A western suburbs research precinct will be turned into WA’s biomedical hub in a move the state government hopes will enable more local manufacturing
A western suburbs research precinct will be turned into WA’s biomedical hub in a move the state government hopes will enable more manufacturing to be done in Western Australia.
The state government on Friday announced a preliminary deal to turn the CSIRO and UWA laboratories on Underwood Avenue in Floreat into a biomedical precinct capable of housing companies researching and manufacturing products in WA.
While about 55 CSIRO staff are still on site at the facility, most of the agency’s employees have moved over to its newer Kensington office.
Othocell chief operating officer Alex McHenry said the facility would support the company’s expansion into Asia and Europe.
“This is a huge win for this rapidly growing life science sector,” he said.
“We are actively now preparing for [our] product to be launched into the US market.
“We have the capacity to manufacture over 100,000 units, which will suffice for the US market, but we plan to go to Europe and into Asia and it is this type of support by [state] government and this type of facility that really supports that kind of expansion.”
OncoRes medical chief executive Katharine Giles said the facility would help to attract and retain talent from around the world.
“We are absolutely thrilled to witness the commitment that has been shown today to develop a biomedical precinct that will enable companies like ours to collaborate even more and establish firm of foundations to innovate, develop and manufacture our devices and export to the world from Western Australia,” she said.
The 10-hectare site has been under UWA’s remit for 120 years and has been used by CSIRO for about 60 years.
The memorandum of understanding signed between the state government, CSIRO, and UWA on Friday will see the agencies plan what areas need refurbishment, how many companies can move in, and what extra facilities and equipment would be needed.
Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson said there was sufficient lab and office space for companies to move in immediately.
Mr Dawson said a chance visit to the site in 2022 planted the seed for its new lease on life.
“CSIRO… once had hundreds of staff here, but they have moved into other facilities which meant that this is a an almost vacant facility,” he said.
“It is a great facility, it has got great labs, and it is a big area.
“We want our best and brightest to stay in Western Australia, but we want to help them sell their products to the world, so having a centrally located facility that multiple companies can work out of in tandem with the best researchers at our universities locally, I saw as a game changer.”
Mr Dawson said the state had put $175 million into about 600 medical research projects in the past three years and had another $250 million to spend on the sector in the next four years.
He said the state government was also working to attract global companies and talent to WA’s biomedical sector.
UWA vice chancellor Amit Chakma said WA had “huge potential” in the biomedical sector.
“We actually have the elements of what it takes to translate knowledge from laboratory side to practical side,” he said.
“We just need to do it bigger and better, and this partnership opens the door for us to take the next step.”
CSIRO and UWA are expected to maintain research operations on site under the deal.
