Accelerate - magazine of the AHK Australien | Q4 2020

Accelerate

— magazine of the AHK Australien

RE-FOCUS

2020

Q4

Welcome to the Q3 2020 issue of Welcome to the German-Australian Q4 2020 issue of Business News Accelerate – magazine of the AHK Australien www.germany.org.au

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A message from AHK Australien’s Executive Director

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Herzlich Willkommen to the first edition of Accelerate, our new quarterly magazine.

have chosen to encourage and inspire the GermanAustralian business community with those valuable insights.

But also, we as the Chamber re-focus. It is all about delivering value.

We strive to deliver you What a year 2020 has been. the right content, the right connection, and Who would have thought that we had to go through the right consulting a global pandemic with its services, all based on a solid understanding of challenging economical strategic bilateral business and societal impacts? All of us had to adapt to a new initiatives. And to tell you all about it we updated our environment, personally communications tools, and professionally, too: there is our Newsletter including the first AHK Weekly, a muchrecession in Australia in improved smartphone nearly thirty years. app, our popular podcasts Many Germanand even a video format in Australian businesses, the making. however, have One exciting project you demonstrated their are reading right now – resilience and flexibility to adapt their business to our quarterly magazine is completely re-developed the new situation. That is based on your, our why you find myself and readers’ feedback. It is a my team at the Germandigital-only experience, Australian Chamber with articles improved optimistic about the through relevant links and future – and especially infographics, smartphoneabout the Germanfriendly texts, and our new Australian relationship. lead article.

In this new magazine, I hope you enjoy this we would like to share interactive edition. It would the stories of those be great to have your businesses, their current feedback via mail. Feel free challenges, and their to tell us what you like and successes. Re-Focus is what you do not like. the overarching topic we

I wish you all a successful conclusion of 2020 and a festive Christmas break with your family. Please let me finish with a sneak peek into the Chamber’s roadmap for 2021. We are planning a not-to-be-missed bilateral conference to support your company’s growth, to bring back German business delegations to Australia and to accelerate the promising policy developments around hydrogen and the Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement. And of course, we are looking forward to seeing you soon in person!

Enjoy the magazine, yours with best regards,

CHRISTOPH VON SPESSHARDT christoph.spesshardt @germany.org.au

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Contents

Table of Contents

AHK Australien News

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Governmental Affairs

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Events

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Membership

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Title story & member articles

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AHK Australien: Re-focus – The story behind the cover DHL: Supply chain recovery HDI Global SE: COVID-19 modelling Hofbräuhaus Melbourne: Hospitality in difficult times Polyglot Group: Adjusting your strategy in a crisis Detack GmbH: Think before U authenticate DB Engineering: Rail transport implications

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Germany Trade & Invest: Who we are and what we do AHK New Zealand: Best in battling COVID

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Membership profiles & offers

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Member4member offers New members

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Welcome to the Q3 2020 issue of German-Australian AHKNews Business Australien news

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Governmental Affairs

Governmental Affairs working for you

By Dr Michael Zettinig

New Innovation and Start-Up Committee established

notice and this has presented some additional challenges.

Through our government channels we advocate for a risk-based approach that follows transparent criteria and also The AHK Australien Governmental Affairs takes into account the severe economic consequences of closed borders for work is delivering real outcomes for international businesses, including businesses – both short-term and German-Australian businesses. long-term. On the short-term horizon, Nevertheless, the AHK Australien has the key focus of the work has been been able to support companies to get and continues to be, the support for German-Australian businesses impacted border crossing exemptions in several cases. Each successful case needed by the border closures. to have a very strong justification, The Chamber has been able to use particularly in regard to terms such our existing Governmental Affairs as “essential worker” or “essential contacts into the Federal Government and into states and territories to gain a business”. Usually, this needed to be proven not just by the business involved, deeper understanding of the COVID-19 but also needed to be supported by clear border closure situation, and to work documentation from relevant business with businesses and their professional partners and application support letters service advisors such as migration from government entities. agents, to achieve exemptions in On this topic we also coordinated the most urgent cases. Particularly our experience with other European in regards to the situation between business chambers and want to thank Australian states and territories, the the German Embassy, the German rules have often changed at short

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"Hydrogen is giving the bilateral relationship another boost."

Governmental Affairs

Consulate General and other partners for their support.

On a much more optimistic note, we are thrilled about the very strong and positive response from our members in regard to the establishment of the new “Innovation and Start-Up Committee”.

The committee is a re-focus and expansion of the previous Industry and Research Committee, based on feedback from members and the COVID-19 situation. Over 35 participants joined us for the first meeting online on 17 September and another virtual committee meeting is planned before the end of the year. There is a tremendous amount of innovation happening both within our industrial member companies, at our university

members and within the Australian and German start-up ecosystems. However, this innovation is not always well connected between those three pillars.

Additionally, government programs do not always help to bring those pillars together. The committee is currently developing a work plan and will focus on projects with bilateral connection.

The committee members have voted for Karen Zwissler from SAP as Chair of the committee. Please contact me if you want to know more or if you want to join the committee.

Hydrogen is giving the bilateral relationship another boost. It seems that every week brings further exciting hydrogen developments in Australia and Germany – often they even have a strong bilateral angle. The commitment and case for a strong bilateral hydrogen economy is clear following the release of the government hydrogen strategies in both Australia and Germany, as well as from the European Union and from several Australian states and some German Bundesländer. Industry from Australia and Germany is investing significant amounts into this field, as well as major universities.

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"The AHK Australien is a key partner in the debates, and is connecting industry with government, including through our formal submissions, and is contributing industry expertise and development to the bilateral policy developments. "

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The AHK Australien is a key partner in the debates, and is connecting industry with government, including through our formal submissions, and is contributing industry expertise and development to the bilateral policy developments.

Our events program includes a number of hydrogen-related discussions to talk about the opportunities as well as the challenges of hydrogen with our members and with government and academia. I also want to thank the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for the excellent joint bilateral energy policy dialogue about hydrogen on 14 October.

Finally, a short update about another very high-impact Governmental Affairs topic for the bilateral and Australia-EU relationship, the negotiations for the Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement.

The 8th round of formal negotiations took place in September, again as a videoconference round. Further progress was achieved on several chapters. I think there continues to be very good reason to expect a conclusion of the negotiations in 2021, with a comprehensive FTA improving trade and investment in both directions. Following the conclusion of the negotiations, the agreement will need to be ratified by the parliaments in Australia and the EU, therefore it is currently impossible to predict the start date for the reduction in tariff and nontariff trade barriers. I will continue to provide relevant updates through our The AHK Weekly newsletter and please feel free to contact me if you want to discuss our work in this area or if you encounter a trade barrier that the Chamber could address.

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German-Australian Chamber reception with Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel

Australia Germany Advisory Group advocates for FTA negotiations

Support for the FTA negotiations at the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference in Perth

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Round 1 - start of formal negotiations

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Round 7 first video conference round

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TIMELINE OF THE AUSTR ALIA-EU FTA NEGOTIATIONS

Round 8

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Events

AHK Events continue to adapt to changing circumstances

By Mathias Suter, German-Australian Chamber

Throughout 2020 AHK Australien Events have continued to adapt to the fast-moving environment, providing valuable information, muchneeded social networking opportunities, and even the first real-life event after the lockdown period.

The AHK Australien Events team has been working hard behind the scenes to adapt to the continuous curveballs this year has been throwing at everyone.

With the overarching goal of providing value and service to our network, it was crucial for us to get out information to the German-Australian business community to assist with handling the challenging situation.

Our Executive Member HSBC has shared with the network an update

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on foreign exchange and the AUD, highlighting what investors will have to be aware of in the coming year.

The AHK Australien has furthermore partnered with several other chambers, with a webinar led by the Italian Chamber on Blockchain applications, a webinar with our friends from the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce on employee engagement, during which we heard from Andrew Curcio from our Premium Partner PwC and Rosanne Jessop from Pilz, and together with the Israel and American Chambers we delivered an insightful update on R&D commercialisation in NSW. Following on from the employee engagement and retention webinar, our member Polyglot Group shared with us what the future of hiring and employee onboarding will look like, not only during, but also post, COVID-19 lockdowns.

