- Published:
- Friday 11 December 2015
The Andrews Labor Government today announced Victoria will again host Australia’s largest biotech conference in 2016, reinforcing the state’s status as an industry leader.
The AusBiotech 2016 Conference and Australia Biotech Invest 2016 conference will be held in Melbourne for the second year running in late October.
Speaking to the Victorian Life Sciences Industry Luncheon today, Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade Philip Dalidakis said the conferences will further boost Victoria’s biotech reputation, attracting more than 1,000 local and international industry leaders.
These two conferences will be held alongside the 17th International Biotechnology Symposium and Exhibition (IBS 2016) to make up the International BioFest 2016, the largest ever gathering in Australia for the international life sciences sector.
Mr Dalidakis said Victoria is a world-leading location for the development and manufacture of medical technologies, biotechnologies and pharmaceuticals.
Victoria is now home to over 180 biotech companies, ten major medical research institutes, ten major teaching hospitals and nine universities.
These sectors employ more than 20,000 people and generate more than $10 billion in revenue. Victoria is also Australia’s leading State for biotechnology, with Victorian listed biotechnology companies having a combined market capitalisation of over $45 billion.
Earlier this year, Australia was named fourth in the world in the Scientific American Worldview: A Global Biotechnology Perspective – which evaluates the biotechnology innovation capacities of countries around the globe.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, Philip Dalidakis
“2016 will see Melbourne once again host the AusBiotech national conference. This is great recognition of Victoria's global excellence in our medical, biotech and pharmaceutical technologies sector.”
“The Andrews Labor Government is committed to making Victoria the location of choice for companies in this sector, supporting them to grow jobs and boost our economy into the future.”
Quotes attributable to Mr Glenn Cross, COO AusBiotech
“We are pleased that the Victorian Government is supporting these major life sciences events to be held in Melbourne - one of the world's great biotech hubs.”
“The National Conference will be part of International BioFest 2016, Australia's largest-ever gathering of the life sciences, with three major conferences coming together in one week in one place as one integrated network."