The University of Western Australia is celebrating a seven-year partnership with the WA Government and MTPConnect that supports the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub, an initiative that serves the Western Australian health and medical life sciences sector.
The WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub brings together researchers, innovators, clinicians, consumers and industry professionals to improve health and wellbeing for the people of WA as well as Australia and around the world.
Professor Anna Nowak, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) at UWA, said WA had a wonderful ecosystem of dedicated individuals and organisations striving to improve people's health and wellbeing, and willing to go above and beyond to help each other.
"The WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub plays an important role as the concierge, the connector and the facilitator, accelerating Western Australian innovation," Professor Nowak said.
UWA also administers Perth Biodesign, which celebrates its 10th anniversary next year.
This initiative trains innovators to identify and validate unmet needs through clinical immersion and develop new technologies to address these needs.
"Perth Biodesign has trained innovators to become successful entrepreneurs, which in turn has created high-quality jobs and produced successful companies that strengthen the ecosystem and attract global investment – a stronger ecosystem enhances WA's reputation and attracts top talent," Professor Nowak said.
The program has evolved to address unmet workforce development needs across the sector, with alumni leading commercialisation programs, directing innovation portfolios and shaping health technology policy across industry, academia, healthcare and government.
Through the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub partnership, UWA offers the Perth Biodesign Flagship program and nationally award-winning industry PhD research engagement program (iPREP), along with mentoring and connections, strategy and policy advice and international partnerships, including the Biodesign BioBridges.
Combined with Biodesign bootcamps, UWA Capstone, Biodesign NEXT, the Springboard Medical Manufacturing Alliance, Westside Collaboration Space and Floreat Innovation Park, UWA is supporting biomedical and health innovators to make an impact.
To read about WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub click here.
