The City of Joondalup is looking to build a cutting-edge collaborative health innovation precinct, positioning it at the forefront of the State’s advancements in emerging digital capability, robotics and automation, clinical research, and education and training.
That was the consistent theme echoed by presenters at the City of Joondalup’s health innovation business forum in June at Joondalup Resort.
Servicing Perth’s northern corridor and surrounds, Joondalup has nearly half a million people living within a 20-minute drive of its city centre, with an expanding population and growing transport connections.
Keynote speaker Ramsay Health Care CEO Carmel Monaghan praised the City of Joondalup and its Council for its growth mindset, which aligns with Ramsay’s focus on embracing digital innovation to drive future efficiencies and productivity in the medical sector. This includes artificial intelligence, robotics and digital learning.
“There’s just so much opportunity in this space for health care,” she says.
“The time saving that will come from these new technologies will really drive that productivity we need and more efficiencies in the sector.”
Monaghan says the recently approved $77 million expansion of Ramsay’s private hospital is the start of an exciting new era for Joondalup Health Campus, the largest healthcare facility in the northern metropolitan region.
She says Joondalup is ideally located as a centre for clinical trials and medical research with increased investment at Ramsay and expansion of Linear Technologies, which opened in Joondalup in 2022.
“Clinical trials are essential, and they are changing the lives of so many people,” Monaghan says.
Strong support for business growth
Joondalup Mayor Albert Jacob says Joondalup offers an “unrivalled” environment for business growth in the health and medical space.
“As a local government, we recognise the significance of health services in supporting the whole community and ensuring access to essential care,” he says.
“Our goal is to build Joondalup’s reputation as a place for innovation and creativity by enhancing growth across a range of sectors, including health and medicine.”
Jacob says the development and expansion of the health campus is leading to tremendous growth in ancillary and allied services and activities, ensuring Joondalup is well positioned to attract more local and global talent, research and investment.
“Joondalup is a place where state-of-the-art facilities, the latest medical technology, healthcare professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors can come together to address current and future healthcare challenges,” he says.
Report identifies health and medical opportunities
The Health Innovation Forum coincided with the release of the top-line findings from the Joondalup Medical Gap Analysis. The report, commissioned by the Joondalup Medical Precinct Taskforce, identifies gaps and opportunities in the health and medical sector in the region, with a focus on developing Joondalup as the centre for health innovation.
Conducted by Paxon Group in collaboration with the Medical Precinct Taskforce, the State Government and key industry stakeholders, the analysis confirmed Joondalup as a competitive health and medical precinct destination and recognised its key strengths and capabilities in education and training and health service provision.
It further identified Joondalup’s capability to become:
- A recognised centre for health education and training;
- A metropolis for integrated health care;
- A leading centre for digital health solutions; and
- An ideal location to explore health automation solutions.
Sector well placed for expansion
A panel of industry professionals including Dr Shirley Bowen, CEO of the North Metropolitan Health Service; Linda Dawson, Deputy Director General, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation; Mohinder Jaimangal, Curve Tomorrow CEO; and Rodrigo Torres, Executive Manager, Linear Clinical Research, explored Joondalup’s current and future presence in the global health and medical sector.
Dawson confirms health and medical life sciences as a growth sector for WA and “digital health, med-tech, bio-tech is fundamental and at the core of one of the capabilities that we want to grow”.
“We know communities and nations with strong and effective health systems are those that value and invest in health innovation and medical research,” she says.
The Joondalup Medical Precinct Taskforce is continuing to build on the outcomes of the analysis and work towards a unified vision for the Joondalup health and medical hub, to support the State’s vision for WA to be a global leader in health service provision. To find out more visit joondalup.wa.gov.au/health.
To be part of WA’s peak business organisation, get in touch via 1300 422 492 or [email protected].