State Government of Western Australia

04/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/16/2024 22:53

Funding boost to support health and medical life sciences training

  • State Government announces $425,000 package to support further health and medical life sciences training
  • $300,000 awarded to Perth Biodesign
  • $125,000 awarded to MTPConnect

The Cook Government is providing $425,000 for the ongoing support of Western Australia's industry training in the health and medical life sciences sector.

Medical Research Minister Stephen Dawson welcomed the funding boost to support and develop WA's dynamic health and medical life sciences sector.

Perth Biodesign has been awarded $300,000 to operate its annual seven-month part-time course over the next three years.

The course uses multidisciplinary teams to identify unmet clinical needs and work towards inventing a medical technology or digital health solution.

The content is delivered by experts in their fields and over the years the course has resulted in several start-up companies taking off in the sector including VitalTrace and VeinTech.

Hundreds of Biodesign participants have now been trained through the seven-month course, as well as boot camps, the award-winning iPREP Biodesign industry placement program, and university biomedical engineering units.

Perth Biodesign is therefore a critical component of the WA health and medical life sciences ecosystem.

MTPConnect, through the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub, has been awarded $125,000 to subsidise its industry training programs for 2024.

The funding will enable MTPConnect to deliver an additional three subsidised courses in ISO13485 and GMP principles this year.

The funding is supported by the Cook Government's $8.65 million commitment to deliver its Health and Medical Life Sciences Industry Strategy.

For more information see: Perth Biodesign and WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub : MTPConnect

Comments attributed to Science Minister Stephen Dawson:

"Western Australia's health and medical life sciences sector is a field brimming with fresh ideas and driven innovators who are hungry to solve current issues.

"By providing the funds for important entrepreneurial courses such as Perth Biodesign and training programs through MTPConnect, the Cook Government is ensuring our State remains at the forefront of new advances.

"Accessible industry training is vital for our growing sector and by funding further courses we are displaying our commitment for more people to enter the industry.

"The Cook Government has a vision to make WA a global hub for innovation and medical research and this investment is another significant step to bringing this to fruition."