Made in Australia: How we’ll grow the local MedTech sector

A thriving medical technology (MedTech) sector needs people skilled in engineering, product development and manufacturing. But it also needs people who understand regulation and business. Our expert panel discussed what Australia’s skill gaps are and how to fill them.

As Australia’s population grows and ages, our already-burdened healthcare systems will struggle to cope. MedTech can relieve this pressure. It can help maintain people’s health and quality of life.

But to realise this future, we must grow Australia’s domestic MedTech sector. And we must ensure our workforce has the skills to support it.

Chaired by Professor David Grayden, our webinar brought together experts to discuss the skills and education gaps of today and to explore strategies for equipping talent for success in the industry.

Watch the webinar

How university-industry collaborations will grow Australia’s MedTech sector

“We saw during COVID-19 the importance of sovereign manufacturing,” said University of Melbourne’s Professor Andrea O’Connor.

Professor O’Connor is co-Director of the Victorian Medtech Skills and Devices Hub. The Hub is a collaborative initiative of the University of Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology, RMIT University and the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery, funded by the Victorian State Government. It brings together industry, academia and government to improve the international competitiveness of the Victorian MedTech sector.

The Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery is a new biomedical engineering research translation centre founded by eight leading universities including the University of Melbourne, research institutes and St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. The centre will use medical technology and biomedical engineering to address human health problems. A new building on the grounds of St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne will open in 2025, with opportunities for co-location available for industry.

A roadmap to identify skill gaps in the Victorian MedTech sector was prepared by the Victorian Medtech Skills and Devices Hub, highlighting the specialised training needed in MedTech.

“We’re looking at whether we need to have new vocational education courses, but also things like electives and specialisations within higher education,” said Professor O’Connor.

But students also need exposure and experience in industry. The Victorian Medtech Skills and Devices Hub is connecting students and industry through its Medtech Industry Connections (MIC) program.

Short courses can teach specialised skills in areas like ethics, said Swinburne University’s Professor Rachael McDonald. Professor McDonald is the Director of MedTechVic, which designs co-created medical and assistive technology.

Communication skills are also important in MedTech. Product designers, engineers and health professionals traditionally use different languages. For the sector to thrive, they must be able to understand each other.

“It’s about having the opportunity for people to interact through skills development and educational offerings,” said Professor McDonald.

And what are the opportunities for new graduates in the local MedTech sector? Gary Haywood is Business Development Manager for Design+Industry, a leading Australian product design and development consultancy. He said there will be more opportunities in industry careers, consulting and MedTech startups as the local sector grows.

How can we support MedTech startups to stay in Australia?

“The sector has been incredibly well supported by governments – at the state level, federal level and even local level,” said Haywood.

“The success of the sector is ultimately going to be in its ability to transition away from public funding and to attract private funding.”

Capabilities for product development, clinical trials and technical support all exist within Australia, Haywood said. But the skills within management teams for raising funds are greater in the US.

Australian MedTech teams must be able to speak to investors in their language. Startup founders should be prepared to talk about target markets and financial return.

“It’s probably the greatest transition, when the adopted CEO of a team realises that, as opposed to doing technology development, they find themselves constantly doing raises to try and continue with the product development,” Haywood said.

The rigorous MedTech regulations may also complicate attracting investors. Teams must be aware of the target jurisdiction, compliance pathways and predicate devices (equivalent devices that are already legally in market), Haywood said.

Professor McDonald suggested that working in assistive technologies could be a way into the sector. She said the area is no less important than MedTech, just less rigorously regulated.

“It’s a really great test bed and way of giving people the skills that they need to work in MedTech – ‘MedTech lite’, if you like,” she said.

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