MEDIA RELEASE: WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC), developer of logistics execution software and supply chain technology solutions, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Centre for Customs and Excise Studies (CCES), an industry recognized leading provider of training, education and research in the highly specialized area of customs and border management.
Established in Canberra, Australia, in 2003, CCES courses are accredited by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and focus on maintaining WCO and related professional standards at various levels in customs administration. CCES has designed and delivered training and awareness programs in more than sixty countries across Asia, Africa, the Americas, the Pacific, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East.
Collaborating with tertiary institutions, such as Charles Sturt University, CCES provides internationally focused courses including the Bachelor of Border Management as well as postgraduate degrees in Customs Administration for global professionals.
From 2025, CCES partnered with Fiji National University and the Oceania Customs Organisation to establish the Pacific Centre for Border Management and Security (PCBMS), to offer vocational and higher education programs for border management officers in the Pacific.
CCES will continue to operate under the CCES brand and remain under the leadership of its founder, David Widdowson. CCES will consolidate its online platforms onto WiseTech Academy, WiseTech’s online learning platform. The deep domain knowledge of CCES’ team will inform country-specific customs requirements in the ongoing rollout of the CargoWise Customs and Compliance global solution.
Tudor Maxwell, Head of WiseTech Academy at WiseTech Global, said: “Together with CCES, a global leader in customs education, WiseTech Academy will offer high-quality online training in customs administration and customs broking to those working in global supply chains worldwide. This investment combines our strengths, allowing CCES’ world class training to be made available to an even wider audience.”
Professor David Widdowson AM, Chief Executive Officer of CCES, said: “We are very excited about this next phase for CCES. As part of WiseTech, a leader in logistics and supply chain technology, we are now better positioned to further improve the global standards of customs management and compliance by reaching more logistics professionals with the specialized training and content required by this sector."
The acquisition of CCES demonstrates WiseTech’s commitment to developing skills and sharing knowledge across the industry through accessible online education. Since its launch in 2018, WiseTech Academy has trained new entrants to the industry and those changing focus mid-career in valuable global trade, logistics and supply chain industry skills and certifications. WiseTech Academy also provides technical certifications for the logistics industry such as biosecurity and handling dangerous goods. In FY25, the number of WiseTech Academy industry courses completed by participants outside WiseTech increased by more than 50%.
The transaction builds on WiseTech’s growing leadership in digitizing customs related processes and knowledge sharing. WiseTech’s global customs platform now covers approximately 80% of the world’s international manufactured trade flows . The New Zealand Customs Service recently contracted WiseTech to digitize its tariff system, and WiseTech has been certified to issue preferential Certificates of Origin for Australia and New Zealand.
Photo: Professor David Widdowson AM, Chief Executive Officer of CCES.