Australian R&D organisations seeking Korean manufacturers for commercial partnership

31 August 2016

Australia and Korea Innovation Symposium

One of Australia's world-class tertiary institutions, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), will host a Symposium 'Australia and Korea Innovation and Collaboration in the FTA Era' in Seoul on 2 September. The event is supported by the Australia-Korea Foundation, the Australian Embassy Seoul, and the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AustCham).

This Symposium will bring together key Australian and Korean industry players, policy makers and researchers and provide an opportunity to discuss national innovation approaches and promote collaboration under the Korea-Australia Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA).

The Symposium will showcase cutting-edge innovation in agriculture, medical technology, and ICT with presentations by experts from both Australia and Korea followed by interactive panel discussions.

Mr Ravi Kewalram, Charge d'Affaires, Australian Embassy Seoul, said: "˜Innovation and trade liberalisation are two key factors necessary to drive future economic growth. Both the Australian and Korean governments have recognised this in their policy settings - Australia through its National Innovation and Science Agenda (NISA) and Korea through its Creative Economy initiative."

Mr Koh Kyeong-Mo, Deputy Minister for Creative Economy, Ministry of Science ICT and Future Planning, said: "The Korea-Australia FTA is a mutually beneficial agreement that facilitates our bilateral trade in goods and services. However, we have to go one step further and develop our strong economic partnership based on the FTA into an innovation partnership."

Australian R&D organisations seeking Korean manufacturers for commercial partnership

In the lead up to the Symposium, on 1 September the Australian Trade and Investment Commission has organised a Medtech Showcase.

Two keynote speakers from Australia - Ms Sue MacLeman, Managing Director and CEO of the Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals Industry Innovation Growth Centre (MTPConnect) and Dr Buzz Palmer, CEO of Small Technology Cluster Australia will present on Australia's medtech capabilities and competitive advantages.

Ms Amanda Hodges, Australia's Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner in Korea said: "This showcase provides a unique opportunity to cooperate, make new connections, and to identify genuine opportunities for long-term commercial partnerships."

As the first keynote speaker, Ms MacLeman, will focus on commercial opportunities that drive innovation by building links between businesses and industry organisations and the science and research sector.

Ms MacLeman said "Over 2,700 medical device inventions have originated in Australia since 2001. Some Australian innovations include cochlear implants, 3D customised titanium implants, non-invasive blood glucose monitoring systems and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and other airway devices for sleep apnoea."

The second keynote speaker, Dr Palmer will provide an overview of the Australian medtech industry and discuss a range of R&D programs supported by different Australian state governments.

In addition to the two keynote speakers, three leading Australian medtech organisations - University of Newcastle, Cortical Dynamics, and Hydrix will present case studies to key Korean industry bodies and organisations.

All attendees will receive a copy of the recent publication, 'Australia: Destination Innovation' in Korean, which highlights Australia's world-class R&D capability and advanced technologies, and investment case studies on innovation.