Throughout those topical webinars it has been very evident that the remote workforce trend will continue, and

Events Clockwise from top: Attendees at the second Who’s New – Members in Conversation; Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne, Sally Capp, during the A Taste of Germany; Networking event at Metz Design Gallery Sydney; Ian Ellis, CEO of Metz Group, and Christoph von Spesshardt, Executive Director AHK Australien.

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Events

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employers will need to develop systems and processes to manage their business with a widely dispersed workforce.

The AHK team has leveraged its expertise among the different departments and created a new, ongoing webinar series called Industry Focus, during which the consulting team members provide an in-depth insight into specific industries and their markets within Australia. This series was kicked off with Jüergen Wallstabe, who led a discussion with industry specialists on the mining and resources sector. The second session was looking at Energy Efficiency, under the lead of Max Schnarr.

Following on from the content-driven webinars, even the AHK’s AGM was held as an online event this year. On July 23, the AHK Australien board of directors met at our Executive Member Deutsche Bank’s Sydney offices to livestream the annual general meeting to the entire membership. The formalities were followed with an informative virtual fireside chat between Simone Whetton and Andrew Wear, who discussed the future of advanced manufacturing in Australia, examining the German “Mittelstand” as a useful model.

However, whilst content-driven events and webinars provide valuable information for our members, the AHK team also appreciates the importance of networking with fellow members and likeminded spirits from within the German-Australian business network.

Thus, the AHK Events team has pivoted the focus more recently and brought in more interactive, virtual social events.

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We have introduced an all-new newmember event, Who’s New – Members in Conversations, during which the newest Chamber members have the opportunity to introduce themselves and their organisations to the existing network. The presentations are then followed by a few rounds of networking.

Thanks to the fantastic feedback we received, this format is likely to become a permanent feature in the AHK Australien event calendar.

On September 10, we were honoured to welcome the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne, Sally Capp, to our virtual lunch event, A Taste of Germany. This exclusive event aimed at the Melbourne members provided them with an update on the City of Melbourne’s plans post-lockdowns and the opportunities for business and government to work together during the recovery. During the event, the attendees also enjoyed a traditional German “Brotzeitteller”, courtesy of our member Hofbräuhaus.

Our Sydney members also got to enjoy a very special event, thanks to our member Metz Group, who invited all Sydney members to our first in-person event since coronavirus restrictions came into place. Thirty guests were able to enjoy networking in a COVID-safe environment and Metz is looking forward to welcoming the Melbourne members too, as soon as the situation allows.

Please visit our events page for upcoming events.

Please contact Steven Zabeti or Brett Cox for a confidential discussion on +612 8226 1655 or email szabeti@accrusyd.com.au

Membership

Membership in focus The Membership team at AHK Australien has been working hard to increase the reach of our network, improve the quality of the membership experience, and enhance the tools available to our members. The following is an overview of what’s new, different and incoming at AHK Australien, and what it means for you as a member.

If you would like more information about existing or incoming membership benefits, please contact our Membership team.

TINA THOMS Director – Membership tina.thoms@germany.org.au ANDREW DONNI Membership Coordinator andrew.donni@germany.org.au

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Membership

What’s New?

In an exciting move into a digital format, AHK Australien has been proud to launch the latest edition of the German-Australian Business Directory.

Accessible on your phone, tablet or computer, the directory will give you access to the most up-to-date information on our Members and German subsidiaries throughout Australia.

The Innovation and Start-Up Committee has now been officially launched and will bring together the brightest minds from industry, research institutions and Start-Up companies.

AHK Australien and AHK New Zealand have teamed up and will be working in much closer collaboration to bring additional benefits to our members in both nations. You may have seen Kiwi Corner in the AHK Weekly bringing you important developments from across the ditch, and you can expect to see shared member perks and events in future.

AHK Australien is in the final stages of reaching an agreement with the German Business Chamber of South Australia (GBCSA) which will mark our official expansion into the state!

You can expect more events, connections and opportunities as a result.

Know a South Australian business that should be a part of our network?

Contact Andrew or Tina!

Sound Bites is the official podcast of AHK Australien, featuring expert interviews with our team, members, and other specialists in the field.

Have you got a topic you’re passionate about and want to share? Get in contact with us now via media@germany.org.au!

Connect with other AHK Australien members in the new Glue Up membership & events platform ...events from your phone via the Glue Up platform.

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What’s Different?

The AHK Weekly provides you with the latest news, events and articles from AHK Australien. Delivered to your inbox every Wednesday.

Have some news you want to share with the network?

Email media@germany.org.au to be featured in our Member News section.

The membership renewal process is being revamped and will streamline the member experience. Update your company details and register/check-in for events from your phone.

What’s Coming?

AHK Australien is working on a partnership that would see a much greater presence in the state of Western Australia. This fits in with a broader strategy to increase the presence of AHK Australien throughout Australia as we head out West!

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In 2021 we will bring you even more exciting opportunities to engage with national and international thought-leaders, and we will present current and future trends in technology and industry relevant to the German-Australian business community.

Offering bilingual education from Preschool to Year 12.

Meet us at our Open Days!

German International School Sydney, 33 Myoora Road, Terrey Hills. ph: 9485 1900. giss.nsw.edu.au

We thank all of our Premium Partners for their support.

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Welcome to the Q3 2020 issue of German-Australian Title story Business News & member articles

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Title story

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Title story

Re-focus

By Ulrike Andresen-Nikolai, German-Australian Chamber

A glance behind the scenes – the story behind this quarter’s issue October challenge: Writing an article about COVID and the business world without falling back on clichés. As the world is still reeling from the effects of the virus, our team sat down and thought about a suitable topic for our Q4 issue that would reflect the current circumstances. With countries and, in Australia’s case even states, experiencing very different levels of restrictions, we are probably further away from recovery than we would like to be. The situation is still very fluid, and entire business sectors have changed and adapted where possible and necessary. We have therefore decided on the topic of Re‑Focus. It is an area many of our member companies and organisations spend a lot of time on now: assessing what has worked well, and potentially shifting the focus on what could be better. Due to COVID-19, many companies have brought forth changes that had been waiting in the queue for years, especially when it comes to digitalisation or remote working solutions.

Looking forward With case numbers in Australia dropping, there is cause for cautious optimism. Australia, while in recession for the first time in 29 years, has a strong economic foundation and is hoping to increase its manufacturing capability as well as advance a greener recovery. The Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, led by our Chairman of the Board Jens Goennemann has recently published a comprehensive guide on how to succeed in advanced manufacturing. Australia and Germany have signed a deal to research potential hydrogen exports, hopefully leading to increased bilateral business opportunities and growth.

"With case numbers in Australia dropping, there is cause for optimism."

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Re-Focus: The German-Australian Chamber

“The situation is still very fluid, and entire business sectors have changed and adapted where possible and necessary.”

As we received input from our members, we also reflected on our own journey of re-focussing. We are at our heart a membership organisation. That has not changed. But we have changed the way we operate, the way we communicate – even the way we think. The last few months have triggered a tremendous change within the Chamber network, and one of the positive outcomes has been an increased collaboration and exchange across all departments and between countries within the global German Chamber network (AHK). Through our digitalisation process, we have been able to offer events, workshops and even virtual Structural changes business delegations to our members and consulting clients. A lot of the What then, we asked ourselves, are our technology we have adopted has been members doing to prepare themselves for the time after? After can mean quite a around for a while but never perceived as needed. It has now enabled us to few different scenarios. It might be zero cases. It could mean that we must learn invite members across the country to our events and to stay connected with to live with the virus. It might be the development of a vaccine, lifting of travel our own team. Of course, nothing will ever replace in real-life, face-to-face restrictions, or, not a good scenario, communication. But interacting and a time when a third or even fourth networking with members in all states wave has come and gone. What are the has been a great benefit and experience. structural and organisational changes It has in some cases resulted in new born from this crisis that will last well cooperation between members. into this new decade? To find out more, we asked our members to share their insights, ranging from infrastructure Re-Focus: Our members and insurance, from hospitality to HR. The responses reflect our times: flexible A lot of our members have been using work, output-driven work, practical the past few months for introspection. aspects such as making your business Why are we doing things the way we are?

