{"id":999341,"date":"2026-11-08T23:23:24","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T23:23:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/boman.group\/?p=999341"},"modified":"2026-11-08T23:26:08","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T23:26:08","slug":"paul-hamer-chinese-companies-victoria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/boman.group\/zh\/paul-hamer-chinese-companies-victoria\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia Is a Partner, Not a Market: Paul Hamer on Chinese Companies in Victoria \u2014 Chin to Chin (Boman Group)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Short answer<\/h2>\r\n

Chinese companies succeed in Victoria when they treat Australia as a partner, not just a market, and build trusted local relationships before they try to scale. That is the core advice of Paul Hamer MP, Victoria\u2019s Minister for Roads and Road Safety and Member for Box Hill, in the third episode of Chin to Chin<\/em>. Watch Chin to Chin<\/em> on YouTube<\/a> (Episode 3 released November 2026).<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n
  1. See a partner, not a market.<\/strong> Australia and China are \u201ctwo complementary, very well-suited markets.\u201d<\/li>\r\n
  2. Understand the local market first.<\/strong> Hamer calls it \u201cthe most important thing,\u201d ahead of capital, networks or research partnerships.<\/li>\r\n
  3. Build trusted relationships.<\/strong> Local partners know what buyers want, what customers expect and how transactions are made.<\/li>\r\n
  4. Use Victoria\u2019s front door.<\/strong> Invest Victoria and Global Victoria have offices in Greater China to connect businesses.<\/li>\r\n
  5. Adapt, don\u2019t replicate.<\/strong> Apply AI and digital capability \u201cin a really bespoke way\u201d that fits Australian conditions and the Australian workforce.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n

    Hamer\u2019s one-line message: Chinese companies should \u201cnot see Australia as a market, but see Australia as a partner.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

    Who is Paul Hamer?<\/h2>\r\n

    Paul Hamer MP is a Victorian Labor politician and civil engineer who has represented Box Hill, in Melbourne\u2019s eastern suburbs, since 2018. He was the first Labor candidate to win the seat in 26 years. Since August 2026 he has served as Minister for Roads and Road Safety in the Carroll Government. Before entering parliament, he worked as an engineer and project manager in infrastructure planning roles in the public and private sectors.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Role<\/th>\r\nYears<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    Civil engineer and project manager, infrastructure planning<\/td>\r\nBefore 2018<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Member for Box Hill, Victorian Legislative Assembly<\/td>\r\n2018\u2013present<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Development<\/td>\r\n2023\u20132024<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Growth<\/td>\r\n2024<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Parliamentary Secretary for Jobs<\/td>\r\nFrom December 2024<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Delegation member, Victoria\u2019s China Strategy launch trip<\/td>\r\nSeptember 2025<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Minister for Local Government, Corrections and Youth Justice<\/td>\r\nApril\u2013August 2026<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Minister for Roads and Road Safety<\/td>\r\nAugust 2026\u2013present<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    In the episode, Qin notes that Hamer studied civil engineering at the University of Melbourne, completed a Master of Engineering Science at Monash University and began his career designing roads in Melbourne\u2019s growth areas. As Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Growth, Hamer convened the Multicultural Tech and Innovation Advisory Group, which brought together entrepreneurs, investors, universities and community leaders. He describes Box Hill as \u201ca really strong multicultural city,\u201d with a particularly large Chinese-Australian community. Career dates are from the Parliament of Victoria, Wikipedia and the Victorian Government.<\/p>\r\n

