Exporting Canberra's knowledge and education-based services to Asia will secure a sound future well beyond temporary uncertainty over the public sector, says Chief Minister Katy Gallagher.
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Speaking at the Chief Minister's Export Awards on Thursday Ms Gallagher, who led a delegation to China earlier this year, said tremendous opportunities were emerging in Asia in services in which the ACT excelled.
New award categories for government solutions and export to Asia reflected the increasing importance of Asian markets.
''We have moved beyond the approach of the 1990s of trying to lure in big business through big payments. The ACT is a knowledge economy with the best-educated workforce in the country,'' Ms Gallagher said.
Exports from the ACT grew by 9.4 per cent in 2011-12 , about 3 per cent higher than the national average. Ms Gallagher said over five years growth averaged 6.3 per cent.
Canberra's Aspen Medical, which operates throughout the world including south-east Asia, won its third straight exporter of the year title at the awards. Aspen's exports rocketed to $44 million in 2012-13.
Chief-of staff Bruce Armstrong said a large majority of Aspen's 2000 employees worked overseas. ''We are going to new regions as we speak and we hope to have more news (soon),'' he said.
Aspen, which also won the health and biotechnology export award and a national exporter of the year award in 2011, delivers healthcare in remote, challenging and under-resourced environments.
The Department of Defence has extended Aspen's contract to deliver the ''Care of Battle Casualties'' training course to Australian Defence Force personnel deploying to the Middle East until August next year.
Training is being undertaken at the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates by Aspen medics with recent combat experience. More than 3000 personnel have been trained.
Infrastructure and Construction export winner Windlab's chief executive, Roger Price, said his team had nearly 50 projects under development in Australia and overseas.
''Exports for Australia no longer mean shipping minerals overseas, I think it means we can sell expertise and we can sell knowledge.
''As a knowledge business, we now compete internationally against the world's best in the biggest markets using technology that was developed right here in Canberra 10 to 15 years ago.''
The Royal Australian Mint won the ACT exporting government solutions award.
Chief executive Ross MacDiarmid said the mint competed with 52 other privately owned and public mints around the world for exports.
''We supply products around the world, not just in the Pacific. We'll grow our base from $22 million in 2009 to $50 million in 2015-16.''