COVID-compliant, and the mental Are we future-proof? What do we want wellbeing of staff are the big topics. to change? In asking themselves these

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questions, some exciting initiatives have come to pass and will continue to shape the journey of those businesses.

Some things stay the same With this wide range of stories and experiences, we hope you will find our new-look magazine informative and enjoyable. You might even feel inspired to adopt new processes. Feel free to connect with member companies if you have questions, or ask us for an introduction. Share your experiences with us, either via email, on social media or in person at one of our events. If the link was sent to you, you can sign up for future editions here. As always, the Chamber is here to support you, whether you are starting as a new member, or are already well and truly into your membership journey.

“Through our digitalisation process, we have been able to offer events, workshops and even virtual business delegations to our members and consulting clients.�

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Member articles

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Member articles

Post-coronavirus supply chain recovery – the journey to the new normal

By Dr. Klaus Dohrmann, Vice President Sector Development Engineering, Manufacturing & Energy, DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation

Supply chains will not be the same post-coronavirus as they were before

move into a post-corona phase and return to business as usual. With scientists searching diligently for a vaccine against the disease and many businesses are managing the crisis, any “As in every crisis, the strengths but also iteration of normalcy is still a distant goal. For a post-pandemic world, this the weaknesses of the system become visible. To become better, it is important crisis will accelerate changes that had to learn from such emergency situations. already begun, and at the same time unveil new trends and new priorities.

In the new normal, if your supply chain “Post COVID-19, companies will care is the same as the one that you had even more about resilient supply chain pre-coronavirus, you’re probably doing operations. More than ever before, something wrong,” explains Richard leveraging foresight and logistics Wilding, professor of Supply Chain innovation will be key for logistics Strategy at Cranfield University and professionals. Trends outlined in co-author of a recent DHL white paper the DHL Logistics Trend Radar, such envisioning possible changes in supply as creating a collaborative humanchains following the current pandemic. machine workforce, are significantly While today only the outlines of the exact formation of that new normal can gaining in importance,” says Matthias be seen, industries will not immediately Heutger, Senior Vice President Global

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“The situation is still very fluid, and entire business sectors have changed and adapted where possible and necessary.”

Head of Innovation and Commercial Development at DHL. In the meantime, an interim phase – the pre-new normal – will bridge the gap between lockdown and the new normal. Obviously, some industries were hit harder by the pandemic than others and thus will recover more slowly, for example the automotive, and aviation and aerospace industry. As a rough guide, the greater the capital investment involved, the longer the timescale.

However, the various implications for businesses, supply chains, and supply chain leaders can be subsumed under four categories: Resilience issues, Demand-related issues, Transportation & Warehousing-related issues, and Workplace-related issues.

In a pre-new normal world, supply chains will be re-shaped to make them more resilient. For instance, the fact that both manufacturing and

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warehouse locations were equally affected by regional lockdowns and varying regulations will result in more distributed manufacturing, storage, dual sourcing, and more diversified supply chains in the future. Diversification often requires the development of completely new supply chain networks and infrastructure. In order to succeed, collaboration along the supply chain and ensuring relationships are managed effectively is a key success factor. In addition, supply chain transparency is becoming more important than before.

Instead of focusing solely on tier 1 suppliers, supply chain leaders will have to take a closer look at tier 2 and tier 3 suppliers as well to check if they are able to keep up with the flow of goods.

"Knowing the supply chains, all suppliers down to tier 3 and even alternative suppliers is the pre-requisite for any long-term decisions towards the new normal. This includes new transportation and warehouse network set-ups, increasing supply chain resilience and efficiency," states Mr Dohrmann.

Furthermore, the demand will be more volatile and consumer tastes may erratically fluctuate, increasing the need for flexible and alternative transportation flows and warehouse networks. While online shopping will be more prevalent and direct-to-consumer sales will increase, other retail channels and industries will be disrupted. These are just some of the facets that influence modern supply chains.

Finally, configuring post-coronavirus workplaces to meet social distancing and sanitation guidelines will also

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Post-coronavirus, supply chains will not be the same as they were pre-coronavirus.

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Businesses won’t immediately transition into new ways of operating, and an interim stage – the ‘pre-new normal’ phase – will bridge the gap.

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In the ‘pre-new normal’ phase, resilience, demand, transportation, warehousingrelated topics, and workplace operational practices will become critical issues.

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Supply chains will re-shape themselves around resilience, with more diversified manufacturing, and multiple sources of supply.

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The journey from lockdown to ‘pre-new normal’ and then to new realities will require a reassessment of today’s supply chains based on a changed environment and a potentially new set of priorities.

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Transportation and warehouse networks might have to be reconfigured to ensure more flexible, but still costeffective, supply chains.

Workplaces will see changed practices around social distancing.

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Supply chain innovation will be essential, and collaboration along the value chain will be the enabler for future business success.

About us DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, and road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. DHL Global Forwarding in Australia provides air, sea, custom brokerage and value added services across all states, with specialised solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing and energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.

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POST-CORONAVIRUS SUPPLY CHAIN RECOVERY

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Member articles

affect work styles in both warehouses and offices. For remote working, information systems will need to be robust and capable of supporting a distributed workforce by providing access to appropriate data and systems.

Warehouse processes need to be adapted to the new standards, such as one-way systems, distributed picking faces, or socially distanced packing areas. Just as procuring for resilience will become an increased focus, remote working will disrupt established processes, providing fresh impetus for digitalisation and automation initiatives.

Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer at DHL, and Head of DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation: “For us as

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logistics experts, it is important to analyse the challenges and experiences across industries during this crisis and to envision how resilient supply chains can be in the future so that we may best advise our customers.�

Read or download the full white paper here: https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/ dhl/global/core/documents/pdf/ glo-core-post-covid-eme-white-paper.pdf

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– Complimentary 5 years/ 80,000km BMW Scheduled Servicing.* – Reduced Dealer delivery of $1,500 excluding taxes.

– Reduced rate on a BMW Driving Experience course.

To find out more, contact a participating BMW dealer today. *Complimentary basic scheduled servicing, including Vehicle Check, is valid from date of first registration for whichever comes first of 5 years/80,000kms and is based on BMW Condition Based Servicing or Service Interval Indicator, as appropriate. Normal wear and tear items and other exclusions apply. Servicing must be conducted by an authorised BMW dealer. Consult your preferred BMW dealer for further terms and conditions. Full terms and conditions can be viewed at bmw.com.au/corporate.

Member articles

COVID-19 modelling: “there is no magic number”

By Barbara Barkhausen, for HDI Global SE, Australia

When the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern at the end of January, it had been a month since COVID-19 had first been identified in Wuhan in China. According to medical journal The Lancet, several mathematical and computational models had already raised the alarm about the virus’

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potential to cause a global pandemic. Since then models have continued to play an essential role for our response to the virus.

We have spoken to Dr Meru Sheel, a global health researcher and an infectious disease epidemiologist about how predictive modelling has influenced public health planning and response.

In the beginning we relied a lot on infectious disease modelling. It helped us prepare for and respond to the pandemic. It told us best- and worst-case scenarios and what effect interventions like contact tracing, social distancing measures or a lockdown could have on reproductive numbers. It also helped us estimate the need for different resources like ICU beds, personal protective equipment, drugs or vaccinations. It also gave us an idea of spread in the population. However, modelling can’t predict human behaviour and the public acceptance of restrictions like stayingat-home-recommendations, or the effectiveness of public health response measures such surveillance and contact tracing, and, hence, cannot predict disease outcomes.

How much can and must modelling influence public strategy?

Modelling has played a role in public strategy. Particularly early on when we didn’t know much about the disease, we were pulling out our lessons from influenza. This helped us work out the best- and worst-case scenarios. And it helped us to model how the disease had spread in Wuhan, Hong Kong and South Korea. As a result, we were able to understand the role of contact tracing, when we had to cancel mass gatherings or bring in social distancing, etc. The public health response for COVID-19 is not that different to other disease outbreaks and uses similar principles as we would for diseases like polio or measles, for example.

