Adelaide, South Australia wants to let the secret out, and be known as hub for medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and digital health. It boasts world-class research institutions, such as the University of Adelaide and SAHMRI, fostering innovation and collaboration. The city’s supportive government policies provide incentives, grants, and streamlined regulations for businesses. Adelaide’s skilled workforce, renowned for its expertise in health sciences, offers a talent pool to drive industry growth. Additionally, the city’s strategic location, advanced infrastructure, and strong healthcare ecosystem make it an ideal base for development, manufacturing, and market access, attracting companies in these sectors.
Australian Health Journal spoke to Jo Close, heading the Adelaide arm of MTPConnect about the opportunity its building through its role as the industry growth centre, to help increase commercialisation and collaboration across the sector, optimise the regulatory environment, improving workforce skills and access to markets globally.
One of the companies showing world leading MedTech capabilities arising from Adelaide is Additive Surgical, the first company in Australia to manufacture 3D Printed Titanium novel spinal implant technologies. Its mission is to manufacture the highest quality medical technology in Australia that positively impact the lives of people globally.
Australian Health Journal met with Co-founder and CEO Gibran Maher.
Maher states, “Additive Surgical is committed to supporting Australian innovation and works closely with the Australian clinicians, hospitals, research institutions and universities to innovate and manufacture locally.”
Maher points out the ability to compete is made possible through supportive collaboration with government, research and other enterprises seeking to learn from each other. But to truely compete in international markets, Australia’s needs to further strengthen its sovereign capability.
Currently Australia imports more than 80% of its medical devices. Large multinational companies have very strong market share in Australia and the profits from these companies are largely returned to their international shareholders.
Additive Surgical is committed to manufacturing in Australia, developing intellectual property in Australia and supporting Australian innovation and commercialisation.
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Confronting picture of growing women’s health crisis in uterine cancers
Uterine cancers have become Australia’s fastest-growing women’s cancer, with incidence doubling over the past 25 years and projected to continue to surge. Without immediate action, more than 44,000 women are expected to be diagnosed by 2035, and 8,900 will lose their lives to the disease.
Released November 2025, Australia’s first State of the Nation: Uterine Cancers in Australia 2025 report by the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG), reveals a confronting picture of a growing women’s health crisis that has gone largely unseen and one that now requires immediate, coordinated national action.
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Gold Coast paediatric emergency nurse leads world’s largest study in securement
Brooke Charters is a dynamic Paediatric Emergency Nurse who works at the Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland. Brooke’s research became the world’s largest study of its kind and in May 2024 the results of the study were published in JAMA Pediatrics. Her mission is to drive change and enhance the hospital experience for children globally.
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Challenges of delivering a person centred palliative care model
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