The City of Melbourne plays an active role in supporting the biotechnology industry. We promote Melbourne’s development as a globally recognised, competitive and entrepreneurial knowledge city.
Melbourne is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in medical research and discovery. Our particular strengths are in clinical trials, stem cell research and cancer therapies.
The City of Melbourne has a role as a ‘capital city’, where we work cooperatively with other councils and stakeholders to ensure ongoing support and promotion for the industry.
Greater Melbourne is home to 27 leading biotechnology research institutes, seven major teaching hospitals and nine universities. It is also home to highly skilled scientists, entrepreneurs and a wide range of expert business support services.
Eight of the nine universities are located in the City of Melbourne. Well known research institutes such as Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute are also within the municipality.
Projects such as the development of Australia’s only industrial synchrotron and the AUD$400 million biomedical research precinct, Bio 21, continue to build on Melbourne’s biotechnology strengths.
BioMelbourne Network
The City of Melbourne is a foundation sponsor of the BioMelbourne Network. The network is industry led and industry responsive, with over 140 member organisations. It is actively engaged with all the main players in the Victorian research, academic and business services sectors.
The network’s members represent almost 40 per cent of the market capitalisation of the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) Health and Biotech index, and more than 30 per cent of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funding.
The Victoria BioPortal provides one central hub for information about Australia’s most advanced bioscience location, Victoria. The extensive database housed on the BioPortal provides links to every Victorian-based organisation that is developing and applying bioscience discoveries to solve today’s most urgent challenges in health, agriculture, industry and environmental sustainability.
Sector highlights
- CSL Limited is Australia’s largest biotechnology company with a market capitalisation of approximately AU$2 billion – it is one of the world’s largest global producers of plasma and has developed Gardasil, the vaccine for cervical cancer, in conjunction with Merck
- Biota developed the flu therapy Relenza, used in the H1N1 flu (Human Swine flu) pandemic
- Two main factors lead to Melbourne being rated number one for clinical trials: our regulatory framework is similar to that of the US and costs are 50–60 per cent of those at other destinations
- Melbourne is the location of the Australian Synchrotron, a highly sophisticated piece of infrastructure that will aid in the analysis and development of new therapies
- Some 50 per cent of the top 20 biotech companies listed on the ASX are located in Melbourne
- Almost 75 per cent of Australia’s top biotech companies by market capitalisation are located in Melbourne
- Forty-seven listed life science companies are located in Melbourne – they have a combined market capitalisation of AU$22 billion
Major players
Events
Council sponsors the monthly BioMelbourne Breakfasts – a networking event for people and organisations in the Melbourne biotechnology community. Guest speakers present on a range of topics relevant to the commercialisation of biotechnological discovery.
Visit BioMelbourne Network for further information.
Research