in Melbourne

Aegis Services Australia has announced it will expand its business processing outsourcing operations in Victoria, creating 550 new jobs over the next two years. Aegis is a global outsourcing and technology company. The expansion will mean a doubling of the company’s existing local workforce and a substantial investment in training and up-skilling of employees. The company’s announcement underscores Victoria's strong reputation as a destination for global investment and business services centre.




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New Victorian mining and exploration online map

The Victorian Government has launched Australia's first web tool specifically designed to help Victorian communities locate mining and exploration activities in their regions quickly and easily. The Mining Licences Near Me web tool ensures greater transparency for communities regarding industry activity in their region, both onshore and offshore, including minerals, gas and quarries.




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Significant Investor Visa (SIV) reforms to attract foreign direct investment

The Australian Government has advised that it will expand and improve the Significant Investor Visa (SIV) program to leverage and better direct foreign investment. The program will be reformed to encourage more high net worth individuals to make Australia home and will contribute to a strong and competitive economic environment.




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Bio blog: Victorian Postdoctoral Research Fellowships – second round

Applications are now open for the second round of the prestigious A$1.8 million Victorian Postdoctoral Research Fellowships Program, being delivered by veski. The fellowships aim to strengthening Victoria’s innovation capabilities by enabling talented young researchers to work at world leading research centres before returning to Victoria. The Victorian Government offered six fellowships in 2013 and is again offering up to six fellowships to begin in 2015.




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Kaiteki Fresh grows in regional Victoria

Japanese food production company, Kaiteki Fresh has announced a new state-of-the-art hydroponic facility in Bunyip, one hour east of Melbourne. The multi-million dollar investment will be the first facility of its kind outside of Asia, and will create 40 new local jobs. Kaiteki Fresh Australia, a subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, is a global leader in food production and technology.




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Two new 3D printing facilities in Melbourne boost advanced manufacturing capabilities

Australia’s manufacturing sector has been given a boost with the opening of Australia’s largest additive manufacturing hub and a new world-class research facility in Melbourne. The new 3D printing additive manufacturing plant produces parts and devices for the mining, defence, bio-medical, construction, aerospace and automotive industries, in a more cost-effective way than traditional methods.




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Chinese Hotelier Fu Wah International Group establishes Australian HQ in Melbourne

The Fu Wah International Group will establish its Australian headquarters in Melbourne, bringing 20 jobs to Victoria. A high-end real-estate development and commercial property management group based in China, the company recently took ownership of the iconic Melbourne Park Hyatt Hotel and is exploring other investment opportunities in Victoria's property and hotel sector.




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Hong Kong Hotelier Hind Group chooses Australian HQ in Melbourne

Hong Kong-based independent hotel company the Hind Group is to establish its new Australian headquarters in Melbourne, creating 10 new jobs. The Hind Group is one of Hong Kong's most successful independent hotel and serviced apartment operators. It owns and manages two hotel brands, Ovolo Hotels and Naumi Hotels and also runs two food and beverage businesses, Café O in Hong Kong and Rang Mahal in Singapore.




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E-Gate the new Melbourne precinct on city’s doorstep

Underutilised rail yards on the edge of Melbourne’s city centre are set to be transformed into the newest inner-city suburb - E-Gate. The 20 hectare site is equivalent in size to five Melbourne City blocks and will be developed into a new integrated community providing residential, retail, commercial and community facilities.




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Indian enterprise IT solutions company Raybiztech sets up Australian HQ in Melbourne

Indian company Ray Business Technologies (Raybiztech) has chosen Melbourne as its Australian headquarters. The company plans to create 30 new highly skilled local Information and Communications Technology (ICT) jobs over the next two years. Headquartered in Hyderabad, India, with offices in the USA and UK, Raybiztech delivers cloud, mobility, big data and social media solutions to its enterprise clients around the world, in the sectors of finance, healthcare, manufacturing, media, leisure and utilities.




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Finmeccania – Selex ES to set up Australian Naval ICT Communications HQ in Melbourne

Global technology supplier Finmeccanica – Selex ES will establish its Australian Naval Communications headquarters in Melbourne, creating 80 manufacturing jobs by 2019. Finmeccanica - Selex ES works across the international defence, security, aerospace, naval and transport sectors.




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Bio blog: Victoria to attract more world leading women in science and innovation with additional round of veski innovation fellowships

An additional round of veski innovation fellowships – a prestigious Victorian program to attract outstanding global leaders in science and research to Victoria – is actively seeking applications from outstanding women in science and research.




