Northern Territory Industry strengths

Resilience, innovation and determination have been integral to the Northern Territory’s strong business growth. With a close network of industry experts across a broad range of fields, the Northern Territory is an intelligent choice for business events.

Bring a unique Northern Territory perspective to your business event by engaging local experts as keynote speakers or by incorporating technical site tours into your conference program.

Industry strengths

Health

The Northern Territory has an international reputation for excellence and innovation when it comes to health and research,

The NT's world-class research capabilities in tropical health and research are led by Charles Darwin University’s Menzies School of Health Research.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisations in the world and provides insight into remote teaching hospitals and clinics.

Australia’s National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre NCCTRC) is also based in the Northern Territory and is renowned for its cutting-edge health training and disaster preparedness education and implementation. The NCCTRC collaborates with the World Health Organisation to mentor and share its knowledge around the world.

Agribusiness

With the busiest livestock port in the world, Darwin is one of Australia’s major assets in the burgeoning agribusiness sector. A key industry in the Northern Territory, agribusiness is valued at nearly $740m and boasts a solid growth trajectory thanks to a focus on innovative technology and its clean, safe and natural products in pristine environments.

Currently, forestry represents the biggest land use after cattle grazing while tropical fruits are in high demand domestically and throughout Asia. Broad-acre cropping is also increasing significantly, while the Northern Territory’s remarkable coastline is also home to leading-edge aquaculture projects and processing facilities.

For more information on the Northern Territory’s agribusiness industry, please visit: Agribusiness | Australia's Northern Territory.

Energy

A key player in the global energy sector, the Northern Territory is home to world-class oil and gas facilities and a robust renewable energy strategy.

A hub for the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Darwin is the service and supply centre for the world-first Prelude Floating LNG project in the Timor Sea and houses the USD$34 billion Ichthys LNG Project alongside the ConocoPhillips-operated Darwin LNG Plan. 

On top of its comprehensive oil and gas infrastructure, the Northern Territory Government is on track to achieve a renewable energy target of 50% by 2030. Tapping into the vast natural energy resources available, including solar power, heavy investment into large-scale renewable generation and energy storage has led to global recognition in the renewable energy industry. 

For more information on the Northern Territory’s energy industry please visit: Energy| Australia’s Northern Territory 

International Education and Training

International Education and Training (IET) is the Northern Territory’s third-largest service export and a key growth sector.

To ensure sustainability and growth in the IET sector, the Northern Territory has secured major investments that will create unique opportunities for international students. One key project is the current construction of a $250m state-of-the-art education hub in the heart of Darwin designed to enrich the experience for international students.

With a future focus on growing international student numbers, the Northern Territory is developing a range of education providers, businesses and multicultural organisations to increase its range and quality of education offerings, alongside expanded infrastructure and support services.

For more information on the Northern Territory’s education and training industry please visit: International education and training industries | Australia’s Northern Territory.

Defence

The Northern Territory plays a vital role in Australia’s national defence security as well as the global defence industry.

Already internationally recognised for its established training facilities, close links to Asia and optimal flight conditions, the Northern Territory is set to continue its role in global defence with more than $8 billion to be invested in defence infrastructure and facilities by 2025.

This investment from the Australian Government sits alongside the Northern Territory Government’s additional $100 million to be spent on marine industry services and its ongoing commitment to investing in innovation, jobs and growth across the defence industry.

For more information on the Northern Territory’s defence industry please visit: Defence | Australia’s Northern Territory.

Digital

The Northern Territory Government is investing significantly in the digital and telecommunications industry, establishing the Northern Territory as a global leader in the field.

As part of its ‘Terabit Territory’ initiative, the Northern Territory Government has invested heavily into upgrades and a new high-speed network, transforming the Northern Territory’s fibre-optic cable network and seeing capacity soar from 400 gigabits to 20 terabits.

Key to the initiative, a new data centre connects Darwin and Port Headland in Western Australia to Indonesia and Singapore as well as the west coast of the United States, strengthening the Northern Territory’s ties with major commercial and population centres around the world.

Combined with the Northern Territory’s vast natural resources including solar and gas power, the Northern Territory is uniquely positioned to power and resource the digital industry.

For more information on the Northern Territory’s digital industry please visit: Industry | Digital Territory.

Space

With its leading space industry infrastructure and services, including ground stations, rocket launching, stratospheric ballooning facilities, technology testing sites and downstream space industries, the Northern Territory plays a key role in the global space industry.

The Northern Territory’s leading-edge space technology is used across a wide range of industries including maritime, agriculture and land management.

The Northern Territory Government is committed to growing the Northern Territory’s space industry capabilities and supporting the economy to become ‘space-enabled’, these advances will lead to growth, jobs and innovation.

For more information on the Northern Territory’s space industry please visit: Space | Australia's Northern Territory.

Mining

The Northern Territory is rich in natural minerals, boasts world-class mining facilities and well-established export relations, making the mining and minerals sector a key priority for the Northern Territory Government.

Home to seven major mines, including the world’s largest manganese mine and one of the largest zinc-lead deposits, the Northern Territory balances a wealth of natural resources with strong industry investment.

The Northern Territory’s modern infrastructure includes a bulk commodity port with direct connection to a freight corridor and a network of natural gas pipelines.

Importantly, the Northern Territory is looking to become a key global player in producing, processing and manufacturing critical minerals that are vital for new and emerging technologies.

For more information on the Northern Territory’s mining industry please visit: Mining | Australia’s Northern Territory.

Event support

Find out how you can stage your next business event in the Northern Territory