Connecting Nationally Through Cluster Connect
Insights from the March FAN Meeting
In early February, Food & Fibre Gippsland took part in the Cluster Connect March meeting, hosted by the Food & Agribusiness Network (FAN). Delivered via a national online forum, the meeting brought together regional cluster leaders to connect, share insights and strengthen collaboration across Australia’s food and fibre sector.
Representing Food & Fibre Gippsland, Rod Hayes (Senior Manager, Resilience & Innovation) attended on behalf of the team, contributing to discussions and reinforcing Gippsland’s connection into the national cluster ecosystem.
About the Food & Agribusiness Network (FAN)
FAN is a nationally recognised, industry‑led not‑for‑profit cluster that supports food and agribusinesses across the entire value chain — from growers and processors to manufacturers, retailers and service providers.
Established in 2015, FAN is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most successful regional industry clusters, recognised for its ability to build trust, foster innovation and enable collaboration at scale. Through its leadership of the Cluster Connect initiative under the Federal Government’s Industry Growth Program, FAN plays a key role in linking regional clusters like Food & Fibre Gippsland into a broader national network.
Key Themes from the March Meeting
The meeting focused on several important topics relevant to clusters and regions across the country, including:
The value of regular collaboration and peer connection across the national cluster network
Advocacy priorities and coordinated engagement with the Commonwealth Government
Reflections on evokeAG, including emerging themes around skills, innovation and resilience in agriculture
A strong and consistent theme throughout the discussion was the critical importance of skills and training in supporting future industry growth and resilience.
Why This Matters for Food & Fibre Gippsland
Participation in the FAN monthly meeting supports Food & Fibre Gippsland’s objectives by:
Strengthening connections with national food and agribusiness networks
Sharing knowledge, insights and opportunities between regions
Supporting business resilience and capability development through collaboration
Keeping Gippsland connected to national conversations around food security, skills and innovation
The meeting also provided an opportunity to share updates on Food & Fibre Gippsland’s upcoming circular economy event and to explore learnings from FAN‑led initiatives, including Queensland’s Sunshine Pantry project — a regional branding and consumer activation model with potential relevance for Gippsland’s own provenance and place‑based work.
Continuing the Conversation
The collegial nature of FAN’s monthly meetings and the open exchange of ideas continues to deliver value for participating regions. For Food & Fibre Gippsland, these connections help ensure Gippsland’s food and fibre sectors remain visible, connected and well‑positioned within the national ecosystem.
We look forward to continuing to build and deepen these relationships through Cluster Connect — strengthening regional collaboration and supporting a resilient, innovative future for Australia’s food and fibre industries.
