Queensland Government collaborates with Johnson & Johnson Innovation on Quick Fire Challenge global health competition

The Queensland Government announced a collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation on a worldwide competition to encourage game-changing health innovations to be developed and commercialised in Queensland.

Science and Innovation Minister Leeanne Enoch said the State Government was providing $300,000 in prize money for the Advance Queensland Johnson & Johnson Innovation Quick Fire Challenge.

“This is a global prize so we are looking for great ideas from across the world,” Ms Enoch said.

“It is part of the $180 million Advance Queensland initiative to create jobs now and for the future, drive productivity improvements, harness innovation and translate some of our great ideas into real economic outcomes for Queenslanders.

“We’re looking for exceptional innovations; ones with a real chance of being turned into investible products, with benefits for patients and that will create future jobs and business opportunities.

“There are three $100,000 prizes for innovations in the fields of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and diagnostics, and consumer healthcare.”

Johnson & Johnson Innovation and the Queensland Government will jointly assess the applications.

Ms Enoch said the three winners would be announced in 2016 at the opening of a new Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office at Queensland University of Technology.

The Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office is one of the major flagship partnerships under the $46 million Advance Queensland Future Jobs Strategy.

“This competition is about enabling great research and then getting commercial outcomes here in Queensland,” Ms Enoch said.

“The winners will have to spend their prizemoney here in Queensland on direct research and commercialisation services, bringing direct benefits back to Queensland’s economy.

“Through this partnership, shortlisted applicants will also receive mentoring and coaching by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – which in itself is invaluable.”

Chris Hourigan, Managing Director of Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd, Australia and New Zealand (a company within the Johnson & Johnson family of companies), said: “We are excited to launch this Australian Quick Fire Challenge to continue to help build the life science ecosystems in the regions in which we work.

“This challenge is intended to inspire researchers and entrepreneurs globally to further develop transformational science to deliver novel healthcare solutions and to develop these innovations in Queensland.

“By encouraging the progress of transformational science we can continue to advance cures for unmet medical needs across the world, a key mission of Johnson & Johnson.”

Kathy Connell, Director of New Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Asia Pacific Innovation Center, said: “With the support of the Advance Queensland initiative, we are confident we can continue to build the life sciences ecosystem in Australia.

“The Asia Pacific Innovation Centre and Johnson & Johnson Innovation’s extensive research organisations look forward to collaborating with these researchers and entrepreneurs in our efforts to spur innovation through collaboration.”

The Johnson & Johnson Innovation Partnering Office is the product of an agreement between Johnson & Johnson Innovation, QUT and the Queensland Government.

It will facilitate access by Queensland researchers and companies to the vast resources and expertise across Johnson & Johnson’s scientific research, investor and commercial business sectors with the aim of nurturing and accelerating Queensland’s life sciences ecosystem.

The Advance Queensland Future Jobs Strategy will build a culture of collaboration between research bodies and business to translate ideas and research into products, processes, service outcomes and jobs in Queensland.

To enter the Advance Queensland Johnson & Johnson Innovation Quick Fire Challenge or to find out more information visit www.advancequeensland.quickfirechallenge.com

Applications opened 24 September and close on 30 November.

For more about Advance Queensland, visit http://advanceqld.initiatives.qld.gov.au/