Adelaide, South Australia wants to let the secret out, and be known as hub for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and digital health. It boasts world-class research institutions, such as the University of Adelaide and SAHMRI, fostering innovation and collaboration. The city’s supportive government policies provide incentives, grants, and streamlined regulations for businesses. Adelaide’s skilled workforce, renowned for its expertise in health sciences, offers a talent pool to drive industry growth. Additionally, the city’s strategic location, advanced infrastructure, and strong healthcare ecosystem make it an ideal base for development, manufacturing, and market access, attracting companies in these sectors.
Australian Health Journal spoke to Jo Close, heading the Adelaide arm of MTPConnect about the opportunity its building through its role as the industry growth centre, to help increase commercialisation and collaboration across the sector, optimise the regulatory environment, improving workforce skills and access to markets globally.
One of the companies showing world leading MedTech capabilities arising from Adelaide is Additive Surgical, the first company in Australia to manufacture 3D Printed Titanium novel spinal implant technologies. Its mission is to manufacture the highest quality medical technology in Australia that positively impact the lives of people globally.
Australian Health Journal met with Co-founder and CEO Gibran Maher.
Maher states, “Additive Surgical is committed to supporting Australian innovation and works closely with the Australian clinicians, hospitals, research institutions and universities to innovate and manufacture locally.”
Maher points out the ability to compete is made possible through supportive collaboration with government, research and other enterprises seeking to learn from each other. But to truely compete in international markets, Australia’s needs to further strengthen its sovereign capability.
Currently Australia imports more than 80% of its medical devices. Large multinational companies have very strong market share in Australia and the profits from these companies are largely returned to their international shareholders.
Additive Surgical is committed to manufacturing in Australia, developing intellectual property in Australia and supporting Australian innovation and commercialisation.
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Being Part of the New Health Frontier
In November last year, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport delivered its bipartisan report “The New Frontier: Delivering better health for all Australians” on the approval processes for new drugs and novel medical technologies in Australia.
Australian Health Journal spoke to some of the industry bodies who were part of the Inquiry, for their comments on the process, the report and hopes in the recommendations being implemented.
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Inaugural vaccine value chain conference talks about Team Australia
For the first time, key decision-makers and thought leaders from government, industry, academia, NGOs, and representatives from the immunisation community converged in a 2 day conference in Sydney hosted by Biointelect, highlighting the transformative potential of collaborative innovation.
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Priming Australia for social prescribing
Social prescribing provides support in various areas of people’s lives, leading to increased confidence, improved navigation of systems, and enhanced friendships and trust in healthcare, while communities should be designed in an age-friendly way to prevent isolation.
In Part 1 of the Models of Care on Social Prescribing, Australian Health Journal spoke to 4 people advocating for social prescribing in Australia
