DIGITAL MEDIA

The recent expansion of Australian interactive agency and software development house, Gruden, into China is being touted as a success story by the Australian Government to help foster the drive for digital companies looking to access the Asian market.

Gruden¹s Chinese office in the Qingdao Software Park was recently visited by Australia¹s ambassador to China, Dr Geoff Raby.

³China offers great opportunities for Australian SMBs such as Gruden to expand into the world¹s fastest developing economy,² Raby said. ³It represents how globalisation has transformed international trade and we hope other Australian companies will follow the footsteps of Gruden and start to foster good relations with China.² It is understood Raby will use the Gruden experience as a key example to aid other Australians companies, especially SMBs, to be a part of China¹s booming economy.

Gruden CEO, Todd Trevillion, said he saw the need to expand outside the Australian and New Zealand markets in order to continue to grow its business and to provide the best in creative design coupled with class leading software development.

³The establishment of the office in China was driven by three key factors; to fulfil our strategy of expanding into the Asia Pac market; have access to a large talent pool to help grow the company and the establishment of a global development centre,² he said.

Gruden chose the Qingdao Software Park as it specifically caters for offshore companies, assisting foreign start-ups with commercial introductions, company setup and ongoing operations.

³Their training facilities are very impressive and have a huge number of students go through the park each year which gave us a pool of potential resources we could tap into,² added Trevillion.

Assisted by their local GM, Gruden set up the company, bank accounts, local permits and government approvals within two months. However, Trevillion recommends all companies liaise with Austrade if they are interested in investing with China.

³Since establishing ourselves in China, we¹ve met with Austrade who have helped immensely in establishing contacts throughout the region. Another tip I would provide would be to understand the differences between doing business in Australia and China. This was made easier through support we have gained locally through our local general manager and the software park whilst aiding in the setup process. Above all else, we made sure all legal and accounting requirements were met before we setup in China,² he added.

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