The AusBiotech and Johnson & Johnson Innovation Industry Excellence Awards were recently announced at the AusBiotech 2017 national conference with Planet Innovation (PI) picking up Company of the Year.
The Awards recognize innovative companies and individuals in Australia’s world-class biotechnology, medical technology and healthcare sectors.
AusBiotech’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Glenn Cross, said each award recipient had made a significant contribution to the sector, and to the ongoing growth of Australia’s biotechnology and medical technology, as well as the health of Australians.
“These awards recognize the excellence in our industry,” Mr Cross said. “They also encourage us with what can be achieved when innovation is accompanied by the business acumen needed to bring novel medicines, medical devices and other new technologies to patients.”
PI picked up the coveted Company of the Year award for its sustained national and international leadership of the sector. Over the past 12 months PI doubled its company revenue, created over 100 new jobs for the biotechnology sector, and more than tripled its manufacturing export revenues of biomed and life-science products.
Ian Macfarlane, General Manager of PI Design, explained: “Planet Innovation is far more than just a Biomedical Design and Development company. It has a complete commercialization division that provides a rare blend of deep market insight and design expertise coupled with strategic marketing and commercialization experience. PI has helped Biotech companies raise over $45M in capital, as well as develop and launch healthcare devices worldwide.”
PI also conceives, incubates and scales its own healthcare focused spin-offs, including Lumos Diagnostics. Lumos Diagnostics, headed by Dr Sacha Dopheide, is commercializing IP and currently deploying point-of-care diagnostics solutions with several of the largest pharma companies in the world.
PI is also giving back to the industry through its involvement with ANDHealth, Australia’s National Digital Health Initiative. PI has partnered with many leading organisations including Monash University, CSIRO and RMIT to help develop and commercialize IP that is now attracting worldwide attention across the medical device, biotechnology, veterinary and agricultural industries.
Other winners on the night include Mrs Lusia Guthrie with the Industry Leadership Award for her 35 years of commitment to the pharmaceutical, medtech and bioscience industries, and CancerAid picking up Emerging Company of the Year for its smartphone application that empowers cancer patients and caregivers by improving the service provision of cancer institutions, research organisations and private specialists.
