The University of Sydney is building a $478 million biomedical campus to fast track research and patient care.
The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA) will be the University’s largest capital investment. It has an area of 36,000 square meters and allows to solve complex health problems including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
It is a partnership between the University, Sydney Local Health District and the NSW Government in collaboration with the Centenary Institute. The NSW Government committed $143.3 million to the project in June.
Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sydney, Professor Mark Scott, said it was a historic investment for any university.
“The world-class buildings and facilities that make up the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator bring together the brightest scientific and clinical minds with entrepreneurs, industry and government,” he said.
“It provides the infrastructure for our distinguished researchers and partners to take major steps forward in the global mission to find solutions to our greatest health challenges. Together, we have the potential to dramatically improve the future of health and medical care in this country.”
There are more than 1200 biomedical researchers and clinical scientists in SBA, more than 800 university laboratory researchers and PhD students and 100 industrial researchers.
Biomedical research and development and marketing is a large and growing global market currently worth $235 billion, and forecast to grow at 4-5% per year over the next five years.
Funding for the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator includes $73 million in philanthropic donations to the university, including a $20 million donation from the Susan and Isaac Wakir Foundation to establish the Isaac Wakir Biomedical Building, one of three buildings within the building. It will sit next to the Susan Wakir Health Building, which is not part of the SBA, and will open in 2021 with a $35 million donation from the Wakils.
Melbourne architecture firm Denton Corker Marshall were selected to design the 36,000m2 integrated facility with HDR.
Early operations for the SBA will begin this year and the first operations are expected to begin in 2026.
Key stakeholders gathered for the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator launch included Richard Alcock (Western Sydney Local Health District), Elizabeth Coff (Telstra Health), Susan Pearce (NSW Wales), Professor Mark Scott (University of Sydney), Dr Teresa Anderson (Sydney). Environmental Health District) and Professor Robin Ward (University of Sydney).
