Sydney leads medtech in Australia with groundbreaking health and innovation districts
Sydney’s appeal as an events destination reaches far beyond its iconic landmarks, excellent infrastructure and welcoming culture. Beneath the surface lies a thriving medtech and healthcare landscape, which makes it an ideal choice for health and life sciences conferences. In this article, we explore the many medtech, health, and innovation districts across Sydney, where experts from industry, government, and academia converge to pave the way for groundbreaking advancements.
Sydney’s world-leading hospitals and medical innovation districts
Beyond the city centre, two remarkable health and innovation districts stand tall, shaping the future of healthcare.
To the west lies the Westmead Health and Innovation District, a burgeoning global centre for innovative health care. This district proudly brings together four major hospitals, five world-leading medical research institutes, NSW’s largest research-intensive pathology service, and two university campuses.
University of New South Wales (UNSW)
To the east is the Randwick Health and Innovation District – a partnership between the NSW Government and the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Spearheading medical breakthroughs that will revolutionise health care, the district comprises preclinical facilities, four hospitals, and institutes working in fields such as neuroscience, mental health, cancer, biomedical sciences, and robotics.
The Camperdown-Ultimo Collaboration Area encompasses Greater Sydney’s largest and most comprehensive health and education precincts. The area falls into the Tech Central footprint, an innovation hub that incubates major medtech breakthroughs.
Tech Central’s booming medtech and biotech industry is the largest in Australia. The district is home to more than 50 pharmaceutical companies and 500 medtech companies, making up 55% of Australia’s medtech and biotech companies. It is also backed by research and development investment totalling $5.5 billion, representing half of all this investment nationwide.
$10.1 billion invested in health over four years
$4.8 billion in medtech revenue
$270 million dedicated to medtech
The precinct contains the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, University of Notre Dame Sydney Campus, and TAFE Ultimo, in addition to medical research institutions, including:
Institute of Academic Surgery
A unique hub for surgical research and education on the RPA campus, the Institute of Academic Surgery is the first of its kind in Australia dedicated solely to advancing academic surgery.
RPA Virtual
RPA Virtual is the first virtual hospital in NSW. Housed within RPA’s state-of-the-art facilities and with cutting-edge digital technologies, it offers round-the-clock personalised care, leveraging RPA's world-class expertise.
Robotic Training Institute
The Robotic Training Institute was developed to bring together clinical care, research, training, and leading medical technology.
Cathryn Cox PSM Chief Executive Adjunct Associate Professor, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network is Australia’s biggest health provider of services for children and young people. This world-renowned network is a prime example of Sydney’s high standing in the international medical community and is made up of six facilities:
- The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
- Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick
- Kids Research
- Newborn and paediatric Emergency Transport Service (NETS)
- Bear Cottage
- Children’s Court Clinic
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Chief Executive Adjunct Associate Professor, Cathryn Cox PSM, emphasises the network’s commitment to cutting-edge care for children. She believes the real change in approach comes from scientists informing the type of care patients receive.
“Sydney has so many institutions and organisations that can come together and collaborate to deliver better outcomes. The research is absolutely critical. We need research alongside the bedside to inform care and rapid translation, but also so clinicians can inform researchers of the problems we need solutions for because we’ve got people who need cures and better treatments now. We can’t wait ten years until that finally emerges. Here, we have that rapid translation of research, because it sits alongside and is integrated with how we care for patients.”
Cathryn Cox PSM
Chief Executive Adjunct Associate Professor, Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network
World-renowned leading medical research institutes
Sydney’s reputation as a medical and research powerhouse is further bolstered by the presence of institutes that have garnered international acclaim.
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research
At the forefront of medical research, the Garvan Institute of Medical Research fosters collaboration between clinicians and world-leading researchers. With a patient-focused approach, its dedicated researchers break down traditional scientific barriers, working together to find innovative solutions to complex diseases.
The Lowy Cancer Research Centre
A trailblazer in medical research, the UNSW Lowy Cancer Research Centre stands unwavering in its pursuit of understanding and combating cancer. With a commitment to translational research, its mission is to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical advancements, ensuring its findings bring tangible patient benefits.
Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute
As Australia’s leading hub of heart research, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute is relentlessly dedicated to unravelling the mysteries of cardiovascular disease and seeking effective cures. With a strong focus on cutting-edge medical research, its expert team strives to advance our understanding of heart conditions, revolutionise diagnostics, treatment methods, and preventive measures.
Sydney’s medtech advancements
As Sydney continues to push the boundaries of medical innovation, it emerges as the ideal venue for hosting medical conferences. From the thriving Westmead Health and Innovation District to the visionary Randwick Health and Innovation District and beyond, Sydney’s landscape resonates with an ongoing commitment to progress. Delegates can immerse themselves in a world where groundbreaking research, innovative technology, and unrivalled expertise coalesce, fostering an environment of collaboration and knowledge exchange.
As Ms Cox shares, “Sydney is a global city, and it offers all the advantages and expertise of a global city. We have unbelievable health services, unbelievable research, and unbelievable innovation.”
