Accelerating innovation for sustainable health care

Hon Stephen Dawson MLC, Minister for Medical Research

It’s a privilege to lead a portfolio that helps drive the medical research and innovation sector for the Government of Western Australia.

Global demand for health care services continues to increase and we need brilliant minds to push the boundaries and explore new frontiers. Through pursuing new knowledge, we can live healthier lives. 

Western Australia hosts the strongest economy in the nation, along with the fastest growing population. It’s the Cook Government’s goal for our State to be the healthiest in the nation also.

Through our government’s Made in WA plan, we will ensure our local innovators can make a difference in our State and beyond.

By harnessing and supporting the skills of local scientists and attracting new talent we can support novel perspectives on patient care and significantly change health outcomes. 

My vision is an optimised research and innovation ecosystem that leverages existing facilities to incubate our brightest ideas and research. Through enhancing collaboration and coordination of existing health precincts, research hubs and networks, we can accelerate opportunities in the research sector. By leveraging WA’s capability to grow and diversify research infrastructure, we can grow strategic partnerships and investment. 

A connected research society that drives community research translation is another key priority. It’s vital we maintain strong connections and collaborative partnerships with universities and medical research institutes. Together we can explore ways of streamlining the uptake of local innovations into the health system and deliver innovative, effective, and sustainable health care into the future.

I also want our local innovators and researchers to succeed on the global stage and to that end, we will leverage our national and international networks to increase awareness of our capabilities and open the door to more opportunities.

Western Australia is on a strong footing when it comes to research and innovation. Innovative and effective healthcare will make a world of difference for our communities both here and beyond. With the talent of local WA innovators and researchers, I’m confident our State will continue to be a leader in this sector.