Regional Spotlight Showcasing Australian enterprise successes in global marketplaces
Addressing gender barriers with rugby in Samoa
Foodtech exporter Flavourtech expands to the Netherlands Award-winning food technology company Flavourtech, from Griffith in regional New South Wales, ships its aroma recovery, extraction and evaporation technology all over the world. In October 2022, Flavourtech set up an office at Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands’ Foodvalley. The centre is a global hub for food- related businesses. Flavourtech looks forward to undertaking food and bio-based research with the university and their partners, now that its pilot plant facilities are up and running. “Being just down the road is increasing opportunities with our European customers. It’s so much simpler now for them to bring their product and conduct trials at our demonstration facility,” says Flavourtech General Manager Leon Skaliotis. Flavourtech’s Spinning Cone Column (SCC) was originally developed to remove sulphites during the winemaking process. However, it proved successful at solving another issue, removing alcohol from wine. Those initial tests also showed its potential for capturing natural aromas.
“Flavour companies around the world now consider the SCC to be the gold standard for natural aroma recovery,” explains Skaliotis. “Other technologies can capture flavours and aromas, but none can capture them at the very light, volatile end the way our system does.” Other innovations may come in response to a customer request for help, or when Flavourtech sees a way to improve a customer’s processing operations. For example, in the late 90s Flavourtech developed a fully integrated processing line to help a client reduce health and safety risks from boiling products and moving forklifts. More than 25 years later, that client is efficiently producing high quality RTD beverages, leads its market and says Flavourtech has been integral to its success. Flavourtech is benefitting from Foodvalley’s centralised location, with customers from Japan and India having offices in the same building. A chance meeting with US contacts, who were also setting up offices at the university, has led to talks about conducting trials on Flavourtech’s equipment in the Netherlands, says Skaliotis.
Flavourtech’s SCC technology could be used in plant-based food production to remove undesirable flavours and aromas or to capture natural flavours making food products more natural and palatable. The SCC can also extract the desirable natural aromas from over-ripe or non-marketable fruit that is otherwise sent to waste, thus creating new revenue streams. “Australian exporters sometimes think they need to be everywhere in Europe,” notes Wim Verstraaten, Austrade’s Senior Business Development Manager, Agribusiness and Food. “However, it may be more strategic to find a single-entry point, such as the Netherlands. As well as a densely populated domestic market, it has four deep seaports, international air access and road and rail links to much of Europe within a couple of hours.” “We found the Netherlands very transparent in how they do business,” adds Skaliotis. “Austrade has been extremely helpful, pointing us in the right direction on things like setting up a virtual office until we had finalised our physical location.”
Team Up is the Australian Government’s sport for development program in the Asia-Pacific, with more than 30 partnerships working toward attracting women, girls and people with a disability to sport.
The League for Life program uses rugby league as a vehicle to provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive community space for Pacific island women and girls, and people with a disability, and reduce incidents of gender-based violence through community engagement and education programs. Lepaileyai Faaiuaso, known as Lepa to her friends and colleagues, is a development officer for the League for Life program in Samoa, supported by Team Up. Lepa is also the vice-captain of a local women’s rugby league team, the Savai’i Blues, who made history in September 2022 by winning the inaugural Rugby League Samoa (RLS) Women’s Island of Origin series.
“Being a part of the League for Life program is important to me because I get to share my knowledge with the next generation,” says Lepa. “E au le inailau a tamaitai is a Samoan saying that means ‘women can, and women will’. “As a female sports leader, I have witnessed how the program inspires children and especially young girls, developing their love for the game while building their confidence and self-esteem.” Sport is a powerful force for women’s economic empowerment. It sets the foundation for healthy child development, builds self-esteem and leadership skills, and helps to break down barriers across gender, ethnicity and socio- economic status.
Lepa credits her success in sports to her father, Manuopuava Faaiuaso. “I am following in my father’s footsteps. He was a sprinter and rugby player who represented Samoa. I am also lucky to be surrounded by many friends who are athletes, one of whom was our former manager. She’s the one that motivated me and is the reason I got involved in this sport for development program. “What I love most about my role is going out to schools and delivering the program. The excitement on the children’s faces when they see our van pulling up, calling out our names, and enjoying the activities, that is the best part!”
16
17
business envoy
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
business envoy
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker