Australia’s leading digital health commercialisation organisation ANDHealth will create the Victorian Connected Health Innovation and Commercialisation Centre (CHICC) with $2.4 million from the state government's Australian Medtech Manufacturing Centre and Biotechnology Fund.
The CHICC is being established to drive the creation and commercialisation of digital and digitally-enabled medical technology companies and raise Victoria’s profile as a leading centre for Australia’s fast-growing connected health sector.
ANDHealth CEO and managing director Bronwyn Le Grice said, “This investment by the Victorian Government represents a significant commitment to growing a strong connected health sector, comprising both digital and digitally-enabled medical technologies. The CHICC will support the increase of medical technology manufacturing, create highly skilled jobs and ultimately deliver technologies that will result in better health outcomes for all Australians.
“Cutting edge medical technologies are increasingly leveraging the power of software to deliver improved patient outcomes. In many cases, medical technologies are powered by software which is instrumental in, or solely responsible for, the clinical benefit to patients. Software also makes these technologies more accessible and affordable for healthcare consumers and our healthcare system. The CHICC will act as a central resource to support accelerated commercialisation of these types of technologies in Victoria.”
The CHICC and associated commercialisation programs are expected to engage 500 participants per year.
The CHICC will be based in Melbourne CBD, linking the BioMedical Precincts of Parkville and East Melbourne with the emerging technology hubs of Cremorne and West Melbourne.
“This new Centre will strengthen Victoria’s nation-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities and our status as a growing hub for medtech production,” said Victorian Minister for Industry Support and Recovery, Ben Carroll.
“We will continue to support local medtech manufacturers to create thousands of high-skilled jobs across our state.”
“Our medical researchers and innovators are leaders in their field, regularly bringing world-first medtech products and devices to market that will change the lives of Victorians and people around the world,” said Victorian Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Jaala Pulford.