Does the modelling show a “magic number” when a city / country has to go into lockdown?

There is no magic number. Severe physical distancing measures (for example a lockdown) have to be put in place when we see different stages of community transmission, and contact tracing is unable to identify the sources of transmission any more. In that case, a larger intervention like a lockdown is the only way to slow down the spread of the disease.

Member articles

How important is modelling during a pandemic like COVID-19?

What have you learned from the current pandemic so far?

COVID-19 is quite an interesting, intriguing virus as it has such a broad spectrum of symptoms and because of how infectious it is during the milder stage of the disease. We have learned that how quickly you respond really defines the outcome of the outbreak and this needs a lot of leadership and cooperation not only in politics but also in health management. We have clearly

“However, modelling can’t predict human behaviour and the public acceptance of restrictions...”

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“The number of businesses that hadn’t included a pandemic in their business continuity plan is higher than you might have thought.” seen which cracks in the system we need to fix and where failure has occurred – in the aged care sector, in poor socio-economic areas, and where there is racial disparity, for example.

How can the insurance industry support the current efforts in health management and help manage loss mitigation?

Business overall and the insurance sector in particular can take on a role in corporate social responsibility.

Dr Meru Sheel is a global health researcher and an infectious diseases epidemiologist at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.

She earned a PhD in life sciences from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research and the Queensland University of Technology working on new vaccines for bacterial pathogens.

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David Lloyd, Regional Claims Manager Australasia and ASEAN, HDI Global SE, on how insurance companies cope with the pandemic: “The number of businesses that hadn’t included a pandemic in their business continuity plan is higher than you might have thought. To an extent we, in Australia, have benefited from previous SARS events in Asia, and adapted our insurance policies and practices with a greater awareness of the potential risk than many other regions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has naturally focused much attention on insurance coverage that has varied from country to country. In Australia we have been fortunate that the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) took the pre-emptive step of selecting two claims as test cases relating to the Quarantine Act (1908) and/or Bio-Security Act (2015).

What is clear, though, is that COVID-19 will remain part of our lives for a considerable period of time. In some respect, businesses now have the advantage of being better prepared for the ongoing impact of the virus and can adjust their operational systems accordingly to mitigate losses. Mitigation will therefore be central to discussions regarding COVID-19-claims because businesses now have full knowledge of the pandemic and ought to have made adjustments to the “new normal”.

I doubt many businesses have not actually looked or enquired about potential coverage relating to the virus, so we expect to continue receiving claims in various forms and, no doubt, they will challenge the industry particularly around the question of intent.”

Member articles Image Credit: The World Health Organization Country Office in Papua New Guinea.

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Hospitality in times of COVID

By Ulrike Andresen-Nikolai, German-Australian Chamber

Interview with Philipp Hockenberger, Brand Manager at Hofbräuhaus in Melbourne The hospitality and tourism sector have undoubtedly been among the hardest hit during the pandemic. In September, during the second lockdown and Stage 4 restrictions that we were experiencing in Melbourne, we spoke with one of our new members, The Hof Group.

Hear the podcast here

Philipp Hockenberger is the brand manager at The Hof Group, which includes Hofbräuhaus in Melbourne’s CBD. Casual workers traditionally make up a big part of the hospitality workforce. Many of those staff are temporary visa holders – who are not eligible for the JobKeeper program. In our interview, Philipp talks about what his restaurants can do – and have done – to survive while taking care of their staff at the same time.

“Bread for Change”, opening a popup restaurant and introducing cook-at-home meals have been some of the initiatives happening at The Hof Group. With a massive, sold-out

Father’s Day special early in September, only to hear about the extended lockdown on the same day, Philipp not only manages to stay positive, but puts the wellbeing of his staff front and centre of all his endeavours.

Head to our blog to listen to the podcast, where we talk about city planning and naming our sourdough starters.

“We want to make sure our team stays in a positive mindset.”

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Member articles

THE ABC REPORTED ON THE AUSTR ALIAN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN EARLY JULY

Restaurants CEO of the Restaurant and Caterering Association Wes Lambert , hypothesised that 10-20% of restaurants could close permanently in the wake of COVID-19

0% 10-u2ld close co

-25%

$ 2 01 8 -1 9

2019 -20

Australian restaurant revenue has declined by 25.1%, according to industry market researcher IBISWorld, from $19.7 billion in 2018-19 to $15.0 billion in 2019-20.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that more than a third of Australia’s accommodation and food services employees lost work between March and April, as COVID-19 restrictions began.

441k

jobs would be lost

In May, Treasury estimates released by Prime Minister Scott Morrison forecast 441,000 jobs would be lost in the hospitality sector.

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Member articles

How to adjust your strategy during a crisis to better recover

By Corinne Bot, Founder and CEO of Polyglot Group

From pushing us to create new habits, change the way we work as well as readjust our expectations, the COVID-19 crisis has undeniably given us many opportunities to re-evaluate the status quo and has served as a vital reminder of how important it is to remain open-minded to the inevitability of change.

With that in mind, so as to prepare for a new tomorrow, what can businesses start focusing on?

Create & set policies focusing on flexibility With remote working becoming the new norm since lockdowns were originally put into effect, it would be naive to believe employees won’t expect flexible

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arrangements to continue once the crisis is over.

Starting and ending the day at a set time will become a thing of the past, and employers will need to be prepared for it. Do you have policies and procedures in place to ensure a smooth transition into this new normal? If not, now is the time to create them.

Foster a strong company culture Despite the understandable (and necessary) desire to boost sales and profits to secure the survival of the business, fostering a strong company culture by bringing your people together is also essential to your company’s success, today more than ever.

This will not only be necessary to keep your employees engaged and performing, but also to bring a larger sense of meaning and belonging.

As such, you may want to think about organising activities to bring back a sense of community and enable people to gather again, in a safe way.

The current context has also made people reassess many aspects of their lives, especially their job. Whilst past studies have shown that millennials would give up a pay raise for more meaningful work, we predict that this trait will now extend beyond millennials.

Since it looks like tomorrow’s workers will want more out of their work than a simple paycheck, and be seeking a sense of community and purpose as well, now is the time to ask your team what they care about and how they think the business could help the greater community. This should go a long way towards building a corporate social responsibility strategy.

Rework your workplace’s design Finally, one of the most palpable changes that we have witnessed, and will continue to witness in the near future, is with regards to the physical workplace.

Due to the need for physical distancing, as well as a growing remote workforce, you might need to re-think the way your office is organised and maintained. From proper cleaning procedures to adequate space between desks, workplaces will need to be reconfigured for employees to feel safe coming back to the office.

In order to keep staff performing and engaged, you might also look into adding more comfort to the office, such as creating more spaces for relaxation, alone time and, perhaps, putting an end to open spaces.

“...fostering a strong company culture by bringing your people together is also crucial to your company’s success, today more than ever.”

Member articles

Do business with meaning

The COVID-19 crisis was impossible to predict. And although we don’t yet know the true impacts it will have long term, what we can acknowledge is that it has pushed many to think outside the box.

As such, drawing from the lessons we’ve learnt so far will help us better prepare for the future of work.

About us We, at Polyglot Group, are growth partners. Our mission is to ease business growth by empowering businesses to thrive locally and globally. We do so by providing human-centric solutions in business setup, human resources, talent acquisition, payroll outsourcing and language support. With a presence over 4 continents, 6 countries and 12 cities, and speaking 30 languages, we are the ultimate global partner.

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Member articles

COVID-19 impact on healthcare cybersecurity: “think before U authenticate”

By Iuliana Enache, Cybersecurity Strategical Advisor at Detack GmbH

Why is the healthcare sector being targeted by cybercriminals during the COVID-19 pandemic and what methods are used by the cybercriminals?

Over the past few months, the world has faced a significant disruption and problems have to be solved in a new and unpractised remote working environment. That results in a significant challenge for the health sector, where the amount of cyber-attacks has increased. Why is the healthcare sector being targeted by cybercriminals during the COVID-19 pandemic and what methods are they using?

