WA companies at CeBIT fair report growing interest in their products

10/3/95

Western Australian companies attending the CeBIT '95 trade fair in Hanover, Germany, are reporting a rising level of interest in their products.

Commerce and Trade Minister Hendy Cowan said that as the eight-day information technology and telecommunications fair progressed, the rate of contacts with potential customers was increasing.

"It is also becoming increasingly obvious that WA needs to have strong representation at trade fairs such as CeBIT and that includes a Government presence," he said.

"It is unfortunate, but perhaps inevitable, that WA is not always given the prominent role it deserves in national promotional efforts.

"There is really no alternative than for our highly innovative information technology companies to go out and sell themselves on world markets and the State Government can play an important co-ordinating role, as is happening at CeBIT."

Mr Cowan said that the WA Government's stand at CeBIT, which is being operated by the Department of Commerce and Trade, had been kept busy with inquiries.

"There have been a number of approaches from people representing companies interested in using WA as a base, for the Asian region in particular," he said.

"DOCAT staff have also been very active in pursuing potential customers and have some promising leads.

"They have been able to match up WA companies at CeBIT with potential customers and in coming days the results should become more evident."

WA companies and organisations exhibiting at CeBIT cover a wide spectrum of information technology and telecommunications, including paging equipment, electronic funds transfer, resource mapping, voice transcription equipment, advanced radio communications and education services.

Participating WA-based companies are ERG Telecommunications, Intellect, Aries Australia, Earth Resource Mapping, Digital Technologies, Vector International, CCK Treasury Systems, Court Smart, Stanilite Electronics, The Smart Company, IBM Australia, Edith Cowan and Curtin Universities.

A top-level WA Government team comprising Mr Cowan, the Agent-General, Mr Bill Hassell, and Department of Commerce and Trade chief executive Bruce Sutherland has also been visiting overseas companies targeted as having potential to relocate or establish Asian headquarters in WA.

They have had extensive briefings with Australian and German trade officials, executives from major IT companies and have met Federal and State Government Ministers including the Federal Minister of Economics, Dr Gunter Rexrodt, the Minister-President of the State of Lower Saxony, Mr Gerhard Schroder, and the Minister for Economics and Technology for the State of North Rhine-Whestphalia, Mr Gunther Einert.

Mr Cowan has taken a particular interest in advanced modes of communications for rural communities.

WA will maintain its presence at CeBIT until the trade fair concludes on March 15.

Today Mr Cowan will travel to Paris where he will visit wool processing facilities.

Media contact:  Peter Jackson 222 9595