UBIFRANCE BLOG http://www.ubifrance.com/ List of Posts en-us 1 Copyright 2010 - 2012http://www.ubifrance.com, All Rights Reserved. Mon, 14 May 2012 07:01:23 GMT Come and meet French bioscience companies in the medical/healthcare sector! The French biotechnology market has experienced strong growth over the past few years. The market is expected to continue growing. In 2010, the French biotechnology market grew by 7% with a total revenue of US$ 4,7 billion and should reach US$ 6.2 billion by the end of 2015.

The Medical/Healthcare is the largest segment of the biotechnology market in France, accounting for 82% of the market’s total value. France accounts for 7,1% of the European biotechnology market value.

Ubifrance, in Sydney, offers you “a once in a life time” opportunity to meet with French biotechnology companies, eager to partnering with Australian bioscience companies in the medical/healthcare sector.

If you are looking for business opportunities (co-development partnership, commercial alliance, financial partnership, joint-venture, distribution alliance, etc…) you are kindly invited to meet with our French companies, between the 26th and 29th November 2012, in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.

For more information please contact:  Ms. Sylvie Patinec (02) 9287 92 12 – sylvie.patinec@ubifrance.fr

]]> Sylvie Patinec Mon, 14 May 2012 07:01:23 GMT IT Healthcare 2012: 9 French companies make the most of their business trip to Singapore and Australia The French Trade Commissions of Singapore and Sydney coordinated the IT Healthcare 2012 project from the 26th to the 30th of March. It enabled 9 French companies to grasp the local e-health industries and to find out whether their solutions have a real potential on these markets.

The delegates were representatives from French cutting-edge players providing new IT solutions for the Health industry. They indeed provide innovative technologies, from ERP to remote telemedicine solutions, to glass-free 3D displays that give you a new perspective on X-rays!
 
Taking advantage of a two-fold trip in the Asia-Pacific region, a 5-day program has been organized for these French companies: they have first been given industry briefings by the key players of the local e-health industry, and then participated to individual business meetings which have been organized beforehand, according to their strategy on these markets.
 
These match-making meetings gave the delegates the opportunity to meet public and private buyers (hospitals and clinics) and potential partners (system integrators, telecommunications operators, health insurers, OEMs, etc.). In total, more than 100 meetings have been arranged by both Trade Commissions.
 
The project has proved to be a real success: the sessions provided the French companies with a fairly deep understanding of the e-health industry, and the B2B meetings enabled them to spot the opportunities and to initiate business relations. From the local companies’ point of view, the Singaporean and Australian organizations have been shown the newest French innovations and offered the opportunity to be among the first ones to do business with them.
 
You missed the occasion to meet our delegates?
No worries, contact us and we will answer your questions and put you in touch with them!
 
