Hunter Research Foundation

At Hunter Research Foundation (HRF) we are focused on the future for our region, economically and socially. There are a range of global mega-trends, identified by the CSIRO, likely to affect that future including the re-emergence of China and India in the global economy and growing consumer expectations for services, experiences and social interact... ion. At our most recent Hunter Economic Breakfast in May, HRF launched our Future of Hunter Professional Services research program, which aims to identify enabling strategies for Hunter companies in this economically-important industry sector to become more globally competitive. Our breakfast speaker May Ngui, a Director of global professional services consultancy GHD, noted that these mega-trends are already playing out on the world stage. Having had extensive business dealings with Asian businesses, May provided unique insights into the challenges Australian businesses face when accessing Asian markets. These include bridging the cultural, linguistic and legal differences between Australia and its Eastern neighbours. A transition in employment from industrial to services industries is already occurring in the Hunter due to the end of the mining investment boom. Key global trends indicate that this transition will continue even after mining investment reaches its new trough. These trends mean that the Hunter's future economic performance will increasingly be tied to the performance of its services industries. The challenge is to identify ways to improve the value added by service jobs. In the Future of Professional Services research project, HRF will look at the dynamics, opportunities and constraints for boosting the value of professional services in the Hunter. In April 2015 HRF hosted a roundtable of professional services sector Research Ambassadors (pictured with HRF staff) to identify some of the issues faced by the industry. These issues will be addressed with Research Ambassadors and other professional services businesses during the second stage of project. ...Read More