Australia’s national science agency, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), has launched a free programme to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the growing health and medical technologies sector to develop new products and services.

Applications are now open for the 10-week Innovate to Grow programme, which provides SMEs with the knowledge and tools to better identify and understand their research and development (R&D) opportunities, plus develop actionable business plans to advance their innovative idea.  

Dr Susie Nilsson, Biomedical Manufacturing Research Director at CSIRO, said the health and medical technologies sectors play a pivotal role in growing Australia’s economy thanks to our aging population, disruptive technologies and COVID-19 driving local manufacturing capabilities. 

“Australia is home to more than 1,000 companies working in the medtech and pharmaceutical sector alone, and many of these are small and medium enterprises who we know can sometimes struggle with the transition from R&D to a viable product.   

Supporting these businesses as they pursue new treatments and technologies boosts not only our economy but most importantly helps people live healthier and more productive lives”, Dr Nilsson said. 

Innovate to Grow: Health and Medtech is open to SMEs working in the following sub-sectors: 

• Health & Nutrition

• Digital Health 

• Botanical pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals 

• Diagnostics, Biosensors & Biomedical Devices 

• Biopharmaceuticals 

• Drug Discovery 

• Vaccines & Biologic Therapeutics