 
]]> Pierre Demeyere Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:35:55 GMT Booming Australian cider industry Over the past five years, cider literally flooded the Australian market. Passion for cider in Australia began with summer advertising campaigns entreating them to drink cider ‘over ice’ as a refreshing and fruity alternative to beer.
In 2011-12, the Australian cider market already represented $300 million, the result of the dramatic growth the market has experienced in the past five years, with an average increase of 19.1% per annum. Sales even achieved +35% for 2011, and the cider market in Australia is forecast to continue with strong growth trend over the next five years.
Is it just a fashion trend or will it last? The answer is difficult to know for now, but a lot are betting on it, and Australian are getting the move on the opportunity. Thus, cider brands are booming all over the country: The hills cider company, Cheeky Rascal, Dirty Granny, Mercury, Strongbow, Three oaks … just to name a few of them among the 90 brands of cider in Australia. Giant advertising campaigns, events sponsorship… cider companies do not hesitate investing a lot in communication to snap up market shares.
So why does it work so well? Most probably because of the product range diversity, from traditional to sweet and fruity style, including premium, organic and imported varieties. And also because Aussie girls have found in cider their new favorite drink. Indeed, it offers to women an alternative option to beer, with different tastes, mixed flavors and still with low alcohol and large serving-size.
Because of this lucrative craze, a lot of companies make "industrialised” ciders with flavourings and added sugar to hide their defects. Therefore, traditional cider lovers ask for a real Australian legislation defining what cider actually is. Also, it would be an important starting point for deciding how the category should be taxed.
In France, cider is traditionally coming from Bretagne and Normandie, where pure juice ciders ferment naturally and are bottled without any pasteurisation or carbonation - a perfect example of the ancestral cider-making process, guaranteeing optimum development of the aromas and truly exceptional flavours. French artisanal and organic ciders do not have any added sugar or any preservatives and offer a much better quality. A few French ciders are now available on the Australian market (le Père Jules, le cidre d’Anneville etc.) and more will come shortly (le cidre Perche, Duclos Fougeray)!
Cider has grown so significantly over the last couple of years that it seems natural that they have an association, allowing producers to have one voice speaking to other industries. This newly formed Cider Australia organization will bring together producers, other industry stakeholders and “cider enthusiasts”, and will be chaired by James Kendell, cider producer under the Small Acres Cyder brand, in Orange NSW. Besides, it is in Orange that has been launched, last year, the first event fully dedicated to cider and perry: The Australian Cider Awards. This show will allow the bests producers to win awards and therefore prestigious recognition helping them making the difference in the midst of this crowed market. The presentation dinner of the event will be held in Sydney, increasing the visibility of this second edition, organized on the 10th and 11th of October 2012. Last year, the elected “best in show” cider was an English cider, Henney’s Dry Cider, and the best Australian cider was Dirty Granny, a medium cider. A French cider maker, Domaine Dupont, from Normandie, won two silver awards in the Bottle Conditioned / Methode Champenoise Cider class.
Sources : The shout ; CiderOz
]]> Elodie Ferra Wed, 28 Mar 2012 02:09:13 GMT Australian breakthrough: novel wheat for salty soils As salinity is a growing issue worldwide threatening farm outputs, Australian scientists may have found a way to overcome this problem. The team led by Matthew Gilliham managed to grow a new variety of durum wheat introducing a salt-tolerant gene into commercial durum wheat. First tests on salty soils showed improved grain yield by 25 per cent compared to other wheat plants currently sold. The good news is that this novel wheat was obtained by hybridization and as it is not classified as transgenic, it can be planted without restrictions. With already 20% of the agricultural soil affected, growing salt-tolerant crops may be a life-saver for many people.

Source: Australian Food News

]]> Elodie Ferra Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:16:35 GMT Import agreement on the Roquefort signed for another 5 years! Until 1996, you could import any raw milk cheeses in Australia. The year after, a decree prohibits their importation except for hard cheeses (Comté, Parmesan).

In 2002, Will Studd (one of the largest importer of cheese in Australia) obtained a quarantine import permit and arranged for a co-operative producer called « Les fromageries Occitanes”  to send 80kg of Roquefort from France to Australia. He was asked to destroy his stock : the IFIP (Imported food Inspection Program) refused to perform the microbiological tests that would have proven that the cheese complied with the Australian standards of hygiene.

He decided to lodge a legal appeal against the Authorities order to destroy the cheese. He was threatened with a 100.000$ fine and even ten years of jail if he continued to expose the Australian restrictive implications of the case in the press.

The national Dairy Authority and the chairman of the Australian Specialist Cheesemaker Association publicly condemned his actions, claiming he was undermining the reputation of Australian specialist cheeses, and a dairy magazine even described him  as a “terrorist”.

The case was finally heard on April Fool’s day 2003 in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in Melbourne. Will Studd lost the case and a few days later, under the supervision of the IFIP authorities, the Roquefort was placed in the back of a shiny black hearse draped with a French flag to the sounds of the French national anthem and slowly driven to a very muddy public tip.

As required by the Food Direction notice, the cheese was buried.  The highly publicized staging of the destruction of the goods helped open the way for a change in the legislation and a waiver was finally obtained for the Roquefort.  Late 2008, a bilateral agreement between France and Australia is signed for three years.  This agreement has just been renewed for five years by Mr. Romatet, Ambassador of France in Australia and the Australian Federal Department of Agriculture.

]]> Karim Hamrene Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:12:34 GMT Ubifrance on the Australasian Oil & Gas exhibition and conference (AOG 2012) The AOG exhibition 2012 was held from February 22nd to 24th in Perth Exhibition & Convention Centre. This event is the largest Oil and Gas industry exhibition in the Asia – Pacific Region featuring over 450 exhibitors from 16 countries and 12,500 visitors. This event is a platform that enables decision makers from the oil and gas industry to meet Australia’s largest oil and gas companies and to develop their network. The success of the exhibition is directly bounded to the thrive of the sector, which showed revenues of AUD 39.4 billion in 2011 and a 3% per annum growth over the 2007-2012 period.

