AstraZeneca fostering innovation in healthcare through local partnerships

Digital & Innovation: New healthcare technologies are advancing so rapidly that pharmaceutical companies are transforming to partner and collaborate with start-ups in fostering innovation to meet the needs of payers, patients and healthcare providers.

Kumaran Mani, Associate Director Business Development, Digital Health and Healthcare Innovation Hub Lead for AstraZeneca Australia & New Zealand, talked to Health Industry Hub about the organisation’s plans to lead the Innovate Health 2021 PitchFest and the strategic priorities for AstraZeneca in partnering with Australian start-ups to foster innovation.

The PitchFest presents a unique opportunity for Australian start-ups to pitch to a potential first customer, investor, clinician/frontline provider, and future commercialisation partner.

Mr Mani said “We want to put AstraZeneca at the heart of the Australia & New Zealand innovation ecosystem and support start-up companies.

“AstraZeneca has the presence across the entire pharmaceutical value chain in Australia – from R&D and manufacturing to commercialisation. One of our key pillars of the innovation hub is to engage with the local ecosystem to bring solutions to patients and also support local start-ups to expand beyond Australia and build their market across the world. So it’s exciting times.”

Earlier this year, AstraZeneca launched the A.Catalyst Network: a global network of more than 20 AstraZeneca health innovation hubs based in Asia, Australia & New Zealand, China, Europe, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, the UK and the US.

Through the A.Catalyst Network, AstraZeneca is co-creating challenge-based solutions with and for patients, and working with start-ups and partners to establish integrated healthcare systems that benefit the whole patient experience – from prevention and awareness, diagnosis and treatment to post-treatment and wellness.

Locally, AstraZeneca partnered with Austrade to deliver Innovative Health in Asia Virtual Bootcamp with China A.Catalyst Network in 2020 and with hubs in Singapore, China, Taiwan and South Korea in 2021. These bootcamps help Australian start-ups enter the Asia Pacific markets. Planning is underway for the next bootcamp with India’s innovation hub to be conducted in early 2022.