Australia's RNA Blueprint to guide medical manufacturing growth

The Australian Government has this week released Australia’s RNA Blueprint, in an effort to grow the country’s medical manufacturing capability and help create more high-paying jobs.

According to the government, it has been estimated that the RNA sector could add up to $8 billion to Australia’s GDP over the next 10 years. The Blueprint backs Australia’s capability to make more medical products here, create highly skilled well-paid jobs and support better health care for Australians.

Developed in response to the government’s ‘Shaping our RNA Future’ consultation, the Blueprint builds on the release earlier this year of the government’s Medical Science Co-investment Plan. It includes five key goals and identifies possible actions to deliver a growing, vibrant RNA research and industry ecosystem:

• Connect and promote the national RNA ecosystem, including supply chain capability and sector coordination, and increasing awareness of RNA medicines and the sector’s diverse job opportunities.
• Increase skills and access to infrastructure to support future workforce needs that deliver RNA commercialisation and manufacturing.
• Improve research, translation and investment by promoting resources on RNA technology commercialisation and considering ways to ensure an ongoing pipeline of future potential RNA medicines and companies.
• Lead RNA regulation and guidance development by continuing to build regulatory capabilities and promote international collaboration, further improving international market access for Australian manufactured RNA medicines.
• Build and strengthen international partnerships to work on shared interests — a common disease or to address a regional biosecurity challenge — with our international partners.
   

The Blueprint will help leverage $1.5 billion targeted towards medical science through the government’s $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund. Meanwhile, the $22 billion Medical Research Future Fund will continue to transform health and medical research, improving lives and growing Australia’s medical manufacturing sector.

“We recognise the lessons learned during the pandemic, with the need to build and develop more things here continuing to be a cornerstone of our nation’s continued growth and prosperity,” said Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic.

“We’re backing a strong medical manufacturing sector because making more things here means creating more jobs.

“Our nation’s health and medical research is already ranked seventh in the world and we’re ensuring our RNA sector continues to have the right settings in place, growing Australia’s manufacturing capability and positioning us as a ‘go to’ regional partner.”

Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler added, “We need to utilise our talented medical researchers and grow a medical manufacturing industry that will be world leading, keeping more of our investment and development in Australia.

“This is all part of the Albanese government working to deliver a future made in Australia.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Sean Anthony Eddy