New Health Innovation Centre to bolster Victorian tech manufacturing

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Image credit: Minister Ben Carroll's Twitter

Melbourne now houses the new Victorian Connected Health Innovation and Commercialisation Centre, which will help Victorian health technology manufacturers that seek to advance the development of their digital or connected products. 

Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll led the opening ceremony of the $2.4 million innovation centre in Melbourne’s CBD today. 

“Victoria invests in bold ideas that have the potential to change lives and this new centre will help bring our inventions to the world – creating local jobs and cementing our status as a global health tech leader,” Minister Carroll said. 

The centre, delivered by digital health commercialisation experts ANDHealth, intends to support up to 500 people from Victorian companies annually, linking them with healthcare organisations, organisations, and investors who can help develop their ideas and bring them to market. 

“Through this new centre, ANDHealth is proud to work with the government to propel the sector forward and deliver benefits to Victorians interacting with the healthcare system,” said Bronwyn Le Grice, CEO and managing director of ANDHealth. 

The new innovation centre will provide skills training, an international expert in residence program, services to connect businesses with investors, and community networks to test digital health solutions. 

The centre will also offer an accelerator program backed by the Victorian Government through $1.4 million in funding from LaunchVic

Local companies Macuject and Atmo Biosciences are among the local digital health companies that are expected to benefit from the centre’s resources. 

Macuject’s clinical support software is being developed to help deliver more effective treatments for patients suffering from macular degeneration– the most common cause of preventable blindness, affecting four per cent of the population over 50. 

“ANDHealth and the CHICC have already had a transformative impact on our business as we work to help eye care professionals overcome challenges associated with diagnosing and treating eye disorders,” said Macuject CEO and founder Devinder Chauhan.