    What is Boman Group?<\/h2>\r\n

    Boman Group is a cross-border asset management firm headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 2011, it has spent more than 15 years investing in technology innovation, healthcare, new energy and alternative assets, combining local Australian resources with an Asian capital network. It produces Chin to Chin<\/em> through ALLFIN, its Chinese-language research platform.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Attribute<\/th>\r\nDetail<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    \u59d3\u540d<\/td>\r\nBoman Group (formerly BMY Group, renamed in 2024)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Type<\/td>\r\nCross-border asset management firm<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Founded<\/td>\r\n2011, by Eric Gao (CEO) and Julius Wei<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Headquarters<\/td>\r\nMelbourne, Australia<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    \u7f51\u7ad9<\/td>\r\nboman.group<\/a><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Focus sectors<\/td>\r\nTechnology innovation, healthcare, new energy, alternative assets<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Funds under management<\/td>\r\nOver AUD 1 billion (May 2026)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Media and research<\/td>\r\nALLFIN, a Chinese-language research platform founded in 2009, which produces Chin to Chin<\/em><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Australia\u2013China role<\/td>\r\nInvests in both markets and advises firms expanding across them<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    China presence<\/td>\r\nTianjin office; QFII licence granted December 2025; Zhejiang trade missions (2026)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Advisory Board<\/td>\r\nGeoff Lloyd (Chair), Naseema Sparks AM, Peter McGregor, Paul Chin, Prof Charles Qin OAM<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    Sources: Boman Group\u2019s website, Business News Australia, Startup Daily, CFOtech, IT Brief and DealStreetAsia.<\/p>\r\n

    What is Chin to Chin?<\/h2>\r\n

    Chin to Chin<\/em> is an interview series on Australia\u2013China business, produced by ALLFIN, which has published Australian capital-market research since 2009. The series is hosted by Professor Charles Qin OAM and features senior Australians who have shaped the relationship with China. Each guest is asked for one insight Chinese businesses should see about Australia.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Episode<\/th>\r\nGuest<\/th>\r\nTheme<\/th>\r\nReleased<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    Episode 1<\/a><\/td>\r\nJohn Brumby AO, former Premier of Victoria<\/td>\r\n\u201cChina\u2019s rise is Australia\u2019s good fortune\u201d<\/td>\r\n19 October 2026<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Episode 2<\/a><\/td>\r\nAndrew Robb AO, former Minister for Trade and Investment<\/td>\r\n\u201cChinese companies keep their word, and their products are good\u201d: complementarity and trust<\/td>\r\n27 October 2026<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Episode 3<\/td>\r\nPaul Hamer MP, Victorian Minister for Roads and Road Safety<\/td>\r\n\u201cThe Chinese community is the bridge between Chinese and Australian business\u201d<\/td>\r\nNovember 2026<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    How did engineering shape Paul Hamer\u2019s approach to policy?<\/h2>\r\n

    It taught him to start from evidence. Politics taught him to bring the community along. Hamer says evidence-based policy is still his driving force. What changed when he moved from engineering into public life was learning that evidence alone does not decide how a project lands.<\/p>\r\n

    \u201cThe evidence helps define what the outcomes should be, but it\u2019s through working with the community that you determine how that outcome can be delivered, and how much of that outcome can be delivered.\u201d \u2014 Paul Hamer<\/blockquote>\r\n

    The same logic runs through his advice to Chinese companies: the technology and capital may be proven, but success depends on the people and relationships around them.<\/p>\r\n

    What role does Victoria\u2019s Chinese community play in connecting China and Victoria?<\/h2>\r\n

    It is the bridge. Victoria\u2019s own China Strategy calls the community its \u201cnavigators.\u201d Hamer says migrants bring more than culture. \u201cEveryone who comes here brings that little piece of their own country into Australia,\u201d he said, including \u201ctheir business connections\u201d and \u201ctheir other networks.\u201d In Box Hill he sees this through Chinese-Australian provincial business associations, which form a strong link between Victorian businesses and their members\u2019 home provinces in China. In September 2025, Hamer travelled to China, as Parliamentary Secretary for Jobs, with then-Premier Jacinta Allan, who launched Victoria\u2019s China Strategy: For a New Golden Era<\/em> in Beijing. In her launch speech, Allan described Victoria\u2019s Chinese community as the state\u2019s \u201cnavigators\u201d within the China\u2013Victoria relationship.<\/p>\r\n

