The Victorian Labor Party says it will contribute $60 million to Australia’s first research and education centre for biomedical engineering if it wins the November 29 state election.
Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews said the investment in the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery at St Vincent’s Hospital would bring together doctors, scientists and researchers to help Victoria become a leader in medical technology.
“The product you get from all those different disciplines together, I think there’s going to be some quite amazing discoveries and advances,” Mr Andrews said.
Ultimately the centre would create 1,080 jobs to “turbocharge” an industry that would support up to 10,000 jobs over the next 15 years, Mr Andrews added.
It would focus on chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, arthritis and cancer.
“It will have a look at everything between from joint replacement and spinal cord research, bionics, robotics, important parts of the fight against cancer, cardiovascular disease, a whole range of neurological conditions, epilepsy, for instance,” he said.
“There’ll be no limits to what can be achieved in this new centre.
“It’s purpose built, it’s an Australian first.”
The Opposition said the project was “ready to start” if the Abbott Government matched Labor’s $60 million contribution.
“I would hope that the Federal Government will definitely be a partner in this. That would be my hope,” Mr Andrews said.
“It’s a very strong case and an opportunity we simply can’t pass by.”
The centre was part of Labor’s plan to get 100,000 Victorians back to work.
“I have identified that as a Labor government, if we are elected, that pharmaceutical’s and medical technology will be a very big part of Victoria’s economic story into the future but we have to make those investments,” the Opposition Leader said.