Melbourne Hosts Swiss Delegation to Accelerate Innovation through Global Partnerships

Strategic Insights -

The University of Melbourne has recently hosted a Swiss delegation of 28 government, research, and industry leaders to explore collaborative opportunities between Australia and Switzerland. The delegation, led by Switzerland's State Secretary for Education, Research, and Innovation Professor Martina Hirayama, included an event with 60 invited Melbourne-based leaders and a tour of Melbourne's biomedical and innovation precincts. The University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Professor Emma Johnston and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Mark Cassidy emphasized the potential for increased collaboration, citing Switzerland's significant investment in research and development (R&D), with a GDP allocation of 3.4 percent compared to Australia's 1.68 percent. The University is Switzerland's top Australian research partner in terms of co-publications, with a strong commitment to expanding international partnerships and driving innovation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The University of Melbourne hosted a Swiss delegation of 28 government, research, and industry leaders, led by Professor Martina Hirayama, to explore collaborative opportunities between Australia and Switzerland.
  • Switzerland invests heavily in R&D, allocating 3.4 percent of its GDP, compared to Australia's 1.68 percent, making it the University's top overseas partner for co-publications.
  • The University has announced its participation in the University of Basel's Superpella start-up accelerator program, with teams CymphonyBio and Chromos Labs selected for the prestigious event.
  • Collaboration opportunities discussed during the delegation included stronger participation in research funding, joint PhD programs, and new pathways to crosslink innovation ecosystems between Australia and Switzerland.
  • The delegation toured Melbourne's biomedical and innovation precincts, including Melbourne Connect, the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, the Doherty Institute, Jumar Bioincubator, and CSL.

Statistics:

  • Australia's R&D GDP allocation: 1.68 percent ( xamarin )
  • Switzerland's R&D GDP allocation: 3.4 percent ( xamarin )
  • Number of Swiss delegation members: 28
  • Number of Melbourne-based leaders invited to the event: 60
  • Percentage of co-publications between University of Melbourne and Switzerland: In the University's top 10 most active countries globally ( xamarin )
  • Number of University of Melbourne teams participating in the University of Basel's Superpella start-up accelerator program: 2 (CymphonyBio and Chromos Labs)

Sources:

  • University of Melbourne website ()