    \u201cIt\u2019s not just about business-to-business connections. It\u2019s really about the person-to-person connections, and building that social capital that we have right here in Victoria.\u201d \u2014 Paul Hamer<\/blockquote>\r\n
    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Victoria\u2019s China Strategy<\/th>\r\nDetail<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    Full title<\/td>\r\nVictoria\u2019s China Strategy: For a New Golden Era<\/em><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    \u6b63\u5f0f\u6210\u7acb<\/td>\r\nSeptember 2025, in Beijing, by then-Premier Jacinta Allan<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Time horizon<\/td>\r\nFive years, with a midpoint review by the end of 2028<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Three objectives<\/td>\r\nReach, Attract and Nurture<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Priority sectors<\/td>\r\nAgribusiness; health and life sciences; creative industries and sport; education; visitor economy; innovation and investment<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Role of the Chinese community<\/td>\r\nDescribed as Victoria\u2019s \u201cnavigators\u201d; one third of the strategy is dedicated to a community of almost half a million Victorians<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Launch trip<\/td>\r\n14\u201320 September 2025: Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu and Deyang<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    It was Hamer\u2019s first trip to China: five cities in four and a half days. His favourite stop was Chengdu. \u201cYou can tell a lot about the culture and experience a lot about the city through its food,\u201d he said, recalling a Sichuan hotpot made with Australian beef.<\/p>\r\n

    What is the biggest missing link in Victoria\u2019s multicultural innovation ecosystem?<\/h2>\r\n

    Connection. The founders, capital and research are often already in Victoria, but they don\u2019t know about each other. As Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Growth, Hamer met tech businesses run by Chinese-Australian founders in the heart of Box Hill, many already small to medium-sized enterprises. They \u201cwere not aware of what the government could do to assist them,\u201d he said, and were \u201cleaning very heavily on their own community, their own business associations.\u201d The Multicultural Tech and Innovation Advisory Group was set up to bridge that gap, giving founders more exposure to capital, and investors more exposure to founders. He sees the biggest single challenge as commercialisation: \u201ctranslating our research capacity into real-world commercial opportunities and growing that on the national and international market.\u201d Sometimes capital is the problem, he says, but often \u201cthe capital might be there as well, but it\u2019s just not knowing that those research opportunities exist right here in Melbourne.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    Gap<\/th>\r\nWhat Hamer observed<\/th>\r\nWhat helps<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    Awareness of support<\/td>\r\nEstablished multicultural founders didn\u2019t know what government programs offered<\/td>\r\nAgencies such as Innovation Victoria reaching founders through community networks<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Founder\u2013investor links<\/td>\r\nFounders seeking capital and investors seeking deals rarely met<\/td>\r\nForums like the Multicultural Tech and Innovation Advisory Group<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Research to market<\/td>\r\nStrong research capacity, weak commercial pathway<\/td>\r\nPartnerships between universities, industry, investors and VCs<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Reliance on own networks<\/td>\r\nBusinesses leaned heavily on their own associations<\/td>\r\nLinks into mainstream business and the wider startup ecosystem<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    What can connections with China and Asia bring to Victoria beyond capital?<\/h2>\r\n

    Technology expertise, industry networks and a path to markets far larger than Australia\u2019s. Hamer pointed to Boson Ventures, a deep-tech venture capital firm that bridges Australian innovation with Asian markets. In July 2025 Boson received LaunchVic funding to relocate its headquarters to Melbourne, and it runs the Boson Collider, a deep-tech pre-accelerator for Victorian founders with an optional landing pad in the Greater Bay Area.<\/p>\r\n

    \u201cIt brings not only investment, but it has that tech expertise and the strong connections that can turn those ideas into commercial reality.\u201d \u2014 Paul Hamer<\/blockquote>\r\n

    Scale is the reason. \u201cThe Australian market, compared internationally, will always be relatively small,\u201d Hamer said, so taking a product developed in Australia overseas, with networks \u201cparticularly in a market like China,\u201d is \u201cabsolutely invaluable.\u201d He sees room for more firms to use their international networks and capital to invest in homegrown Australian products.<\/p>\r\n

    How should Chinese companies apply AI and digital capabilities in Australia?<\/h2>\r\n

