Australians Unified – Trade, Industry, Investment & Global Capability Portfolio Lean agency • Higher capability • Lower cost • Stronger national outcomes

 

OUR ROLE

Austrade:

  • Promotes Australian exports and international trade

  • Attracts foreign direct investment (FDI)

  • Supports Australian businesses to enter global markets

  • Strengthens Australia’s global economic presence

  • Provides market intelligence and trade insights

  • Manages international trade missions and partnerships

This model transforms Austrade into a lean, AI‑powered, globally connected agency with higher capability and lower cost.

Basic

OUR STRENGTHS

Trade & Investment Strengths

  • Global network of trade offices

  • Strong relationships with international partners

  • Expertise in export development

  • Trusted source of market intelligence

AI‑Enhanced Strengths (New Model)

  • Automated market analysis

  • AI‑driven export readiness assessments

  • Predictive investment targeting

  • Real‑time global risk monitoring

  • Reduced manual workload

 

Professional

OUR WEAKNESSES (PRE‑AI)

  • High cost of overseas posts that often strains our budget and resources.

  • Heavy reliance on external consultants which can lead to increased expenses and dependency.

  • Slow market intelligence cycles that make it challenging to keep pace with competitors.

  • Manual business support processes that are time-consuming and prone to errors, ultimately hindering efficiency.

  • Vulnerability to political direction and shifting priorities that can disrupt our strategic plans and operations.

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Business

OUR THREATS

External Threats

  • Global economic volatility

  • Geopolitical instability

  • Rising competition from other trade agencies

  • Supply chain disruptions

Internal Threats

  • Political appointments influencing priorities

  • Legacy systems

  • High travel and operational costs

  • Workforce shortages in specialist roles

OUR OPPORTUNITIES (AI‑ENABLED)

  • Automate market intelligence

  • Deploy AI‑enabled export and investment matching

  • Reduce overseas footprint while increasing global reach

  • Improve transparency and reporting

  • Strengthen independence through tamper‑proof systems

  • Reinvest savings into Australian industry, innovation, and sovereign capability

 

ANTI‑CAPTURE SAFEGUARDS

(Ensuring no government can influence or redirect Austrade for political purposes.)

1. AI‑Governed Project Prioritisation

Trade missions and investment targeting determined by transparent algorithms — not political preference.

2. Immutable Audit Trails

All decisions, changes, and approvals automatically logged and publicly visible.

3. Independent Appointment Panels

Leadership selected by non‑political experts (industry, academia, civil society).

4. Mandatory Publication of Ministerial Contacts

All interactions with elected officials automatically logged and published.

5. Conflict‑of‑Interest Rules

No political memberships, donations, or campaign involvement for senior staff.

6. Decentralised Data Architecture

No single minister or department can override or alter core systems.

COSTING TILES — AUSTRADE

25% reduction in operating cost, offset by AI‑enabled efficiency

 

TILE 1 — BASELINE FUNDING (REDUCED)

$0.18B per year

(Reduced from $0.24B — 25% efficiency gain)

  • Reduced overseas footprint

  • Lower travel and operational costs

  • Reduced reliance on consultants

  • AI replaces manual analysis

 

TILE 2 — PHASE 1 (Years 1–2)

$0.26B – $0.36B

Foundation: Protect & Stabilise

  • AI pilots for market intelligence & investment targeting

  • Workflow automation

  • Legacy system consolidation

  • Independent governance board

  • Unified global data architecture

 

TILE 3 — PHASE 2 (Years 2–4)

$0.52B – $0.70B

Acceleration: Modernise & Automate

  • AI‑enabled market intelligence engine

  • Automated export readiness assessments

  • Digital business self‑service tools

  • Automated trade mission planning

  • Cyber‑resilience upgrades

 

TILE 4 — PHASE 3 (Years 4–6)

$0.44B – $0.60B

Expansion: Strengthen Capability

  • National trade intelligence network

  • Real‑time global risk dashboards

  • Workforce augmentation tools

  • Transparency & audit upgrades

 

TILE 5 — PHASE 4 (Years 6–10)

$1.20B – $1.60B

Future‑Ready: Transform & Protect

  • Fully automated intelligence cycles

  • Predictive investment modelling

  • AI‑enabled global opportunity mapping

  • Integrated national trade ecosystem

 

TILE 6 — PEOPLE & COMMUNITY

Integrity • Independence • Capability

  • Strict conflict‑of‑interest rules

  • No political memberships or donations

  • Mandatory publication of ministerial contacts

  • AI‑supported accessibility for all businesses

  • National digital trade literacy uplift

 

TILE 7 — TOTAL INVESTMENT

6‑Year Total:

$1.48B – $1.96B

10‑Year Total:

$2.68B – $3.26B

Outcome: A lean, AI‑enabled, politically‑independent Austrade that delivers faster, cheaper, more accurate trade and investment outcomes for Australia.

STRATEGIC ROADMAP — AUSTRADE (AI‑ENABLED, REDUCED‑BUDGET)

 

PHASE 1 — FOUNDATION (Years 1–2)

Lean & Stabilise

  • Reduce overseas posts and internal staffing footprint

  • Consolidate legacy systems

  • Deploy workflow automation

  • Begin AI pilots for market intelligence and investment targeting

  • Build unified global data architecture

  • Establish independent governance board

Outcome: Lower cost, higher integrity, reduced political influence.

 

PHASE 2 — ACCELERATION (Years 2–4)

Modernise & Automate

  • Launch AI‑enabled market intelligence engine

  • Deploy automated export readiness assessments

  • Introduce digital self‑service tools for businesses

  • Automate trade mission planning and reporting

  • Expand cyber‑resilience

Outcome: Higher capacity with fewer resources.

 

PHASE 3 — EXPANSION (Years 4–6)

Grow National Capability

  • Whole‑of‑agency adoption of AI tools

  • National trade intelligence network

  • Real‑time global risk dashboards

  • Workforce augmentation tools

  • Enhanced transparency and public reporting

Outcome: Stronger sovereign trade and investment capability.

 

PHASE 4 — FUTURE‑READY (Years 6–10)

Transform & Protect

  • Fully automated market intelligence cycles

  • Predictive investment modelling

  • AI‑enabled global opportunity mapping

  • Continuous system improvement

  • Integrated national trade ecosystem

Outcome: A modern, resilient, future‑ready trade and investment agency.

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