Research Change

The Hunter Advantage

Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation & Department of Regional NSW

Project Highlights

Research report identifying industry sector areas of comparative advantage for the Hunter region

Findings supported by workshop with Hunter stakeholders and interviews with subject matter experts

Prioritisation of industry sectors to help to focus the Hunter brand

 

The bottom line

Report prioritising the Hunter’s industry sector strengths, supporting a compelling identity and brand for the region.

The Challenge:

The Hunter region is Australia’s largest regional economy, with significant advantages in size, scale and industry specialisations. To position and broadcast these strengths, the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation and the Department of Regional NSW are collaborating to deliver a compelling Identity and Positioning Strategy for the Hunter region.

What we did:

To support this work, Astrolabe was engaged to produce a research report that assessed the Hunter’s economic comparative advantage. Report development included a workshop facilitated by Astrolabe with over 60 government and industry stakeholders, delivered in a hybrid format with face to face and online attendees. These workshop insights helped to prioritise industry sectors, further explored through a rapid horizon scan of the Hunter’s current state and components required for success.

Analysis resulted in the production of eight ‘sector snapshots’ communicating the current ecosystem and new opportunities for each industry. The draft sector snapshots were further validated by short interviews with industry subject matter experts.

Results:

  • The resulting report, The Hunter Advantage will support the definition of the Hunter’s areas of advantage and a focused industry platform for the Hunter brand – a central component of the larger narrative of the Hunter Identity and Positioning Strategy.
  • An accompanying 8-page glossy document with headline findings was also produced, communicating research and engagement findings to workshop participants and Hunter stakeholders.