Victorian companies have demonstrated their excellence in performing in international markets by winning four awards, including the Prime Minister’s Exporter of the Year Award at the 51st Australian Export Awards in Melbourne.

The awards comprised twelve industry categories and featured seventy six national finalists including all category winners from the Governor of Victoria Export Awards.

Trade Minister Louise Asher congratulated all winners and said the Victorian result was outstanding.

“In such a tough field to have three winners including the top award come from this state demonstrates the strength of Victorian companies successfully competing in global markets,” she said.

Details of the winners are:

• 2014 Prime Minister’s Australian Exporter of the Year Award and the Business Services Award

RightShip provides the world’s most comprehensive online marine and environmental risk management system through undertaking ship inspections in 114 countries to identify and remove substandard operators.

The company also offers an energy efficiency rating alongside its risk rating to address the more than 70,000 ships currently in service that contribute over one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.

• Education and Training Award

Monash University – Victoria’s largest university. has over 63,000 students of whom over a third are international students. It has nine campuses including locations in Malaysia, South Africa, India and China, a teaching centre in Italy and a major strategic alliance with Warwick University in the UK. Monash University is also the first Australian university and only the third foreign university to be awarded a licence to operate in China, with the official opening of the South East University and Monash University joint Graduate School in Suzhou announced during the Government’s recent Super Trade Mission to China in October 2013.

• Environmental Solutions Award

Ecotech, an exporter and installer of environmental monitoring instrumentation and systems to markets in the Middle East, Europe, North America, China and India. The company exports over $10 million in air quality monitoring instrumentation, climate change research instruments and software.

All three organisations have utilised the overseas Victorian Government Business Offices network and participated in a Government trade program or initiative such as a Super Trade Mission or Access Program.