The Andrews Labor Government is supporting the manufacture of a world-first fitness and health tracker in Melbourne - bringing production back from offshore and creating highly skilled local jobs.
Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula today announced Melbourne-based medical technology company Compumedics will manufacture its Somfit medical-grade wearable monitoring device at its global headquarters in Abbotsford after a decade of manufacturing most of its products overseas.
Labor Government support for the project has helped Compumedics establish automated production lines at its Abbotsford base, allowing the company to expand its sophisticated medical device manufacturing operations. Initial production has begun and will ramp up in the new year.
The project will represent the first volume manufacturing of wearable medical-grade monitoring technology in Australia - creating 33 jobs in engineering, design and ICT in the state over three years. Compumedics is targeting an estimated export market value of $60 million over five years.
Somfit is a cloud-based patient monitoring system worn on the forehead, chest and wrist that remotely monitors sleep and medical conditions including COVID-19 cases that do not require hospitalisation and mental health disorders, as well as serving occupational health needs.
Vital signs such as sleep, blood pressure and oxygen, heart rate, level of consciousness, body temperature, breathing, sleep position and movement are captured and recoded on a phone app.
Compumedics is selling the Somfit technology to local and global markets with hospitals and health organisations planning to use the device to remotely monitor at-risk patients, freeing up public hospital beds.
Founded in Melbourne in 1987, Compumedics is a global market leader of medical technology for sleep and brain diagnostics supplying researchers, universities and hospitals across Australia and around the world including the Royal Children's Hospital, the Alfred Hospital, NASA and Stanford School of Medicine.
The Government will continue to drive growth and deliver new jobs in Victoria's medical technology manufacturing sector through initiatives such as the $2 billion Breakthrough Victoria Fund and the $20 million Australian MedTech Manufacturing Centre to be established in Melbourne.
As stated by Minister for Industry Support and Recovery Martin Pakula
"This investment demonstrates Victoria's strengths as a key advanced manufacturing destination."
"We're supporting Victorian medtech companies to grow and thrive because they can play a crucial role in driving our economic recovery and creating new jobs."
As stated by Member for Richmond Richard Wynne
"Innovators like Compumedics are kicking goals on a global scale - we're proud to support companies that are creating a new generation of local jobs."
As stated by Compumedics CEO and Chairman Dr David Burton
"Somfit is a result of 30 years of product and technology innovation and development and will help transform the way we monitor our health."
"We are grateful for the support of the Victorian Government to help bring this vision to life as we expand our global presence and create high-quality employment opportunities right here in Victoria."
