Australia’s premier medical technology event, AusMedtech, is underway in Adelaide with more than 400 registered attendees.
The flagship event of Australia’s biggest week in medtech, the seventeenth annual AusMedtech national conference is well underway with than 400 registered attendees representing Australia and international markets.
Held in Adelaide from 22-23 May, the AusMedtech 2024 was officially opened by the Honourable Susan Close MP, Deputy Premier of South Australia, and the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science; Minister for Climate, Environment and Water; and Minister for Workforce and Population Strategy, and Major Sumner AM (Uncle Moogy) at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
AusBiotech’s research shows that Australia is home to more than 577 medtech companies. As Australia’s fastest growing sector of the life sciences, there was 49 percent growth in the number of medtech companies between 2019 and 2021. Australia’s medtech industry is expected to reach a market value of US$7.96 billion this year. Medical devices representing the largest portion of this, with its market volume expected to reach US $6.73bn this year. As industry growth accelerates, Australian medtech continues to produce world-class solutions, showing increasing potential as a driver of economic growth and new skilled career pathways, all while improving health and patient outcomes.
The growth and success of Australia medtech ecosystem is reflected in the two-day conference, themed ‘Innovation + Collaboration + Synergy = Success’, and includes more than 110 local and international speakers, with inspirational keynotes from industry leaders and panel sessions on the latest medtech advancements and trends impacting the sector.
Professor Steve Wesselingh, Chief Executive Officer, National Health and Medical Research Council, discussed the NHMRC’s current priorities, provided an update on the alignment of the two key health and medical research funds, the Medical Research Endowment Account (MREA) and the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), as well as the National Health and Medical Research Strategy currently in early development; Professor Anthony Lawler, Deputy Secretary, Medical Devices & Product Quality Division, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), discussed the sweeping reforms occurring globally and how the (TGA) is supporting the industry through these changes; and a panel of big medtech leaders had an invaluable discussion on partnering, prospecting, and support work in the Australian environment, in a plenary session hosted by Dell Kingsford Smith, AusBiotech Board; Vice President Medical Affairs, Market Access & Government Affairs, Asia Pacific, Cochlear.
AusMedtech has been created by industry, for industry. Other topics being explored across the programme include building workforce capabilities, capital markets, ethics and AI, market access, optimising clinical trial delivery, ESG, waste management, and issues facing healthcare in Australia.
Complementing the informative keynotes and panels, AusMedtech featured the Early-Stage Innovation Forum, proudly sponsored by West Pharmaceutical Services, which featured rapid-fire pitch presentations from Australia’s local research institutes, universities, hospitals and pre-series A companies in the areas of medical devices and diagnostics, digital health and enabling technologies. Presenters received feedback that’s critical to their commercialisation journey from an expert investor panel. The winner of the Best Translation Research Award will be announced at the AUsMedtech 2024 closing ceremony.
The AusMedtech conference dinner, the social highlight of Australia’s biggest week in medtech, featured a fireside chat with the leaders of Red Dust, a non-profit health promotion charity that seeks to improve the physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural health and wellbeing of youth and families living in remote Indigenous communities. In a fireside hosted by Rebekah Cassidy, CEO, AusBiotech, Scott Stirling, CEO, Red Dust; Jonathon Lindsay-Tjapaltjarri Hermawan, Director of Programs and Strategy Lead, Red Dust; and Nathan Daly, Cultural Education and Partnerships Manager, Red Dust, discussed how Red Dust draws on the strengths of both western health knowledge and traditional cultural knowledges to create a positive influence on young people and improve outcomes for communities.
Red Dust uses positive health messages and local role models through its youth focused Healthy Living Program, their gender specific programs, the Strong Young Women’s’ Program, and Strong Young Men and Boy’s Program as well as a Storytelling Program – a program for Elders and Leaders that, collects, collates, and endorses Millenia-old cultural knowledges for use in all programs and to guide future generations.
Further conference details can be found on the AusMedtech website.
AusMedtech 2024 is supported by its host state partners Business Events Adelaide, the Government of South Australia, and Adelaide Convention Centre; event sponsors, exhibitors and the AusMedtech programme committee.