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Victorian Government calls for EOIs for New Schools PPP

The Victorian Government has this week invited Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the delivery of 13 new schools under the $223 million New Schools Public Private Partnership (PPP) project. The PPP will see the selected consortium finance, design and construct 13 new schools and maintain them over a 25 year period. The schools will be built in two tranches, with the first tranche opening to students in 2017 and the second in 2018. The Victorian Government will retain responsibility for teaching and curriculum, with the Government stating that the structure will allow teaching staff to focus wholly on educational outcomes.




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LINPAC chooses Melbourne as the base for its Australian HQ

UK packaging company LINPAC has chosen Melbourne as its Australian headquarters. The A$22 million investment will create 72 manufacturing jobs at the new headquarters in the suburb of Truganina in Melbourne’s West, and allow the company to increase its food packaging manufacturing capacity. Operating in 37 countries around the world, LINPAC is a global leader in the production of primary fresh food packaging and food service solutions.




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Kerry Group – bakery centre for excellence to open in Melbourne’s West

Global food company, the Kerry Group, has announced that it will establish its new centre for excellence for bakery products in Melbourne, creating 118 new jobs. The A$13.7 million investment by the company in the Western Melbourne suburb of Altona (18 km from the Melbourne city centre) will be used to purchase state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, and increase their research and development capacity.




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German industrial automation company Balluff to expand in Australia

Balluff Leuze has invested in a custom-built automation centre in Bayswater, located 40 minutes east of Melbourne’s city centre, as part of its continued Australian expansion plans. The German company, which specialises in technically innovative products for the Automation industry has been working in Australia for 15 years and is considered a leader in sensor technology. They also build a range of safety products that are used in the Victorian manufacturing sector.




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Internationally renowned Melbourne HIV scientist named Melburnian of the Year

Professor Sharon Lewin, the local co-chair of this year’s 20th International AIDS Conference, and internationally recognised HIV cure researcher, has been named Melburnian of the Year in an awards ceremony held on 15 November.




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Australia and China sign historic free trade agreement

Australia and China have signed an historic free-trade agreement (FTA) which will increase opportunities for foreign direct investment in Victoria. The deal, which is suggested to be worth A$18 billion to Australia’s economy, was announced after almost a decade of negotiations between the nations. The agreement will increase the threshold at which private companies attract scrutiny by the Foreign Investment Review Board from A$247 million to A$1 billion. This will allow corporations to more easily take advantage of the competitive and dynamic business environment that Melbourne has to offer.




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RMIT University and NICTA collaborate to open a new data analytics lab in Melbourne

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), in collaboration with NICTA (National ICT Australia) have announced the opening of a joint data analytics lab in Victoria. The lab will be based at RMIT University’s School of Computer Science & Information (CSIT) in Melbourne. NICTA is Australia’s largest ICT organisation, and its Machine Learning Research Group has been independently rated amongst the top five groups of its kind in the world. In a collaboration valued at over A$1 million, NICTA will combine its expertise with RMIT University’s CSIT, which is widely recognised as a leader in data and information management.




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Melbourne to host renowned science conference IPAC in 2019

The International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC) will take place in May 2019, and will see approximately 1,000 delegates visit Melbourne to discuss, collaborate and present on the latest scientific achievements in particle acceleration. Melbourne’s winning bid was presented in Korea, and was a direct result of collaboration between the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) and the Australian Synchrotron, a particle acceleration research facility located in Melbourne.




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Melbourne wins Major Cities Top 10 Human Capital and Lifestyle Award

Melbourne has been recognised as the top Major City in Human Capital and Lifestyle, according to the fDi Intelligence Global Cities of The Future 14/15 study. Cities in the study were categorised according to population and, as a Major City, Melbourne was awarded the top position in cities with populations less than 10 million. As winner of the Human Capital and Lifestyle category, Melbourne scored high results in categories such as; literacy rate, education expenditure, health, quality of life, percentage of population as labour force, number of students and numerous other indicators.




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Monash and Takeda announce research partnership

The Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Melbourne has announced a research partnership with Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Company to develop new medicines that address significant medical needs in gastroenterology. The strategic partnership will allow scientists from Monash University and Takeda to work together to better understand the causes of these gastrointestinal diseases, and work towards developing treatments and therapies for disorders that affect millions of people worldwide.




