JOINT MEDIA RELEASE WITH THE MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY KAREN ANDREWS
An innovative project to enhance influenza vaccine production in Corangamite is one of 10 initiatives to share in a $25 million funding injection from the Morrison Government.
The successful Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-Ps) under round 9 involve 29 Australian companies, including 22 small and medium businesses.
Senator for Victoria Sarah Henderson said the support for Synbiova Pty Ltd includes grant funds totalling $2,399,226 to help produce new vaccine substrates and boost vaccine production.
“Working with Deakin University Waurn Ponds, this exciting project aims to improve the process for producing influenza vaccines which ordinarily requires the use of over a billion chicken eggs annually and produces tonnes of flu-infected waste.
“This project will solve this industry-wide problem by producing egg substrates that can produce vastly more vaccines than before, reducing waste and production hurdles for crucially needed influenza vaccines.
“This highly innovative project will be aimed at national and international sale and continue to put Geelong on the map as a centre of scientific innovation and medial expertise.
“It is tremendous to see such ingenuity in Corangamite and the Government is determined to back such collaborative innovation,” Senator Henderson said.
“This funding will help accelerate the project and ensure we can continue to grow the local economy at such a critical time post-COVID.”
Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews said these broad-ranging projects will help save time, money and lives.
“The Morrison Government is committed to supporting innovative ideas and assisting researchers and industry develop real-world solutions to issues facing Australia and the world,” Minister Andrews said.
“Now more than ever it is vital businesses and researchers work together to collaborate on outcomes which will generate opportunities and jobs as the nation continues its economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The $25 million in support from the Morrison Government will unlock a further $58 million of cash and in-kind contributions from 52 project partners.
Since the first round of CRC Projects in 2016, the Government has committed over $314 million in funding to support 145 projects.
14 July 2020