More than 1,300 science experts and investors from around the country and the world are in Perth for Australia’s biggest week in biotech at the AusBiotech 2022 conference.
The McGowan Government, with Business Events Perth, committed $450,000 to bring AusBiotech 2022, Australia’s annual flagship life sciences conference, to Perth for the first time in 15 years.
The week is an opportunity for Western Australia’s health and medical life sciences industry to showcase its strengths, build networks and secure new partnerships. The conference will also reinforce the high level of talent, innovation, research and clinical trial capability in WA, which is recognised and sought after globally.
Life sciences is a burgeoning industry under the WA Government’s economic development framework, Diversify WA, with health and medical life sciences identified as a priority sector in which WA has a competitive advantage, and significant opportunities for growth and diversification.
From 2017 to 2021, the industry in the State more than doubled in size, growing from 119 companies to 244.
To capitalise on this growth, the McGowan Government has released a new prospectus promoting investment opportunities in WA’s health and medical life sciences industry, titled ‘Western Australia – A centre for health and medical solutions’.
Medical Research and Innovation and ICT Minister Stephen Dawson will officially open the conference today, alongside AusBiotech Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Chiroiu. State Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook will open AusBioInvest 2022 with Ms Chiroiu on Thursday.
On Friday, the final day of the conference, Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson will introduce President and CEO of the Texas Medical Centre (TMC), William F McKeon. TMC is widely recognised as the home of the largest collection of hospitals, clinicians, and researchers in the world.
Mr McKeon is one of six world-class speakers that will deliver a keynote address during the conference.
WA’s Director of the Burns Service, and 2005 Australian of the Year, Professor Fiona Wood will give a keynote address on the story of spray-on-skin cells.
Other major speakers include Director Global Outreach at Stanford Biodesign, Adjunct Professor Anurag Mairal, Senior Director External Innovation Australia & New Zealand at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Kathy Connell, and Distinguished Professor at the University of Colorado, Marvin Caruthers.
The McGowan Government’s health and medical life sciences prospectus, ‘Western Australia – A centre for health and medical solutions’, is available on:
https://www.wa.gov.au/government/publications/health-and-medical-life-sciences-prospectus
As stated by State Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Roger Cook:
“With our rapidly growing health and medical life sciences industry, WA can play a leading role in developing healthcare solutions for the future.
“The WA Government is committed to growing investment in the industry, which has the potential to help diversify the State’s economy and create long-term, fulfilling jobs for Western Australians.
“Business events act as a catalyst and a front door for trade and investment. AusBiotech 2022 and AusBioInvest 2022 are a platform for current and future biotech leaders to pitch their new products to potential investors, creating new opportunities and collaborations.”
As stated by Innovation and ICT and Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
“The Ausbiotech conference is an incredible opportunity for our local research sector to showcase our achievements and our home-grown talent to a global audience.
“WA is home to some of the most innovative health and medical research programs being undertaken anywhere in the world.
“There has never been a better time for Perth to host AusBiotech 2022. It is a prime time to broadcast our successful and burgeoning medical research and technology sector that has the potential to improve lives around the world.”