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Melbourne set to Scoot to Singapore

The Singapore based low-cost airline, Scoot, has announced that it will launch direct flights from Melbourne to Singapore in November 2015. Scoot is a low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines that flies to a variety of locations in China and Australia. The airline was founded in 2011 and has embarked on a new strategy in providing low fares and quality customer service to travellers. Travellers will be flying with Scoot on the latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner; the world’s most advanced aircraft.




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HotelQuickly expands into Australia with a new Melbourne office

Hotel and accommodation booking app, HotelQuickly, has opened an office in Melbourne as part of its plans to expand its operations in the Australian market. The Hong-Kong headquartered company, which was launched in March 2013, has more than 600,000 users globally and offers last-minute discounted hotel and accommodation booking options for travellers.




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Global Pharma leaders Janssen collaborate with Melbourne’s Monash

Global pharmaceutical company Janssen-Cilag, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has signed a three-year research collaboration agreement with Melbourne’s Monash University. The collaboration will focus on ground-breaking research at Monash University to develop potential new medicines to treat autoimmune diseases and disorders .




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Equinix expands in Melbourne with launch of new data centre

The global data centre and software giant, Equinix, has recently opened a new state-of-the-art data centre in Melbourne, as part of its expansion plans throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The centre, which is strategically located in Port Melbourne, about 2.5 kilometres from the Central Business District, will help to meet the growing regional demand for premium data centre services, and comes amidst strong growth in Australia and Victoria’s IT markets. Equinix has invested A$60 million in the centre, known as ME1, and early reports indicate an successful launch.




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Victorian wind farms bring power to Canberra

Two Victorian wind farms have won 20-year deals with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), to supply a third of Canberra's electricity needs. In a deal worth A$68 million a year each, the alternative power venture is set to increase Canberra household power bills by A$93, however with 200 megawatts of capacity, the wind farms are expected to create a 580,000-tonne reduction to the city's yearly carbon emission each year (the equivalent of removing 157,000 cars).




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Melbourne’s Metro Rail Project to transform its public transport system

The Victorian Government has announced it will begin work on one of Australia’s largest infrastructure projects, the Melbourne Metro Rail Project. The new Melbourne Metro Rail line includes a nine-kilometre twin rail tunnel from Melbourne's south, under the CBD, through to the university and health precinct in the city's north. It will include five new and expanded underground stations.




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Moving Victoria – Australia’s number one destination for inter-state migration

Melbourne has reinforced its great reputation as the world’s most liveable city with new statistics showing Victoria as the number one destination for Australians moving inter-state.




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Leading Victorian and US regenerative medicine institutes announce partnership

Regenerative medicine research efforts are set to strengthen in Australia with the recent announcement between Melbourne’s Monash University and leading US biomedical institution, MDI Biological Laboratory.




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Bio blog: Dr Amanda Barnard grabs a bag of ‘firsts’ winning the Nobel Prize of nanoscience world: The Freynman Prize

The Feynman Prize for Nanotechnology was awarded last month to Dr Amanda Barnard. Often referred to as the Nobel Prize of nanoscience, the prize’s importance is remarkable in that it recognises prodigious talent in the sector and is a reliable predictor of scientific discoveries with a very high translational impact on industry.




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Global tech company Square arrives in Melbourne

The global mobile payments company, Square, will open its Australian headquarters in Melbourne, which will be its fourth global base after the United States, Canada and Japan.




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International buyers travel to Victoria to meet the winemakers

More than 150 international buyers and investors from Europe, the Middle East and Asia will travel to Victoria as part of a major inbound trade mission that showcases its diverse wine industry. Meet the Winemaker, will introduce international buyers to over 100 key winemakers from 21 diverse winemaking regions around Victoria, allowing the industry to develop new export opportunities and giving the world an insight into Victoria’s unique winemaking capabilities.




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In a changing climate, information is power

The following story by Alexa Jay was originally posted on the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) news blog.

In a variable and changing climate, information may be the key to unlocking successful adaptation strategies. How can millions of farmers access climate information services that support adaptation to climate variability and change?

Climate information services are a powerful tool in helping farmers adapt to the impacts of climate variability and change, to both protect against drought and extreme events and take advantage of good conditions. A new report presents lessons learned from 18 case studies across Africa and South Asia that have developed and delivered weather and climate information and related advisory services for smallholder farmers, demonstrating that scaling up these services for millions of farmers is possible today. This infographic highlights what kind of information is being provided to farmers, and how it expands the range of management options available.