Australian Research Council (ARC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Professor Sue Thomas, has welcomed the launch of an ARC Training Centre dedicated to discovering innovations in biopharmaceuticals, and enhancing manufacturing processes for growing the Australian biopharmaceutical industry.
The ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre in Biopharmaceutical Innovation was officially launched by the Hon. Jane Prentice MP, Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services on behalf of the Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham, at The University of Queensland today. It is the latest in a suite of Research Training Centres opening around Australia under the ARC’s Industrial Transformation Research Program (ITRP).
The Training Centre has been awarded $4.3 million over five years in ARC funding to transform Australia’s growing biopharmaceutical industry, an advanced manufacturing capability, by training specialist biotechnologists and bioengineers.
“This new Training Centre will create new biopharmaceuticals and antibody-based reagents, focus on developing enhanced production methods and improved manufacturing capabilities, as well as train a cohort of specialist scientists,” said Professor Thomas.
“The Training Centre will bring an industry focus to a research setting—Key to this Training Centre is the embedding of highly skilled early-career PhD and postdoctoral researchers who will work closely with other experts and organisations, working on industry-driven research projects to provide ‘industry-ready’ graduates who can drive future growth in this advancing sector.”
Researchers at the Training Centre at The University of Queensland with research and development expertise will team with participating organisations: Commonwealth Serum Laboratories Limited; GE Healthcare; Australian Red Cross blood service; and Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd.
For more information about this Training Centre, please visit the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre in Biopharmaceutical Innovation website. For more information about the ARC and the Industrial Transformation Research Program, please visit the ARC website.