Team Australia Networks with LA Healthcare Market at The Medtech Conference

20 October 2023

As thousands in the medical technology sector headed to Anaheim, California for The MedTech 2023 Conference, MTPConnect was making sure that companies joining the Australian delegation were given multiple opportunities to showcase their capabilities and make valuable US and international connections.

Los Angeles is the second biggest healthcare market in the US with an advanced medtech cluster, so MTPConnect designed the pre-conference program around high-level networking for the delegation of 20 companies and organisations. MTPConnect’s Chair Hon Jaala Pulford led the delegation with CEO Stuart Dignam, Director of Stakeholder Engagement WA Dr Tracey Wilkinson and delegation coordinator Jo Glew on the ground in LA, with International Markets & Engagement Manager Tamlyn O'Connor back in Australia managing the program.

The group met with ScaleHealth in LA, a health innovation marketplace, that connects solutions from all around the world with leading healthcare organizations – accelerating the impact of health innovation on a global scale. It was all about building connections to investors and new markets, and the group was hosted by Chief Strategy Officer Chris Spearman and SVP Business Development Johnny Lam.

Time with BioscienceLA CEO Dave Whelan gave the group a chance to get the lowdown on investment, new market and collaboration opportunities in the LA basin. Further key insights were shared by Nick Pachuda, Founding Partner with Precision Life Science Partners on US market access and commercialisation strategies.

A visit to Edwards Lifesciences headquarters in Irvine California, led to some great discussions with cardiologist and medtech designer Dr Farzad Azimpour, who is Senior Vice President, Strategic Innovation in the company’s Advanced Technology group. Topics on the table covered incubation, acceleration and commercialisation of medtech innovations.

At UCLA Technology Development Group, we connected the delegation with Dina Lozofsky, to discuss medtech tech transfer from the No.1 public university in the US, and opportunities for international collaboration.

The delegation also visited Queensland-born BiVACOR Inc at its Los Angeles manufacturing and R&D facility in California. An awardee through our Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease, the company is developing a Total Artificial Heart designed as the first long-term therapy dedicated for patients with severe biventricular heart failure.

BiVACOR’s founder and Chief Technology Officer Dr Daniel Timms and the team welcomed the delegation with a tour, sharing valuable insights on the US market, and strategies for advanced manufacturing, FDA processes and scaleup for global markets.

Before the Medtech Conference began, the entire Team Australia gathered for a Global Reception to connect with our strategic international partners and guests, supported by Global Victoria. It was great to welcome special guest Sydney-sider Kate Stewart who is now based in Minnesota with US medtech giant Stryker as Vice President and General Manager ENT Business Unit.

Kate gave an inspiring keynote on her experience doing business in the US, the value of determination & resilience & building relationships. Kate is also a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion and recently served as the President of Stryker’s Women’s Network, an employee resource group with 8600+ members globally, committed to the advancement of women at Stryker.

Once the Medtech Conference was under the way MTPConnect’s Australian Pavilion was busy showcasing companies in the delegation including Advanced Genetics Diagnostics, aKin, ARIA Research, BiVACOR, Centre for Advanced Defence Research and Enterprise (CADRE-OCE),

Design + Industry, IDE Group, iiShield, Lindo, Mobius, OncosRes Medical, Roam Technologies, Sleeptite, Stratos Medtech and VeinTech.

It was great to see OncoRes Medical MD and CEO Dr Katharine Giles and our chair Hon. Jaala Pulford in the spotlight at the Innovation Pavilion at The MedTech Conference in Anaheim. They were talking about doing business with Australia’s growing medtech sector, a go-to destination for medtech clinical trials, and the Australian Government support including the R&D Tax incentive program and the National Reconstruction Fund (NFR) earmarked $1.5b for medical manufacturing!

MTPConnect CEO Stuart Dignam said the members of the Australian delegation were tapping into the LA ecosystem, busy in partnering meetings and getting business done.

“We are delighted to see so many promising companies taking up this opportunity to come to Los Angeles, one of the world’s significant medtech clusters, to build a deeper understanding of the US market and make some new connections," said Mr Dignam.

“Valued at more than US$500 billion, the global medtech industry is ultracompetitive but these companies are showing the world that Australia’s innovative medtech sector is ready for business,” he said.

Thanks to our partners – Austrade, Global Victoria, Trade and Investment Queensland, Invest and Trade WA and supporters – ANDHealth, BridgeTech Program, Medical Technology Association of Australia and Pathology Technology Australia.

We will be bringing you a special episode of the MTPConnect Podcast from Anaheim in November so watch this space.