In this context, Ubifrance has organized match-making meetings between local companies and the French Delegation, featuring 7 French key players such as Dassault Systems, S2M or more modest SME such as GEOCEAN, 3X Engineering, PRO EXPA, TigerGrip and SERIMAX, to allow them to develop new businesses and to build up relationships with industry peers. These companies are involved in a wide range of activities such as pipe repair, maintenance, and installation, staffing, production of magnetic bearings or 3D and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) solutions development. Thus, supported by Ubifrance, each company has met numerous local prospects during the length of the exhibition and made outstanding connections with main key players of the Australian oil and gas industry.

Moreover, the delegation received the visit and the support of Mr Romatet, French Ambassador in Australia, as well as Mrs Espagne, Economique Counselor from the French Embassy, and Mr Tessier, French Trade Commissioner Country Manager Ubifrance ANZ,  to accompany them on their quest on the Australian market.

To know more about the event and the French companies, contact either David Clement, david.clement@ubifrance.fr or Benoît Monet, benoit.monet@ubifrance.fr. W: www.ubifrance.com/au.

]]> Benoit Monet Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:18:38 GMT Come and discover the heart of the agriculture in Oceania! Farm Fest 2012 in Toowoomba (Australia) and the Fieldays in Hamilton (New Zealand) are crucial agriculture shows, essential both for agricultural machinery and maintenance & services. They will be held from June 5 to 15.

The agricultural sector is characterized in Australia by the predominance of grain crops, cotton, horticulture, cattle and sheep. The market represents over 140,000 farms; 32,5 Md EUR of Australian agricultural products are exported per year. Farmers appreciate the quality of French agricultural equipment.
The New Zealand agricultural sector is characterized by the dominance of the dairy industry, cattle and sheep industry, horticulture and arboriculture. The agricultural sector contributes 7% to the GDP and 91% of agricultural products are exported.

The market for agricultural equipment relies on foreign expertise and the quality of French know-how is highly regarded. With more than 3,500 exhibitors and 215,000 visitors expected, these events are the ideal platform to promote your business.

UBIFRANCE  offers French companies participating to these Business & Trade Agriculture Fairs:
- UbiFrance’s expertise and their personalized support during the 10 days events.
- Seminars  held by field specialists for a  better understanding of  the growth sectors in a changing market.
- The experience of local professionals, directly involved in changing the landscape of Australian and New Zealand agriculture.
- Market opportunities discussion and practical and essential information during focused business meetings. 

For more information, please contact us!
Diane NAGGAR, Senior trade advisor, UbiFrance Sydney,  diane.naggar@ubifrance.fr
Bérangère ESCANDE, trade advisor, UbiFrance Sydney, berangere.escande@ubifrance.fr

]]> Elodie Ferra Wed, 29 Feb 2012 07:50:02 GMT IT Healthcare 2012 in Sydney  

Do you use or need innovative IT solutions for your healthcare activities?

Are you interested in discovering the latest innovations in software, high-tech devices and a whole range of improvement-enabling solutions?

Don’t miss out on the chance to meet with the delegation of French cutting-edge IT companies that will be in Sydney from the 28th to the 30th March. The French Trade Commission in Sydney is proud to host IT Healthcare 2012, an event co-organized with its Singaporean counterpart (which will hold the first part of the event).

It is a great opportunity to discuss potential partnerships with French companies looking to find solid business partners able to help them develop their business in Australia.

To get the list of the attending companies and make sure you book in your meeting with the relevant solutions providers, please contact us: Pierre DEMEYERE (pierre.demeyere@ubifrance.fr).

]]> Pierre Demeyere Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:40:42 GMT Agripass presentation at the Grace Hotel 38 French farmers from all different regions of France applied for a tour organized by the agricultural French magazine “Réussir”.

They’ve come to visit and see how Australia’s agribusiness operates (being a member of the Cairns group)  and understand the international impact of its agriculture and its specific issues and successes.

They were greeted to their first “cuppa” (cup of tea) at the Grace Hotel and sat down to a presentation on the agriculture of Australia by Diane Naggar, Senior Trade Adviser at the French Trade Commission Ubifrance in Australia. Despite the fact they had arrived the night before, there were no signs of jetlag and the audience was showing many signs of wonder and interest.

They were given key & up-to-date figures, trends and issues that farmers in different parts of this huge continent face on a daily basis, the challenges posed by climatic extremes and the logistics headaches they have to solve.

