Last week, Alan Dormer joined an impressive lineup at the Victorian Cleantech Cluster’s Going Global Masterclass, sharing Opturion’s experience taking optimisation technology into markets like the UK and Chile.
The session was part of an eight-week program designed to help Victorian cleantech companies move from domestic success to global growth. Session three focused on regulatory, certification, and compliance pathways; the kind of practical stuff that doesn’t sound glamorous but makes or breaks an international expansion.
What the Session Covered
The lineup was strong. Melissa Reader from Austrade walked through what the agency does, its priorities, and how it works with governments around the world. She covered the Go Global Toolkit, EMDG eligibility, and which international cleantech events they’re currently backing.
Shirley Ng from Australian Industry Group then took the group through Free Trade Agreements, tariffs, and export documentation. She demystified HS codes, Certificates of Origin, and Rules of Origin; the kind of detail that makes the difference between a smooth export process and a customs nightmare.
Dianne Tipping from the Export Council of Australia got into the practical realities: Incoterms that matter for cleantech exporters, international standards, payment terms, export credit insurance, and how long certification realistically takes. No sugar-coating, just honest advice.
Then Alan shared Opturion’s story. The technology originally developed at Imperial College London, advanced at Monash University, and now deployed across Australia, the UK, and Chile. The wins. The mistakes. The lessons learned.
What We Took Away
A few things stood out.
First, there’s genuine support available. Austrade’s EMDG program supported over 12,000 clients in the last year alone, facilitating export deals worth $7 billion in initial value. The Go Global Toolkit has seen more than 165,000 services delivered. The machinery exists. You just have to know how to use it.
Second, compliance is the boring stuff that matters most. Incoterms, certifications, Rules of Origin; none of it makes for an exciting blog post, but getting it wrong costs money and time. Getting it right opens doors.
Third, Victorian cleantech has a genuine reputation globally. The Masterclass itself is supported by Global Victoria and designed to help local companies build on that reputation.
What’s Next
The Masterclass continues through August, with sessions on market entry strategy, partner identification, capital raising, and international pitching. If you’re a Victorian cleantech company thinking about global growth, it’s worth looking into.
For Opturion, the session was a chance to share what we’ve learned over years of international expansion. The mistakes we made so you don’t have to make them yourself.
