BRISBANE, Australia
Johnson & Johnson Innovation announced the extension of the Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office at Queensland University of Technology (JJIPO @ QUT) for three years in collaboration with the Queensland State Government at the AusBiotech National Conference in Brisbane yesterday.
The extension of the joint initiative between Johnson & Johnson Innovation, the Queensland Government, and QUT will allow JJIPO @ QUT to continue nurturing and accelerating innovative research and new product development and commercialisation for a global market, as well as local job creation in Queensland.
“Australia has a pioneering healthcare ecosystem, and this initiative represents Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s ongoing commitment to both helping connect life-science innovators in Queensland to the global innovation ecosystem and bringing Queensland’s home-grown healthcare solutions to the wider world,” said Dr. Rowan Chapman, Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, California1, who oversees the Western US region.
The JJIPO @ QUT was originally launched in 2016 by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palazczuk to provide crucial support to researchers and companies in the Queensland life-science sector as part of the $650 million Advance Queensland initiative.
“Queensland is Australia’s innovation state, and we’re committed to collaborating with organisations to expedite the life-sciences sector and enhance the world in which we live,” said Premier Palaszczuk. “This is why we are delighted to extend for three years our joint agreement with Johnson & Johnson Innovation to maintain the partnering office at QUT.”
Kathy Connell, Senior Director of New Ventures Australia and New Zealand, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, which is affiliated with Janssen ANZ (Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd), said: “The extension of the partnering office is testament to the valuable work that is taking place at JJIPO @ QUT. In its first two years, JJIPO @ QUT has helped accelerate innovation in Queensland by nurturing the capabilities of life-science researchers. A few notable collaborations include potential new treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, as well as a saliva-based diagnostic for the early detection of throat cancers.”
Since its inception in 2016, JJIPO @ QUT has provided a platform for major life-science collaboration in Queensland to strengthen the healthcare ecosystem and enable future impact, including:
- Forty educational training and networking events
- Over 20 international executive visits from the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies to provide mentorship to Queensland entrepreneurs, investors, academics, government and industry stakeholders
- More than 1,600 stakeholders and attendees engaged through JJIPO @ QUT’s global network
- The launch of the Advance Queensland Johnson & Johnson Innovation QuickFire Challenge with 12 finalists and three winners
- Investment of AUD300,000 from Queensland Government resulting in in-bound investment of AUD12.5M following comprehensive training, networking and mentoring programs at the JJIPO @ QUT
- International tours to connect Queensland innovators to the Johnson & Johnson Innovation network, including Johnson & Johnson Innovation Centers, JLABS @ TMC, JLABS @ San Diego, JLABS @ SSF and CDI @ TMC, as well as Janssen Research & Development, LLC (US) and Janssen Research & Development, Division of Janssen Pharmaceutical NV (Belgium), and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. (US)
- Several meetings with Australian federal and state government leaders and ministers
“QUT is committed to developing its research for the global innovation value chain and considers the JJIPO @ QUT as an asset for all Queensland institutions and entrepreneurs to access and use to accelerate Queensland healthcare technology,” said Professor Margaret Sheil, Vice Chancellor, QUT.
Since 2012, Johnson & Johnson Innovation has played an active role in establishing connections with key stakeholders in the Australia life-science ecosystem, including academia, government and venture capitalists, to enable public-private collaboration and support early-stage entrepreneurs and academic researchers.
JJIPO @ QUT works with emerging healthcare companies and academic researchers across Queensland, providing commercialisation training, mentoring and networking support at no cost, to accelerate translational life-science research along the path to commercialisation. These activities are part of Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s ongoing commitment to strengthening Queensland’s healthcare innovation ecosystem and to giving locally developed technologies a greater chance for investment by industry, for reaching patients faster, and for realising a fair return on investment.
The Advance Queensland initiative is part of the Queensland Government’s vision to grow the economy and knowledge base through funding to support programs that drive innovation and help raise its profile as an attractive investment destination. With the renewed support of Advance Queensland, JJIPO @ QUT can continue to accelerate Queensland’s shift towards a globally competitive life-sciences ecosystem with the potential of improving the health and wellbeing of people in Australia and around the world.
1 Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC
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