Their main questions concerned the ability of farmers to survive without or with such insignificant government allowances (4% of subsidies in most cases). They were amazed by the success stories despite the drastic droughts and dramatic floods that farmers are dealing with. They also asked quite a few questions about the quarantine restrictions on food products, particularly on raw milk.

An hour and a half later, they boarded their bus that would take them from Cowra to Mareeba, visiting vineyards, a sheep farm, beef feedlots, potatoes growers, cane sugar and peanuts farms and a dairy farm.

Bon voyage!

]]> Diane Naggar Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:23:12 GMT Revolution in the French mobile market The launch of Free Mobile offer mid-January has shaken the French mobile phone industry to the core. Free Mobile, the mobile division of Iliad, was awarded France’s fourth 3G license in 2009. On the 10th of January, Free Mobile CEO’s Xavier Niel has unveiled his low price strategy. By offering unlimited calls to mobiles in France, USA and Canada, unlimited standard calls in France and in 40 other countries, unlimited SMS in France and 3GB of data for only A$25 per month, the operator has revolutionized the mobile industry in France.

Three weeks later, the French MVNOs are already heavily impacted. The French monitoring site Toosurtoo claims that 26 per cent of Free Mobile customers have come from existing MVNOs, with Virgin Mobile being the worst hit by defections. The major mobile operators have also felt the Free Mobiles impact, with Toosurtoo stating that 16 per cent of Frees new customers came from Bouygues Telecom, 22 per cent from SFR and 30 per cent have moved from Orange.

With this offer, Free Mobile highlights that its competitors have mislead their customers (67 million mobile subscribers) with high prices. Thanks to Free Mobile, French consumers will enjoy a more competitive market and lower prices.

]]> Margaux Le Garrec Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:36:34 GMT France is #1 Wine Producer France is set to overtake Italy to reclaim its title as the world’s top wine producer this year, according to estimates from the International Organisation of Vine and Wine OIV.L.

Helped by favourable weather conditions, France’s production is forecast to rise by 9 percent, correcting a slump last year and allowing it to regain the crown it lost to its southern European neighbour four years ago.

The OIV predicts that French production will reach 50 million hectolitres this year, while Italy’s output will fall by 13 percent to 42 million, its lowest in years.

In France, an exceptionally warm spring gave some producers a headstart, according to an agriculture ministry report, while Italy was hit by poor weather.

French winemakers also said a particularly warm and dry autumn made up for a cold and rainy summer.

"There were exceptional conditions in September and October," said Richard Kannemacher, director of marketing for CRINAO, the Alsace committee of wine experts. "There really was an Indian summer."

French vintners have suffered several years of bad weather, resulting in abnormally low yields, suggesting this year’s rise was a return to the norm and would not mean lower quality wines.

"It didn’t degrade the quality, as these are volumes we’re used to treating," said Stephanie Piot, assistant to the President of the CCVF, a group of wine co-operatives across France.

Aside from poorer weather, Italy also lost close to 3 million hectolitres of wine because of vine replantings, which occurred to a lesser extent in France.

The OIV estimates that Germany and Austria would see gains of about 30 percent over last year, while Greek and Portuguese production would drop by 17 percent and Spanish by 2.

The OIV expects global production to remain stable, despite an overall drop in vineyard surface area.

The organisation was uncertain about the direction of wine consumption, which fell in 2008 and 2009 and rose a little in 2010.

(Reuters - Reporting By Anna Maria Jakubek, editing by Paul Casciato)

]]> Celine Paillart Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:43:45 GMT Showcase at Fashion Exposed & Preview Straight from the runways of Paris, Ubifrance has the pleasure of showcasing the latest in French design talent at this year’s Fashion Exposed & Preview event.  For the fifth consecutive year, the French Pavilion will host a variety designers offering the latest in men’s and women’s prêts-à-porter, accessories, lingerie and swimwear. 

Don’t miss this great opportunity to discover the latest offerings in French textile fashion, and be the first to represent these exciting labels to the Australian market. We invite you to also enjoy the two runway events that will be hosted on the 12th and 13th of February, by the participants in the French Pavilion, followed by a "French" cocktail, BtoB event.

For more information please contact the French Trade Commission - Ubifrance in Sydney:

Sylvie PATINEC – Senior Trade Advisor       
sylvie.patinec@ubifrance.fr

Céline DILAURO – Trade Advisor     
celine.dilauro@ubifrance.fr

Also see :
www.fashionexposed.com

]]> Celine Di Lauro Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:31:52 GMT