The Turnbull government has announced it will invest $55 million in the new Digital Health CRC (Cooperative Research Centre) with the goal of further developing Australia's digital health technology and services industry.
The new CRC will also receive funding, in cash and in-kind, through collaborative partnerships with around 40 government and non-government organisations.
It will have at least $111 million in cash funding, and $118 million in-kind funding, to invest over its seven-year life. It will invest to develop and test digital health solutions impacting patients and service providers.
According to Senator Zed Seselja, the assistant minister for science, jobs and innovation, “The CRC brings together industry and research partners across Australia’s health and wellness landscape in a collaborative approach to advancing health and medical technologies and pharmaceutical industries.
“CRCs have a proven track record in delivering tangible benefits for industry. By linking industry expertise with our world-class research capability, CRCs generate new knowledge, solve problems and offer opportunities to commercialise new ideas.”
“Timing is everything,” said CEO-designate David Jonas. “Australia has pioneered many health advances. If we act now, the Australian health industry can be pioneers in digital health transformation and leaders in digital health technology."
Professor Christine Bennett AO, Chair of the consortium, said the CRC’s R&D program is industry driven and academically powered. “We forecast that at least 1,000 new jobs will be created by this CRC, and that the Government and our partners investments will be returned 5 times over, and most importantly we will have actively contributed to improving the health and wellbeing of all Australians”.