First hospital-based innovation hub opens

Australia’s first hospital-based medical discovery centre has officially opened, marking the culmination of more than two decades of vision, collaboration and investment in a new model for healthcare innovation.

Located within the St Vincent’s Fitzroy Health and Innovation Precinct alongside SVI and St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD) has been designed as a collaborative environment where researchers, engineers, clinicians and industry partners work together to accelerate the journey from bench to bedside.

“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,” said Michael Krieg, Acting CEO, Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery. “For patients across Victoria and beyond, that means better outcomes, shorter stays, and care that’s built around what works.”

The $206 million biomedical engineering centre brings together nine founding partners inclduing St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, the Bionics Institute, the Centre for Eye Research Australia, the University of Melbourne, RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology, Australian Catholic University and University of Wollongong Australia.

The purpose-built facility features cutting-edge laboratories, a human kinetics lab, 3D printing facilities, engineering workshops, a clinical simulation lab and dedicated education facilities designed to train the next generation of clinical, nursing, allied health and biomedical research leaders. Across 11 floors, ACMD provides 4,500 square metres of dedicated research space, including 31 laboratories with capacity for up to 900 researchers.

“As the ACMD’s only hospital partner, St Vincent’s is proud to work alongside leading universities and research institutes to tackle some of the world’s most complex health challenges and turn research discoveries into real-world healthcare solutions,” said Nicole Tweddle, SVHM CEO. “With the ACMD located in our Fitzroy Health and Innovation precinct, SVHM will be the translational playground where innovations in medtech, biotech and digital are brought into practice.”

The centre has been built on the site of the former Aikenhead Wing at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, which previously served as a residence for trainee nurses. ACMD takes its name from Mary Aikenhead, founder of the Sisters of Charity, the order that established St Vincent’s.

SVI Director Professor Tom Kay commented, “As a founding ACMD partner, SVI is excited to work alongside clinicians, engineers and industry in a collaborative environment designed to accelerate medical innovation. By bringing together complementary expertise, we can help translate research to improve patient outcomes.”

In reimagining healthcare across the entire patient journey, Health Industry Hub^TM is the only one-stop-hub uniting the diversity of the Pharma, MedTech, Diagnostics & Biotech sectors to inspire meaningful change.

The Health Industry Hub^TM content is copyright protected. Access is available under individual user licenses. Please click here to subscribe and visit T&Cs here.