Attacks against the healthcare sector are not new and one reason why it is a main target is that sensitive data stored

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within healthcare organisations is a profitable target for cybercriminals.

This data can be used for identity theft, fraudulent medical care, and also sold online. Medical records and personal data are often sold on Dark Web marketplaces. This information is also used as a pivot point for secondary attacks, such as phishing.

One of the easiest methods employed by cybercriminals to steal sensitive data is “password spraying”. In 2019 the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) released an advisory on password spraying attacks.1 “Password spraying is a type of brute-force attack in which a malicious actor uses a single password against targeted user accounts before moving 1 ACSC: https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-

content/advisories/2019-130-password-sprayattacks-detection-and-mitigation-strategies

2 CISA: https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/current-

activity/2019/08/08/acsc-releases-advisorypassword-spraying-attacks

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the authentication cybersecurity risks because of the rapid adoption of teleworking, telehealth, and remote connections.

In recent years, authorities in Germany and Australia have updated their cybersecurity guidelines regarding password policies.

In Germany “it must be checked whether passwords should be used as the only authentication method, or whether other authentication features or procedures can be used in addition to or instead of passwords ... Depending on the purpose and protection needs, secure passwords with a suitable quality level must be chosen. The

Member articles

on to attempt a second password, and so on. This technique allows the actor to remain undetected by avoiding rapid or frequent account lockouts.�2 The Association of the German Insurance Industry analysed in 2019 the level of cybersecurity protection in 25 medical centres in Germany. The results exposed a lack of password security awareness, which means lack of patient data security. The surveyed medical centres were found to be usually well secured, but the password situation made them an easy target for the cybercriminals.

FINDINGS OF A CYBERSECURITY STUDY ON 25 MEDICAL CENTRES IN GERMANY

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use passwords that are easy to guess (e.g. medical treatment, name of doctor)

all users have administrator rights

were found to have shared authentication credentials (shared by many users)

have checks to determine if former employees still have administrator rights

Translated from https://www.gdv.de/de/medien/aktuell/deutschlands-aerzte-haben-einpasswort-problem---zugangsdaten-haeufig-im-darknet-zu-finden-45192

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Member articles

“The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the authentication cybersecurity risks because of the rapid adoption of teleworking, telehealth, and remote connections”

password must be so complex that it is not easy to guess”.3 According to the Australian Government Information Security Manual, a safe user authentication “is typically achieved via multi-factor authentication, such as a username along with biometrics and a password, or via single-factor authentication, such as a username and passphrase. ... The benefit of implementing multi-factor authentication can be diminished when credentials are reused on other systems.

For example, when usernames and passwords used as part of multi-factor authentication for remote access are 3 BSI – IT-Grundschutz Kompendium 2020 ORP.4

Identitäts- und Berechtigungsmanagement: https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/ ITGrundschutz/ITGrundschutzKompendium/ itgrundschutzKompendium_node.html

CAUSES OF DATA BREACHES REPORTED

BY THE HEALTH SECTOR

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5 4%

43%

Malicious or criminal attacks

Human error

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Member articles

the same as those used for corporate workstations. ... If an adversary had compromised the device used for remote access, they could capture the username and password for reuse against a corporate workstation that did not require the use of multi-factor authentication.”4 The users’ cyber-awareness training must be a strong support in following guidelines and tools in the health sector. The Australian “Notifiable Data Breaches Report 2019” found: “Malicious or criminal attacks caused 54 per cent of data breaches reported by the health sector (63 notifications), while 43 per cent resulted from human error (51 notifications).”5 was reported

by Australian “Notifiable Data Breaches Report 2019” “Think Before U Click” is the official motto of ECSM 2020, a European campaign this month, so the slogan “Think before U authenticate”6 should be followed by all computer users.

About us 4 ISM Version September 2020 https://www.cyber.

gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/ism

5 https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/

notifiable-data-breaches/notifiabledata-breaches-statistics/notifiabledata-breaches-report-july-december2019/#comparison-of-top-five-industry-sectors 6 https://www.enisa.europa.eu/topics/ cybersecurity-education/european-cybersecurity-month/ecsm-2020

Detack GmbH is an AHK Australien member and an independent German supplier of high-quality cybersecurity services, including consulting and penetration testing, as well as unique IT security solutions. Detack has 20 years’ experience in IT security and its Password Quality Assurance Solution (EPAS) is used in 30+ countries, by more than 2 million users.

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Member articles

COVID-19 and its impact on rail transport

By Dr Felix Horstmann, Senior Consultant at DB Engineering & Consulting, Frankfurt, and Ralph Kuechler, Director Melbourne at DB Engineering & Consulting

COVID-19 affects everyone, here are some clues about how to deal with the pandemic.

and a day-to-day operations level. Risk management is one key to tackling challenges brought by a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Deutsche Bahn (DB) established a risk management tool which includes allowances for major disruptions as a result of a tragic event The world still faces huge challenges in 1998. Twenty two years later, the crisis regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. management team became active for While some countries are still battling the first time. Risk management at DB is the first wave, other countries have to based on five success factors, as shown deal with new regional outbreaks like on the graphic on the next page. in Melbourne. COVID-19 has a major To guarantee operations and mobility impact on all of us; it is not only limited to railway operators, which can virtually across Germany, it is essential to pay special attention to the health of all not carry passengers to work and employees. To do so, the workforce has school, connect them with their loved been divided into three categories based ones or ensure reliable freight services. on the level of operational importance.

Responses to the pandemic vary across countries and industries, but there While the safety of office workers was rather easy to achieve (#WFH), the frontare common patterns, too: The lack of line staff on trains and at stations were a similar previous experience, the need to act during a time of great uncertainty, most vulnerable yet critical to continue operating trains and buses. and dealing with an unprecedented Apart from the rigorous implementation situation, both locally and globally. of protective measures, DB commissioned In such situations, companies must a scientific study to assess the risk for be well prepared on both a strategic

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To achieve these goals, among other activities, DB publishes daily updates via its social media channels (e.g.

Facebook, Instagram). This creates transparency regarding hygiene concepts and cleaning processes, but also provides useful clues for a safe journey by public transport, thus highlighting that DB cares for customers’ health and does everything to successfully protect them from an infection with COVID-19.

Additionally, DB launched the marketing campaign “Deutschland neu entdecken” (“Discover Germany anew”) which emphasises the discovery of Germany, thus suggesting that people do not have to fly around the world as there are beautiful places nearby – easily and safely accessible by train.

Apart from all the negative facets that accompany a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, DB tries to deal with the new crisis in the best way possible. Consequently, DB enhanced maintenance and construction

Member articles

DB staff on trains. First, 1,100 front-line employees were randomly selected and received a corona test and antibody count to indicate any current or previous infection. Compared with a peer group of low-risk staff and no customer contact, the study shows no additional risk for front-line staff. In fact, the infection rate of front-line staff was even lower than of other workers.

Moreover, the study underlines that trains and public transport is still a safe mode of travel. However, official travel advice and warnings, contact restrictions and the fear of infection with COVID-19 while using public transport cause many people to stay at home or to use individual means of transportation, primarily cars. Apart from numerous implemented measures to reliably protect people from sources of infection at stations as well as on trains, DB aimed to maintain customer satisfaction at a constant level, and, even more importantly, keep confidence in rail travel.

RISK MANAGEMENT AT DB IS BASED ON FIVE SUCCESS FACTORS

Guidelines for crisis management

Situation assessment

Set-up of crisis management team

Forming of task Review of the forces crisis and lessons learned

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Member articles

1.3%

2.7%

Infection rate of front-line staff

Infection rate of other workers

activities during the lockdown instead of reducing or even suspending work.

Under normal circumstances highly stressed tools could be serviced, just as rolling stock and facilities (e.g. signal boxes, switches) could be maintained.

Furthermore, construction work on bottleneck sections of the network could be pushed ahead as a result of the reduced volume of services during the first lockdown across Germany.

