The Australian Embassy in the Netherlands, together with the Dutch School and the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, organised an interactive roundtable discussion in The Hague on 6 February 2018.

 

The Dutch School, a collective of around 70 companies, aims to put innovation in the education technology sector (EdTech) on the Dutch political agenda.  Dutch start-ups are often at the forefront pushing commercial developments and innovation in this sector, but to maintain that position, Dutch School members are looking to explore new international collaborations and market opportunities in partnership with government.

 

Australia is a natural fit.  During the event, 24 Dutch EdTech start-ups with an interest in doing business in Australia gained insights into the Australian education market.  Roundtable participants shared views, experiences and strategies on how to overcome geographic distance to take advantage of the market opportunities in the Australia.

 

Participants noted that Australia was an attractive business destination for Dutch start-ups looking to grow their businesses in the global EdTech market.  Australia is the

world’s third most popular destination for students.  Australia is a wealthy country with a high standard and uptake of education.  Australian consumers are tech-savvy and willing to adopt early and buy new technologies.  Already, current revenues of Australian EdTech sector are upwards of A$1 billion per year.

 

Equally important is Australia’s strategic advantage as a gateway to the fast-growing Asian economies, with whom it shares strong and growing trade and economic ties.  Dutch start-ups with Australia operations could access favourable market conditions for supplying services to China, Japan, Republic of Korea and ASEAN economies due to Australia’s existing network of Free Trade Agreements in the region.

 

Culture wise the Dutch are like-minded with Australia in terms of willingness to collaborate.  Both countries are open market economies and highly educated, presenting a “natural partnership”.  The Dutch School is looking to undertake a potential business scoping mission to Australia in the near future.  Austrade recommended EduTECH Australia (6-8 June 2018, Sydney) and FutureSchools Expo and Conference Australia (20-22 March 2018, Melbourne) offered access to some of Australia’s key market players.