AusBiotech Conference

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:45): My question is to the Minister for Science and Information Economy.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: Can the minister inform the chamber about the 2017 AusBiotech conference?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:46): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in innovation and areas to do with science. He is often at events around Adelaide in this field. The AusBiotech conference is an annual event that attracts around 1,000 delegates from all around Australia and overseas. The conference was held in Adelaide in 2003 and again in 2011, and the 2017 conference was once again held in Adelaide, between the 25^th and the 27^th of this month.

The conference informs and updates the biotechnology sector with current industry facts and knowledge, bringing together professionals from across the global biotechnology industry for a program of presentations, forums, exhibitions and business and networking events. The conference featured key speakers on a wide range of topics, such as regenerative medicine and its potential to provide solutions for previously untreatable conditions and diseases; clinical trials, including strategies to help Australia maintain competitive advantages and to attract international R&D; key issues affecting the global pharmaceutical industry; fostering Australian innovation; and life science commercialisation and innovation, to name a few areas that speakers spoke about.

The biomedical industry in South Australia is significant. It is estimated that there are over 300 high-tech companies in South Australia. Export figures for medical devices from this state have increased 68 per cent from $160 million in 2014-15 to $268 million in 2015-16, and there is still significant potential for further growth from the sector. One of the highest priorities as a government is growing our health and biomedical science sector, making South Australia a logical place to once again host the AusBiotech conference.

We are making great strides towards building an impressive critical mass of expertise and global presence in this industry. It is a priority not only because it provides that economic imperative to grow the sector, but also because we understand how crucial it is when preparing for the future. The challenges and opportunities we face are mounting, and achievement in the life sciences is accelerating at a stunning pace. As people are living increasingly longer lives, finding new ways to ensure that people around the world can live better, healthier and easier lives is one of the great challenges of our time. Innovation in life sciences is one of the keys to unlocking a better future, and in South Australia we are playing a significant role in meeting these challenges.

Part of the way we demonstrate that is our commitment to innovation and investing in critical infrastructure. A great example of this investment can be found along the Riverbank. Our world-class health and medical precinct is estimated to be a $3.6 billion area, one of the largest biomedical clusters in the Southern Hemisphere, stretching from the Morphett Street bridge all the way down to Thebarton.

This precinct includes the state-of-the-art University of South Australia Health Innovation Building, the recently opened University of Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences Building, together with SAHMRI and, of course, the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. The BioMed City is set to welcome another addition, SAHMRI 2, a state-of-the-art medical research hub that will allow cutting-edge cancer treatment that has never been available before in the Southern Hemisphere.

It is not just an investment for South Australia: some of the world-leading research that is undertaken in this precinct has national and global reach, and we are doing the best to nurture these connections. We are working to attract investment to South Australia to support high-tech companies to grow here and to encourage entrepreneurs to bring ideas to life here. I have outlined a number of times in this chamber a number of ways the government is doing this, through initiatives like the South Australian Early Commercialisation Fund, the recent managers appointed to our Venture Capital Fund and, of course, our Gig City Project.

South Australia possesses some real strengths in many areas that touch on the biomedical industry, including medical and assistive devices technologies. There are a number of fantastic local companies whose locally developed and manufactured devices and solutions are used in clinical and research environments around the world. We are seeing lots of exciting innovations come out of our local South Australian biomedical sciences companies. Just last week we had a great announcement from MedDev Alliance in South Australia, partnering with local company Alcidion Group, to secure a grant from MPT Connect for their hospital 4.0 initiative, which they will use to develop wearable devices to monitor patients' clinical risk data in real time.

We have been very proud as a government to support local companies through our support for the MedDev Alliance in South Australia so that these sorts of companies can expand their capabilities and grow their businesses. The AusBiotech conference offered an excellent opportunity for participants to develop connections among researchers and professionals, and I have no doubt it will help to grow this important part of our economy in the future.