Australia’s first hospital-based biomedical engineering research centre has officially opened in Melbourne, with the Victorian government backing the project as a catalyst for future medical breakthroughs.
Minister for health Harriet Shing announced the opening of the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) in Fitzroy on behalf of deputy premier and minister for medical research Ben Carroll.
The $206 million centre, co-located with St Vincent’s Hospital, received $60 million in funding from the Allan Labor Government.
The facility brings together clinicians, scientists and engineers from hospitals, universities, research institutes and healthcare companies, with the aim of accelerating the translation of medical discoveries into patient care.
Research conducted at the centre will focus on major health challenges including epilepsy, cancer and osteoarthritis. Investigations will utilise technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and regenerative medicine.
Designed as a collaborative research and education hub, the ACMD can accommodate up to 900 researchers and train as many as 300 doctors annually.
Its facilities include 3D printing laboratories, robotics systems, engineering workshops and a kinetics laboratory intended to support faster clinical trial development and implementation.
The centre also features a dedicated education facility that will train future clinical, nursing, allied health and biomedical professionals.
Located within Melbourne’s biomedical precinct, the ACMD is expected to strengthen Victoria’s position as a global centre for medical research and innovation while attracting international talent and investment.
The project has also received support from the Commonwealth government, St Vincent’s Health Australia and a range of philanthropic and research partners.
The Victorian government said it has invested more than $1.1 billion in health and medical research since 2014, supporting jobs, industry growth and healthcare innovation.
Carroll said facilities such as the ACMD would help deliver both health and economic benefits.
“We’re backing world-class facilities like the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery that generate lifesaving breakthroughs and support thousands of jobs,” he said.
Shing said the centre would help accelerate the delivery of new treatments.
“The impact of medical research is life-saving and life-changing, and this Centre will fast-track more treatments and bring better outcomes to Victorians living with a range of really complex conditions,” she said.
Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery acting chief executive Michael Krieg said the facility would help bridge the gap between research and patient care.
“This isn’t just a research facility, it’s where the discoveries made in the lab will find their way to the bedside faster, and more reliably, than ever before,” he said.
