October 26, 2022 | By Bronwen Largier
The Western Australian state government, along with the capital city’s bureau, Business Events Perth, have spent up big to bring AusBiotech 2022 to the state this week for the first time in 15 years.
Between the two organisations, $450,000 was committed to secure the three-day event for the west. With around 1,300 people expected to take part, the spend per delegate far outstrips the domestic subvention funding we’ve seen throughout the pandemic, which has, for the most part, sat between $40 and $50 per delegate per day.
The state government believes the event will spotlight Western Australia’s health and medical life sciences industry which more than doubled in size between 2017 and 2021, now comprising 244 companies.
Professor Fiona Wood, inventor of one of the most notable biotech innovations to come out of WA, spray-on skin, which was used to treat victims of the Bali bombings in 2002 will give a keynote at the conference.
“The Ausbiotech conference is an incredible opportunity for our local research sector to showcase our achievements and our home-grown talent to a global audience,” said WA’s innovation and ICT and medical research minister Stephen Dawson.
“WA is home to some of the most innovative health and medical research programs being undertaken anywhere in the world.
“There has never been a better time for Perth to host AusBiotech 2022. It is a prime time to broadcast our successful and burgeoning medical research and technology sector that has the potential to improve lives around the world.”
Meanwhile the state’s minister for state development, jobs and trade, Roger Cook – who is also the tourism minister – sung the praises of business events in the context of the knowledge economy, rather than tourism.
“Business events act as a catalyst and a front door for trade and investment,” he said.
“AusBiotech 2022 and AusBioInvest 2022 are a platform for current and future biotech leaders to pitch their new products to potential investors, creating new opportunities and collaborations.”