Maysouly Douangmanith during her placement at Greenhouse
Overview
The Professional Placements program, delivered on behalf of the Australian Government, facilitates short-term business placements and is designed to grow and strengthen business relationships between Australia and Southeast Asia. In June 2025, the program's inaugural placement took place from Laos to Sydney.
Participant
Maysouly (Tata) Douangmanith
Project Director, XM Technovator (Laos)
As a leader in climate-focused innovation in Laos, Maysouly sought to deepen her understanding of the Australian climate tech ecosystem and explore collaborative opportunities. Representing XM Technovator, a Laotian company working on sustainability and innovation projects in the Mekong region, she entered the program with clear goals:
· Gain direct experience with Australia’s advanced climate tech sector
· Understand how innovation hubs foster collaboration and scale solutions
· Identify synergies for future partnerships and joint ventures
Host Organisation
Greenhouse, Sydney
A Climate Tech Innovation Hub
Greenhouse is a premier innovation platform that connects climate-focused startups, investors, and industry leaders to scale impactful solutions. As a host, Greenhouse provided Maysouly with a front-row seat to Australia’s thriving climate tech sector. Her placement coincided with various community events, mentoring sessions, and site visits, giving her wide exposure to the inner workings of the industry.
Participant Experience and Insights
Over her 2.5-week placement, Maysouly immersed herself in the Greenhouse ecosystem. She engaged with entrepreneurs and mentors, observed how Australian startups approach commercialisation and scaling, and was involved in discussions on innovation strategy and regional collaboration.
“This is a huge climate tech ecosystem. I’ve learned that Australia is ahead, tech solutions are strong, and there’s a powerful culture of collaboration. There’s so much knowledge I will take home - and many opportunities for future relationships.”
Her experience not only expanded her professional horizons but also allowed her to draw comparisons between Laos and Australia’s approaches to climate tech. The insights gained are now informing her work at XM Technovator, particularly in relation to how decisions are made and how day-to-day business is conducted.
Benefits to the Host Organisation
From Greenhouse’s perspective, hosting Maysouly brought fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to their community. A Greenhouse representative said,
“We were incredibly glad to be part of the placement. Maysouly brought great energy to the space. She was thoughtful, engaged, and full of curiosity.”
The experience sparked interest in future engagement with Laos and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries. Greenhouse noted clear alignment between their mission and the goals of XM Technovator and expressed an interest in expanding the relationship into the future.
Mutual Benefits and Broader Impact from this Placement
For the Participant from Laos:
· Exposure to a mature and high-performing climate tech ecosystem
· Development of cross-cultural business acumen
· New professional connections and collaboration pathways
· First-hand understanding of Australian business practices and innovation models
For the Host Organisation in Australia:
· Access to new regional insights and emerging markets
· Strengthened international networks in Southeast Asia
· Opportunities for knowledge exchange and innovation cross-pollination
· Engagement with passionate, high-performing individuals from across the region
Maysouly Douangmanith during her placement at Greenhouse
Lessons and Future Opportunities
Both parties recognised that 2.5 weeks, while impactful, limited the potential depth of collaboration. Future iterations of the program could explore longer placements or structured follow-ups to deepen the learning and engagement. Additionally, more time could allow for enhanced integration with broader networks and more co-creation of ideas or initiatives.
This placement demonstrated the untapped potential of business-to-business diplomacy - where innovation and entrepreneurship act as bridges between countries and cultures.
Conclusion
The Professional Placements program is more than just a learning experience - it is a strategic tool for building lasting relationships between Australia and Southeast Asia. For hosts like Greenhouse, it opens the door to new markets, new perspectives, and strengthens business-to-business relationships, and for participants like Maysouly, it’s a valuable opportunity to develop their expertise and broaden their networks.
Interested in hosting or undertaking a placement? Visit our Placements page.
