PROVIDENCE – As Rhode Island pushes to establish itself as a life sciences hub, the New England Medical Innovation Center is seeking to elevate the Ocean State's international profile through a partnership with Australia's Perth Biodesign.
Perth Biodesign, a Western Australia-based organization providing training and additional resources to biomedical entrepreneurs, will visit Providence on Monday to sign a memorandum of agreement with NEMIC, positioning the two companies to share resources as Perth Biodesign expands into the U.S. market.
The partnership will assist the two biomed innovation groups in accessing international markets, said Perth Biodesign Chairman Kevin Pfleger, a professor and director of biomedical and health innovation at the University of Western Australia.
“For our companies emerging in Australia, and particularly in Perth, their primary market is the U.S.,” Pfleger said. “Having NEMIC provide that on-the ground, expert advice about how to access the U.S. market is invaluable, so it’s a great opportunity for both partners.”
The Rhode Island market is also “very well geographically placed in proximity to Boston and New York,” Pfleger added, making Providence “a great gateway to the Northeast of the U.S.
“Similarly,” he continued, “Perth is a location that gives fantastic access to Austroasia, and more broadly into the Pacific region,” with the Australian city located in the world’s most populous time zone.
Perth Biodesign does not currently have plans for a physical location in Providence, but Pfleger said that companies working with the group could eventually look to set up offices in the Ocean State.
The MOU signing, slated to take place at the Providence CIC, will host a delegation of Australian and local innovation and government representatives, including Stephen Dawson, Western Australia’s minister for emergency services, innovation and digital economy, jobs and trade, science, and medical research; Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley; and Patrice Milos, a board member for the R.I. Life Sciences Hub.
In addition to visiting Providence, the Australian delegation will make stops across several East Coast cities.
Perth Biodesign choosing Providence as the focal point for its U.S. operations stands as a testament to the Ocean State's offerings,
said Andrew Williamson, business and engagement coordinator for NEMIC.
While not directly related to the state government’s push to establish Rhode Island as a destination for biotech and the life sciences, Williamson noted, the MOU and ensuing partnership support a shared goal between NEMIC and Rhode Island officials.
“With this MOU, it’s really about amplifying Providence and solidifying us as a center of excellence in the life sciences and in med-tech,” Williamson said. “It’s a big deal, but it’s also repeatable. If we’re successful with this one, there are more that will follow. ... It demonstrates to the world that Providence is open for business, and Rhode Island is open for business.”
The partnership arose "very organically" through connections between staff at NEMIC and Perth Biodesign, Williamson said, adding that the Australian innovation service is in many ways analogous to NEMIC in function.
Pfleger echoed this assessment. Perth Biodesign, run by the University of Western Australia and affiliated with various government and innovation entities throughout its home country, works to identify unmet health care needs and support entrepreneurs in developing solutions.
NEMIC is all about driving "health care innovation, expert advising, education and community,” Pfleger said, “and that’s exactly what Perth Biodesign does in Australia, so it’s a wonderful meeting of minds and culture.”
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