DB’s expertise regarding the successful management of unprecedented situations is brought to customers around the world by DB Engineering & Consulting. For instance, California Essential Service Planning, which focussed on strengthening the California Intercity Rail Program against COVID-19 challenges, benefited from this comprehensive expertise in the transport industry in terms of fleet use optimisation as well as improvements to schedules and rolling stock maintenance/ overhaul.

In general, DB’s approach to tackling the short-term consequences of COVID-19 on rail operations can be summarised as follows.

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“Health and safety of our employees and our customers is paramount.”

1. Provide people, your customers as well as employees, a safe environment and tell them what you do to protect them from an infection with COVID-19.

2. Keep operations on a sufficient level of service while taking the safety measures into account.

3. While the current crisis can’t be changed, it might be worthwhile to explore if there are opportunities to seize – for example, increasing infrastructure and rolling stock maintenance while patronage is low.

About us As part of the German railway, mobility and logistics company Deutsche Bahn (DB), we at DB Engineering & Consulting share DB’s expertise with customers around the globe. Since 1966, our experts have delivered thousands of projects of varying size and complexity in more than 100 countries to shape railways for the world of tomorrow. With projects in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, we are also proud to be a vital part of the transport industry in Australia.

“Thisisisnot notonly only an an important important “This servicefor for our our passengers, service passengers,but but for our employees.” also also for our employees.”

“The S-Bahn “The S-Bahn Berlin, Berlin,for forexample, is also getting angetting extra cleaning example, is also an service at the moment: Here, the extra cleaning service at the trains are additionally cleaned in the moment: Here, the trains are passenger area and in the driver’s additionally cleaned in the cab at reversing stations.” passenger area and in the driver's cab at reversing stations.”

Member articles

INSTAGR AM STORY: HYGIENE AND CLEANING PROCESSES TO PROTECT FROM COVID-19 INFECTION

surface is wiped, “The“The surface is wiped, allall switchesand andall allcontrol control knobs, switches knobs, that are touched during a shift, that are touched during a are cleaned.” shift, are cleaned.”

FACEBOOK STORY: PART OF DB’S “DISCOVER GERMANY ANEW” MARKETING CAMPAIGN

“Beautiful Philippines?”

“Beautiful Philippines?”

“No. This is Upper Bavaria.”

“No. This is Upper Bavaria.”

“Rediscover Germany.”

“Rediscover Germany.”

“Discover Germany anew.

“Discover Germany anew.

By Rail. time This is yourstime again.”is ByThis Rail. yours again.”

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Welcome to the Q3 2020 issue of German-Australian Business News Partner organisations

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G e r m a n y Tr a d e & I n v e s t

is the economic development agency of the Federal Republic of Germany Find out more: www.gtai.com

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G e r m a n y Tr a d e & I n v e s t

Who we are and what we do

By Heiko Stumpf & Carola Jäger

Want to locate to Europe’s largest market? Then we are your first point of contact. We inform you free of charge with current industry analyses, individually tailored tax and legal information, as well as financing and funding opportunities in Germany.

Germany Trade & Invest is the economic development agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The company helps create and secure extra employment opportunities, strengthening Germany as a business location. With more than 50 offices in Germany and abroad, and our network of partners throughout the world, Germany Trade & Invest supports German companies setting up in foreign markets, promotes Germany as a business location and assists foreign companies setting up in Germany.

Please feel free to contact us!

HEIKO STUMPF Director Australia & New Zealand +61 (0)2 8296 0494 heiko.stumpf@gtai.com

CAROLA JÄGER Consultant Australia & New Zealand +61 (0)2 8296 0417 carola.jaeger@gtai.com

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G e r m a n y Tr a d e & I n v e s t

Sowing the seeds of innovation

By Germany Trade & Invest

The market for agricultural technology and innovation in Germany is growing, driven by digital transformation, and global factors such as climate change and population increases. Smart farming can have a big impact on productivity and efficiency.

Farmers worldwide are tackling challenges like climate change by improving productivity and efficiency with digital tools and modern technology. The seeds have been sown for modernising agriculture in Germany, and international investors are already reaping the benefits.

Germany has the world’s largest agricultural equipment industry, with a global market share of 19.1 percent in 2017. The amount of venture capital flowing into German “agtech” start-ups is growing and growing. In 2017 it was just EUR 11 million, but by 2019 it had skyrocketed to EUR 96 million,

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according to the latest Start-upBarometer from EY. In some cases, the solutions to climate change issues are hiding in plain sight. Big data on crops and livestock exists, but it takes innovators to activate the numbers. “Sometimes crucial information is available, but it’s siloed, often not available to the farmer,” explains Christian Janze, EY’s expert on agtech start-ups. “These smart solutions can give a farmer specific advice based on weather conditions. It’s a completely new situation for agriculture.”

“You need strong partners with good connections” Tim Siebert, Start-Up Manager, Seedhouse

G e r m a n y Tr a d e & I n v e s t

Amount of venture capital received by agtech start-ups in Germany Source: EY Start-up-Barometer

€11m

€29m

€96m

2017

2018

2019

Until very recently, operators of combine harvesters had to judge things like the best threshing drum speed and gap for themselves. With the autonomous threshing unit from CLAAS, these sorts of decisions are now automated. ©CLAAS

Get to know more about new agricultural models and how agribusiness gets smart: read the full report https://www. marketsgermany.com/agtech-sowing-theseeds-of-innovation/

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INVESTORS G e r m a n y Tr a d e & I n v e s t

3D Printing from Australia

By Germany Trade & Invest

Expansion to Germany in times of Corona Australian maker of 3D printers SPEE3D hasn’t let the COVID-19 pandemic hinder the founding of a German subsidiary. And the company may have an ace up its sleeve.

Expanding a business in times when global economies are struggling to cope with the coronavirus crisis may seem daunting, but Australia’s SPEE3D pressed ahead and set up shop in Germany, formally establishing its presence in the northern German city of Lübeck on April 6.

Germany Trade & Invest assisted in this process.

Read the full story https:// www.marketsgermany. com/3d-printing-from-australiaexpansion-to-germany-in-timesof-corona/

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G e r m a n y Tr a d e & I n v e s t

INCENTIVES

Let it grow

By Germany Trade & Invest

Project-related financing and incentives consultancy Project financing incentives are available to all investors and are provided by the German Government, the Federal States, and the EU to support business growth.

Germany offers investment grants (GRW program) of up to 20% to support new production or service facilities, as well as loans for all funding purposes on National and European levels.

Germany Trade & Invest advises large companies (turnover â‚Ź50m+) and SMEs. Find out more about funding here: https://www.marketsgermany. com/project-financing-incentives/

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AHK New Zealand

Best in Battling COVID Article provided by German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce

According to a recently released survey, conducted by the Deep Knowledge Group, Germany and New Zealand are currently the safest countries in the world when it comes to COVID-19. For that reason, it is worthwhile taking a closer look at the different COVID response strategies of both countries.

For example, in contrast to New Zealand, Germany has never pursued an elimination strategy because its geographical, and probably also its political, situation and commitment within the European Union, made tightly sealing borders to its surrounding neighbours impossible. Germany’s top virologist Christian Drosten referred to the recent situation with COVID-19 as “the dance with the tiger”. He pointed out that there will be more ups and downs to come, an increase of infection

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rates and periods where the curve might flatten off again, until a reliable vaccine is found. In any case, he admits, all governments must constantly adjust to the changing situation.

Status quo in NZ New Zealand is one of the very few countries internationally that seem to have the right strategy in fighting and containing the deadliest virus the world has seen so far. In August, NZ celebrated reaching 100 days without community spread. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continues to take a careful approach, urging the public of five million people, to do their best and help to keep New Zealand corona-free. Communication and transparency seem to be the keys.

Ardern recently stated in one of her regular updates: “New Zealand has followed a plan that has worked. This has both saved lives, but also meant

Germany´s Bounce Back Strategy No other country in the world, compared to the size of the economy, invested more into a rescue package than Germany. They almost immediately kicked into crisis mode, knowing that they already had mechanisms in place to help businesses to stay afloat

that were installed during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008/09. Germany´s answer to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic was: liquidity support, easy access to short-term working compensation for employees, and additional state aid. It also included a €600 billion Economic Stabilisation Fund (WSF).

