Western Australia’s Innovation and ICT and Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson is on the ground in the United States of America to boost and advocate for WA as a world-leading destination for health and medical research, innovation and ICT and further develop the life sciences sector.
The Minister’s mission includes leading a WA delegation representing 13 organisations from across the health and medical research and life sciences sector at the Biotechnology Innovation Organisation (BIO) International Convention in San Diego, which is set to address opportunities for the industry including drug discovery, bio-manufacturing, genomics, biofuels, nanotechnology and cell therapy.
The medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sector contributed $5.5 billion to the Australian economy in 2021 and there is huge opportunity for growth. The sector also created an additional 5,000 jobs and supported 73,000 jobs across industry and research in Australia in 2021.
The BIO conference is the largest and most influential global event for the world’s biotechnology industry, attracting over 15,000 biotechnology and pharma leaders.
WA will be represented in the Australian Pavilion to promote local capabilities, the strength of the WA’s life sciences, and foster global connections with its overseas counterparts to build networks for investment attraction and commercialisation opportunities.
WA’s world-leading COVID-19 response and management has positioned the State as an enticing destination for future health and medical research, innovation and ICT and life sciences and will enable the State to discuss future investment opportunities and partnerships.
Strengthening WA’s relationship with Microsoft is also a priority for the Minister during his USA Mission.
The McGowan Government has been working with Microsoft since 2020 to support cyber security training and initiatives across the public sector, as well as provide agencies access to enhanced security products as part of a licensing arrangement.
Throughout the mission, Directors from the MTPConnect WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub will play a key role in attracting investment opportunities to WA, and actively promote the AusBiotech conference which will be hosted in Perth in October.
In a major coup for medical and life sciences, an international partnership was signed in May 2022 between Texas Medical Center and Biodesign Australia, administered by The University of Western Australia.
This builds on the TMC/Australian BioBridge partnership, launched in 2018 and supports linkages across trade, investment and research and development to drive medical advancements.
The mission builds off the McGowan Government’s Future Health Research and Innovation Fund to support health and medical innovation and commercialisation.
For more information visit the FHRI Fund Current funding opportunities website
As stated by Innovation and ICT and Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson:
“Western Australia is an emerging force in medical research, innovation and life sciences.
“The McGowan Government’s mission to the United States of America is essential to maximise growth in these vital sectors, all of which play a crucial role in diversifying WA’s economy.
“Our Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been world leading and with one of the strongest economies in the world, it’s important to promote WA as a destination for health and medical research, innovation and ICT and life sciences.
“The mission will provide opportunities to promote WA as a vibrant, significant and continually growing leader in the burgeoning local, national and international health and medical research, innovation and ICT and life sciences sectors.
“Life sciences and medical research are more essential for our health and our quality of life than they have ever been before, and this was made abundantly clear throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I look forward to meeting with global companies like Microsoft and building on our existing partnership.
“Our partnership with Microsoft has significantly advanced cyber resiliency across both the public and private sector and we look forward to continuing this collaboration on future projects.
“Missions such as this are essential to continuing the growth of WA’s health and medical research, innovation and ICT and life sciences, which support the diversification of the economy and create more jobs for Western Australians.”
As stated by UWA Director Biomedical and Health Innovation, Professor Kevin Pfleger:
“The WA health and medical life sciences ecosystem is grateful to the McGowan Government for making this critically important sector a priority of the Diversify WA strategy and for Minister Dawson’s leadership of this delegation to the US.
“The sector looks forward to leveraging this delegation and the AusBiotech conferences in Perth to drive biomedical and health innovation in WA to achieve national and global impact.”