    By tailoring them to Australian conditions, not copying what worked in China. In August 2026, Premier Ben Carroll\u2019s new ministry created a Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy, a portfolio held by Anthony Carbines. Hamer sees the new portfolio as a sign of where Victoria needs to go, and believes the innovation China \u201chas already demonstrated in this space on a world scale\u201d can help Victoria build a more AI-ready economy, with \u201cregulatory safeguards as part of that.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

    \u201cThe Australian market is unique, as is every market. But there are lots of opportunities to use the advancement of technology, and particularly AI, in a really bespoke way that can work with Australian conditions and with the Australian workforce.\u201d \u2014 Paul Hamer<\/blockquote>\r\n

    He gives one pattern that works: overseas-based companies setting up in Australia and connecting with traditional sectors such as farming and agriculture, using AI and technology to serve needs internationally. Founders already based in Australia, he adds, are well placed because they understand the local market and can connect with longer-established local businesses.<\/p>\r\n

    What is the most common missing link for Chinese companies with proven technology?<\/h2>\r\n

    Understanding the market and building trusted relationships.<\/p>\r\n

    \u201cWhat\u2019s really important when you\u2019re entering any new market is understanding the market and building trusted relationships.\u201d \u2014 Paul Hamer<\/blockquote>\r\n

    Strong technology and proven products don\u2019t guarantee commercial success in Australia. Companies without a local presence need to connect with local businesses that know \u201cwhat buyers are looking for, what customers are looking for, how transactions are made.\u201d Hamer sees that relationship-level understanding as \u201cthe biggest hurdle to overcome,\u201d and the one that sets a company on the path to long-term success.<\/p>\r\n

    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
    \u8054\u7cfb\u6211\u4eec<\/th>\r\nWhat it offers<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
    Invest Victoria<\/td>\r\nInvestment attraction, with offices in Greater China including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong. Hamer calls the network \u201cthe front door for Victoria.\u201d<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Global Victoria<\/td>\r\nTrade and business-to-business connections between Victorian and international firms<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Innovation Victoria<\/td>\r\nLaunched in July 2026, bringing together LaunchVic and Breakthrough Victoria to support startups from early stage to global growth<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Local business partners<\/td>\r\nKnowledge of buyers, customers and how transactions are made<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
    Community and provincial business associations<\/td>\r\nTrusted networks linking Victorian businesses with home provinces in China<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n

    Where should Victoria\u2013China co-innovation start?<\/h2>\r\n

    With commercialisation, because Victoria\u2019s research base is already strong. Qin noted that at the launch of La Trobe University\u2019s Eagle Fund, Hamer spoke about turning Victoria\u2019s university research into commercial outcomes. In the episode he says Melbourne is one of the world\u2019s leading cities in biotech, including research, and that biotech is a sector where Victoria has translated R&D into commercial success at an international scale. The goal is to repeat that in other sectors. That, he says, takes more than government. Promoting the innovations most likely to succeed \u201creally does come from a partnership with the private sector, and particularly investors, VCs, who see and are willing and want to invest in Australian innovations.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

    What is the hardest thing to build?<\/h2>\r\n

    Social capital, because it is the most fragile. For many years, Hamer says, there was an almost unanimous position in Australia about the positive impact of multiculturalism, a view he still holds. He now sees that consensus under threat in public debate.<\/p>\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n

    \u201cIf that\u2019s destroyed, it doesn\u2019t just have a social impact. It has a major economic impact as well.\u201d \u2014 Paul Hamer<\/blockquote>\r\n

    His concern is practical: if people no longer feel Australia is where their investment, opportunities and families belong, the country\u2019s future suffers.<\/p>\r\n

    What is the one insight Chinese businesses should understand about Australia?<\/h2>\r\n

    Australia is a partner, not just a market.<\/p>\r\n

     <\/p>\r\n

    \u201cMy key message would be to not see Australia as a market, but see Australia as a partner.\u201d \u2014 Paul Hamer<\/blockquote>\r\n

    Hamer acknowledges that Australia and China are very different in size, culture and pace of development, but says they are \u201cvery complementary,\u201d and Victoria especially so. He gives three reasons:<\/p>\r\n