The overall volume of financial support and guarantees reached a figure of €1.2 trillion. By the end of August, the Government announced that all support measures for businesses will be extended until the end of the year, the short-time working compensation for employees even until the end of 2021.

To boost economic activity, Germany also reduced the value-added tax

AHK New Zealand

our economy has been able to be more open in a more sustained way than nearly any other country in the world.”

But even though the Government sticks to its elimination strategy, mistakes have been made along the way that allowed the virus to slip through the more or less tight walls of a quarantine facility in Auckland and spread within the community. Internationally, the overall success of New Zealand’s approach fighting COVID-19 is unarguable. While second waves of corona outbreaks have appeared globally, NZ has been able to react and contain their newly appeared Auckland clusters as fast as possible.

Auckland was recently able to move back down to level 2 restrictions, but physical distancing requirements will still be in place, wearing masks on public transport remains mandatory, and there are some extra restrictions on social gatherings, funerals, and tangihanga (Maori funeral ceremony) in Auckland.

New Zealanders are also encouraged to use the NZ COVID Tracer app. It looks like the latest community clusters in the Auckland region are now under control, and Cabinet has given the green light for the whole country, except Auckland, to move into Level 1 from today (as at 21/09/2020).

"New Zealand is one of the very few countries internationally that seem to have the right strategy in fighting and containing the deadliest virus the world has seen so far."

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AHK New Zealand

" As part of their COVID-19 vaccine strategy, New Zealand’s Government decided to invest NZ$10 million of funding into a scientific collaboration between different universities called “Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand” (VAANZ)." from 19 to 16 per cent until the end of December. To provide extra support for families, the Government decided on a one-off payment of €300/child on top of the usual “Kindergeld” child benefit (minimum of €204) parents receive every month. The German newspaper Handelsblatt summarises that many economists welcomed the rescue package because it leaves out unnecessary subventions, boosts

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purchasing power, and has a longterm perspective. To avoid the misuse of the support money for businesses (a problem NZ has had to deal with, too) the German Government recently decided that businesses now need a tax consultant or accountant to apply for financial support. The downside of this barrier against cheaters makes the process very complex and keeps the number of aid applications low.

NZ´s Finance Minister: “It´s the price we have to pay” New Zealand has also taken on huge debt in order to cushion the economic effects of the lockdowns and to keep the economy rolling. Parliament passed the “Imprest Supply Act” that allowed the Government to significantly increase the amount of money it spent. The first Economic Response Package of $NZ12.1 billion was announced in March. They also created a $NZ50 billion COVID Response and Recovery Fund (CRRF) targeted at addressing both the immediate response to the global pandemic and the economic damage. Combined with the first rescue package, the Government made $NZ62.1 billion available to respond to the crisis.

When Auckland was put back under Level 3 and later Level 2.5 restrictions, the Government made investments from the CRRF fund to extend the Wage Subsidy Scheme, the Small Business Cashflow Scheme, and additional funding for personal protective equipment for health providers. As of July 20, $NZ14 billion remains in the CRRF, which is now being set aside for other events such as a second wave of the pandemic. Finance

AHK New Zealand

and to get early and ongoing access to vaccines. On top of that, Auckland company BioCell has received $NA3 million in Government funding and is currently working with the American company Stabilitech on a vaccine in pill form. According to Research, Science and Innovation Minister Megan Woods, the boost for BioCell will help to produce up to 100 million doses of the vaccine, which would be shared with Pacific countries. There are also some Where from here? – NZ´s NZ companies that that will be able to Vaccine Strategy manufacture some types of vaccines in the future, such as Timaru-based biotech As part of their COVID-19 vaccine company South Pacific Sera. Aotearoa’s strategy, New Zealand’s Government Government is heavily investing in decided to invest $NZ10 million of international schemes as another part of funding into a scientific collaboration its vaccine strategy. On top of that, they between different universities called “Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand” announced in August that further funds had been set aside that could also be (VAANZ). Members of that alliance have used to buy vaccines later on. been lobbying the Government since April to have its own vaccine program.

Sources: For references please contact VAANZ is responsible for research the GNZCC. Minister Grant Robertson explained in an official statement of the Beehive [Editor’s Note: Beehive is the official website of the New Zealand Government] that the new wage subsidy is forecast to cost about $NZ510 million and cover 470,000 jobs.

Overall, the New Zealand Government already paid out an estimated $NZ13.4 billion in wage subsidies, supporting more than 1.7 million jobs.

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Membership profiles & offers

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Member4Member offers

Exclusive Member4Member offers Services

Global Legal Expense Insurance specialist ARAG Group, headquartered in Düsseldorf, has expanded its operations and launched business activities in Australia. To celebrate its opening, ARAG Services Australia is offering a premium discount for one year to any member of the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Crowe Australasia offers complimentary Customs Duty Review for AHK Australien members.

German Australian Marketing Services is offering Chamber members a 50% discount on their first Market & Competitor News email bulletin and 20% off Benchmark Studies.

Uncover requirements for implementing effective learning: imc can help.

As a starting point we’re offering a complimentary consultation where we can work through your requirements and identify solutions applicable for your business.

Two free months of PRO plan subscription on 2M’s Remote Simultaneous Interpreting Platform. Enable remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI) for your virtual global events and meetings.

Dammann German-English Translations is offering all Chamber members a 30% discount on the translation of personal documents.

Brokat is offering small and medium digital packages specifically designed for launching and boosting the digital presence of your business.

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Miscellaneous

Dresden Vision is offering free 10-minute telehealth appointments with an optometrist for anyone based in Victoria! It’s perfect to check your existing prescription, or to get a quick answer on your eye-care questions.

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Special discounts for talent acquisition, HR and business set-up: one-hour coaching on Australian job market for any members (resume the Australian way, cover letter, and tips and tricks to be successful during an interview).

Tenant CS is a commercial tenant representative business which is independent from all major real estate agencies. To celebrate our longstanding relationship with the Chamber, we are offering fellow members a highvalue, complimentary lease review and workspace analysis to identify quick wins and provide long-term recommendations.

Two offers from the Victorian Chamber of Commerce & Industry: 50 % Discount on complete membership package OR fees waived for first year of essential membership package.

Audi Australia are delighted to offer you, as a member of the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the benefits and superior servicing of the AudiCorporate program on the entire range of premium new Audi vehicles.

As a member of the GermanAustralian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, you and your spouse enjoy exclusive benefits when you purchase a new BMW through BMW Corporate.

"Die Woche" is the only German-speaking newspaper in Australia. The weekly published newspaper offers AHK members a discount of 30% on the annual subscription of the pdf file and 10% discount on the printed version.

Faber-Castell is offering a selection of their finest writing instruments at discounted prices (up to 40%). This offer is exclusive for members and not available elsewhere.

Hofbräuhaus Melbourne, in the heart of Chinatown, is the home of German comfort food for over 50 years.

Members of the GermanAustralian Chamber receive a 10% discount.

Kärcher is pleased to share with the members of the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce an exclusive members-only 15% discount on selected Kärcher products.

Mercedes me Store Melbourne is proud to offer a preferred rate for hire of our stunning boardroom space.

ROBINSON Club GmbH offers exclusive discounts for AHK members at ROBINSON Clubs Noonu (Maldives) and Khao Lak (Thailand).

Discounted rates for AHK Members – settle in with amazing deals on 14+ night stays starting from $55 per night in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Wine Window is pleased to offer exclusively to Chamber members a 10% discount on all orders. Our wines are produced by young wine-makers in familyrun wineries in the RheinhessenPfalz area.

Member4Member offer submissions: We are pleased to present you with a range of discounts and special deals from AHK Australien members for AHK Australien members.

Please log in to our member area at https://australien. ahk.de/en/members/ member-area to book these special deals.

If you have an exclusive rate or special product that you would like to offer your fellow members, please e-mail us to submit your offer.

