Australia-Israel partnership to accelerate medical innovation and health service transformation

Monash University, Australia is teaming up with Israel’s Sheba Medical Centre, to research and develop new medical technology, digital health innovations and models of care and facilitate their commercialisation, manufacture and adoption in health service environments to benefit patients and communities both locally and overseas.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Tel Aviv, Israel, last week, the partners will focus on collaborative research and development programs in healthcare, including digital health; remote care; cardiovascular health; precision medicine; new therapies; devices and diagnostics; and healthy ageing.

An early activity will see the partners focus on cardiovascular research – supported by a $200,000 investment by the Victorian Government – in the Monash Victorian Heart Institute located within the newly-opened Victorian Heart Hospital on Monash University’s Clayton campus.

This funding builds on the $1.5 million Monash intends to invest over the first three years for broader activities under the MoU.

The collaboration aims to work with industry partners to stimulate growth in the local medtech manufacturing sector, while also building new training opportunities for health practitioners and researchers.

Image caption- Back row (L-R), the Ben Carroll, Victorian Minister for Industry and Innovation, Professor Yitshak Kreiss, Director-General of Sheba Medical Centre, Miriam Syber, Melbourne Biomedical Director, Israel-Australia Chamber of Commerce (IACC) and Victorian Government’s Tel-Aviv Trade & Investment Office. Front row (L-R) Professor Mike Ryan, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Monash University, and Professor Eyal Zimlichman, Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer and Head of ARC Centre for Innovation, Sheba Medical Centre.