The UWA Business in the UK Business Breakfast series continued with guest speaker Commodore Mike Deeks CSC, Agent General for Western Australia, who spoke on the topic “Western Australia - Open for business".
Mike started by outlining the rich relationship between Western Australia and the UK. The UK is Western Australia’s third greatest trading partner, the greatest export being tourism, and a major investor in Western Australia. Mike is active in highlighting Western Australia's trade and investment potential to business and government in the UK, particularly in the uncertain climate created by Brexit.
Commodore Mike Deeks told attendees that “WA is Open For Business”
The challenge for Western Australia, Mike said, was to transition the State from dependency into diversification, making us smarter, more renewables-focused. The innovations Western Australia was investing in exploited well established pathways such as mining but also burgeoning industries such as renewables and space. He cited the Airbus Zephyr Solar Satellite project as an exciting example. This harnessed the sun’s rays and ran exclusively on solar power, operating above the weather and conventional air traffic. It filled a capability gap between conventional satellites and manned aircraft and provided consistent satellite-based services. Others included further developments of the Square Kilometre Array, extending of WA’s participation in the value chain of lithium mined in the South West region and R&D into trackless trams for the CBD.
The conversation that followed was also a frank opportunity to talk about where next for Western Australia. A prominent topic was the State’s increasing water scarcity which was placing greater pressure on agriculture, and on regional and suburban communities. Mike spoke of the research being undertaken to improve the efficiency of water usage as well as the development of alternate water sources.
Mike also spoke of the importance of UWA alumni in further representing Western Australia, noting that “we were the face of Western Australia to those we met and worked with so we should aim to do our State proud.” We were all ambassadors for where we come from, he said.
We are grateful to have had Commonwealth Bank sponsor the event and host us in their central London offices.
- David MacGeehan, Tao Fu
- Dennis Muirhead, Chris Walton, Arno Rohwedder , Brian Argyle
- Ian Cameron, Dennis Muirhead
- John Mitchell and Mike Deeks
- Josh Cahill, Will Cunneen, Wik Vronsky
- Susan Argyle, Fiona Marshall, Simone Boekelaar
- Luke Farrelly, John Mitchell, Kirsty Packer
- Mike Deeks, Lauren Godfrey
- Shane Balzan, Simon Johnson