TINA THOMS tina.thoms @germany.org.au

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AGEIS delivers accounting, tax, legal advice and family office services across a wide range of clients and industries. Our philosophy is to provide a premium service across multiple professional disciplines that is tailored to your specific needs. As your trusted advisors we partner with you and your future generations. Our focus on personal relationships plays a vital role in the success of our clients and AGEIS. We invest the time to get to know our clients and understand their needs, their philosophy and goals in order to tailor an optimum solution. AGEIS’ premium service offering is founded on trust, integrity and knowledge.

Our success is measured on the achievement of your goals, so you can focus on what matters to you. Talk to AGEIS today and discover how AGEIS can partner with you on your path to success.

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Whether its about flow, level, pressure, dosing, analysis, filtration, temperature, mixing or the automation of processes – liquids and gases have to be measured and controlled.

These are the fundamental fluidic variations upon which industrial process technology is based; and Bürkert’s specialty is in finding solutions in all of these challenges. For more than 40 years Bürkert Australia has become a preferred supplier and market-leader in new and innovative digitalised fluidic control solutions for core industry sectors and essential service providers.

From process automation, water quality monitoring, biotechnology, food and beverage manufacturing through to laboratory research and so much more.

Our versatility highlights our continuous customeroriented innovation and supply of solutions, saving our customers time and money.

RMIT University is a global university of design, technology and enterprise, with more than 84,000 students and 10,000 amazing teachers and staff. RMIT’s European hub in Barcelona, Spain, is the gateway for European research, industry, government and enterprise to innovation and talent in Australia and Asia. We leverage the University’s global connections to deliver an international dimension to research and innovation beyond Europe’s borders.

We provide early access to the next generation of talent for European industry, including servicing our partners seeking local talent for their operations in Australia.

We also work with our partners looking to extend their workforce in Europe through the diversity and depth of international talent.

Talk to us about the ways you can leverage our presence in Europe to extend your markets to Australia and Asia through innovation and talent.

Hettich Australia is part of an international, fourthgeneration family-owned business with a heritage spanning over 135 years and a presence in over 100 countries worldwide.

Hettich makes living spaces work beautifully through a wide range of high-quality furniture fittings, including award-winning soft-close hinge-and-drawer systems that are backed by a limited lifetime warranty, including the newly released AvanTech

We are a multi-national privately owned company, deeply invested in understanding the needs of our customers. Our goal is to forge partnerships, ensuring that we are able to facilitate the most efficient, effective supply chain solutions possible.

Global logistics is what we love doing. Some of our customers have been with us for decades, they have stayed because they recognise that beyond rate tariffs and automated processes, the relationships we build add value.

YOU drawer system – a revolutionary new drawer offering the ability for complete individualisation!

Additional quality products in the Hettich range include folding and sliding door systems, stylish handles, European designed LED lighting, ergonomic storage solutions such as corner units and waste sorting systems, and the widest range of accessories for these products throughout the home.

Iris Asia-Pacific is the Australian subsidiary of the German company iris-GmbH. Iris is a leading manufacturer of sensors for automatic passenger counting. Our products are known for their accuracy and their sturdy product design. We cooperate with dozens of system integrators from the rail and bus industry around the world.

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Established in 1965 in Stuttgart, Germany, EMO Trans has been on a path of continued expansion and success for over 50 years.

Now with over 85 EMO Trans offices in 21 countries and 250+ network offices in 120 countries, our solid infrastructure ensures that we can deliver exceptional logistics services to customers large and small.

EMO Trans Australia has been operating since 1988 and offers full service across the ANZ region, existing in all major cities.

Weinig Australia is the industry leader in solid wood and panel processing technology and equipment.

We provide innovative manufacturing solutions for the smallest workshop through to industry turnkey production lines.

The Weinig and Holz-Her range of equipment includes moulders, cross-cut saws, rip saws, finger jointers, gluing presses, scanners, CNC machining centres, edge banders, beam saws, vertical saws, material handling equipment, along with fully integrated software solutions that manage and optimise production. For manufacturing excellence, Think Weinig.

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Waldner is the global leader in laboratory infrastructure solutions, and consists of three divisions for the Australian market. Waldner Lab Solutions is the biggest manufacturer of laboratory furniture and fume hoods globally. Sustainability and energy-efficiency are at the core of our business. Working with Waldner in the design phase and selecting Waldner energy-efficient solutions will ensure your facility is futureproof and as close to net zero energy consumption as it can be today.

Waldner Process Systems is a world-leader in customised process systems for the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

From single vessels to complete custom-made manufacturing processes, Waldner can configure products to meet any requirement.

Waldner Education offers dynamic room concepts for every setting. Our room concepts transform existing spaces into holistic, multifunctional learning environments in which all products are perfectly co-ordinated in function and ergonomics. This increases flexibility, saves space, reduces costs and supports adaptation to new pedagogical concepts.

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Promotional Centre is more than just a promoter, we are one of Australia’s leading campaign advisors. We take pride in tailoring unique marketing solutions for your business. Our collaborative approach towards this service allows us to personalise the partnership so you get the most out of your campaign.

Promotional Centre has the insights, resources, and capability to launch and sustain a successful marketing campaign. We customise our services to meet your business goals.

We choose high-quality products for merchandising to give your customers positive experiences when they use your promotional items.

Our pricing system was developed to make sure that you earn the highest ROI for your marketing spend.

We offer a delivery service that ships your promotional items directly to your clients to make it easier for you.

When you choose Promotional Centre, you are getting more than a marketing company, you are getting a partner. Our collaborative approach ensures that your campaign is a reflection of your identity as a business.

The German Business Chamber in South Australia (GBCSA) was founded with the the purpose of creating stronger economic ties between South Australia and Germany. The Chamber fosters commercial relationships between Australian and German businesses by connecting people, facilitating market entry and catalysing innovation. GBCSA is the official state partner of the German-Australian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Australien) in South Australia. We welcome and organise international business delegations to South Australia, promoting South Australia as a place for trade and investment.

The Chamber is your point of contact if you are considering importing or exporting products or entering either market.

We organise industry conferences, business matching and exploration.

We provide opportunities for your company exposure and culture coaching. Our member events provide a platform for communication, fostering relationships, knowledge sharing and peer support. Our members draw on an ecosystem combining extensive knowledge across sectors within industry, government, research and innovation.

Unleash Live is a cloudbased software platform ingesting live video and imagery and applying realtime A.I. analytics to improve instant decision-making for large-scale infrastructure and cities. It does this by taking live video and imagery input from a combination of sources (including HD cameras, IP-connected cameras, drones, connected robots and mobile devices)

We’re specialists in strategy and business transformation.

We help our clients design a future-ready business environment so they can make the right decisions with clarity and deliver their best work and optimal results.

But we don’t just offer advice from a distance – we’re all-in. Corpus assembles a team of top-tier, seasoned talent to develop a tailored transformation for every client, and we position ourselves within the ranks to empower teams and get results. Our networkbased team model gives our clients access to unrivalled expertise, to ensure you see a lasting and high-value impact from our work.

to deliver information beyond what the human eye can see. Clients across public safety, energy, resources, emergency services, and construction rely on Unleash live for their planning, inspection and maintenance processes. Unleash live partners with AWS, Nvidia, Verizon, Esri and others for secure enterprise-grade data analytics.

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Deen Distribution is an agency, distribution and sourcing business in Australia with strong ties to the German market. Deen specialises in representing German and European suppliers of machinery, equipment and materials in Australia and New Zealand.

Our difference is servicing our Partners in a straightforward, approach tailored to their requirements, with Germanspeaking staff in Australia.

Accelerate — magazine of the AHK Australien is published quarterly by the GermanAustralian Chamber of Industry & Commerce and distributed free of charge to members and non-members in Australia and abroad.

COVER IMAGE Credit: SolStock EDITORIAL OFFICE/ ADVERTISING Ulrike Andresen-Nikolai, Andrea Hirsch, Michael Zettinig LAYOUT/ PROOFING/ PRODUCTION The End Creative Agency www.theend.com.au start@theend.com.au SYDNEY OFFICE media@germany.org.au Level 6, 8 Spring Street, Sydney 2000 P: +61-2-8296 0446 MELBOURNE OFFICE International Chamber House, Level 5, 121 Exhibition Street Melbourne VIC 3000 P: +61-3-9027 5615

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