More Victorian jobs will be created in the pharmaceutical, medical and biotechnology sectors following the announcement today of a major Chinese partnership that will open up opportunities for Victorian companies, universities and research institutes.
Premier Daniel Andrews signed the Partnership Agreement between the Shanghai Institute of Medical Quality and the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct in Shanghai today, during his official visit to China and Hong Kong.
Based at Parkville, the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct partners include The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Peter Mac, the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health.
With a strong focus on cancer treatment, this landmark international agreement will enable the sharing of expertise in health care and patient safety, and investment in Victorian medical breakthroughs and technology development.
The ‘Made in Australia’ branding is renowned for its quality and Victoria’s reputation in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing is world class - presenting enormous potential for Chinese investment and commercialisation of Victorian products and medicines.
As part of the deal, an annual training program to advance patient treatment outcomes will be led by Melbourne Biomedical Precinct partners. From October, Chinese medical practitioners, senior nurses and hospital executives will visit Melbourne to receive training in health care including cancer treatment, new technologies and hospital management tools.
The Parkville precinct is one of the world’s largest life science research clusters. Melbourne is home to more than half of Australia’s ASX-listed life science companies and two of the top five biomedical universities in the Asia-Pacific region – the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
The Premier also met with the Chairman and CEO of Biostime, owner of nutrition company Swisse, who outlined Biostime’s aggressive expansion plans for Swisse in China and the wider Asian region. Swisse employs 160 Victorian staff at its headquarters in Collingwood, where it will continue to manufacture its products.
Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews
“Victoria is a global leader in health care, medical technologies and pharmaceuticals – and today’s agreement paves the way for faster development and commercialisation into China – and that means jobs for Victorians.”
“When it comes to cancer treatment and research, there are no greater centres of care than the VCCC and Peter Mac, and now they’re able to share their expertise to advance patient care around the world.”
Quote attributable to Melbourne Biomedical Precinct Executive Chair Dr Gareth Goodier
"The Melbourne Biomedical Precinct is Australia's leading health research cluster, with world renown capabilities in cancer treatment, clinical trials, drug discovery, infectious diseases and genomics. Precinct partners have a proven track record in the development of ground breaking medical developments and represent a unique opportunity for collaboration to discover the next generation of medical breakthroughs."
Reviewed 19 August 2020