Our city’s booming healthcare and biomedical research industries are attracting top-tier talent from across Australia and around the world.
According to data from our latest Census of Land Use and Employment, the number of scientific research jobs in the City of Melbourne has more than doubled in the past decade, increasing by 2500.
The number of people employed in healthcare and social assistance jobs has also risen to 40,900. That’s an increase of 9300 in ten years and makes the industry the third-biggest in our municipality.
The nexus of this growth is our urban innovation district north of the central city, which includes the acclaimed Melbourne Biomedical Precinct in Parkville.
What is an urban innovation district?
We’ve partnered with RMIT University and the University of Melbourne to nurture areas of urban innovation, creating new jobs, enterprises, services and spaces that will enhance our city as it rapidly grows.
The initial focus of the Melbourne Innovation Districts partnership is the area north of the city that is rich with biomedical organisations, universities, the State Library of Victoria and Melbourne Museum.
To find out more, visit Melbourne Innovation Districts.
The Melbourne Biomedical Precinct is home to more than 40 world-class biomedical organisations including hospitals, universities, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and the Doherty Institute.
Dr Michelle McIntosh is at the centre of this thriving industry as Associate Professor at Monash University’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Director of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre.
‘I love working on something that has the potential to improve healthcare for patients. I’m a pharmacist by training, so the patient is always at the forefront of my mind,’ Dr McIntosh said.
‘It is a brilliant time to be a researcher in Melbourne – there is a strong community of world-leading scientists and a greater commitment than ever from government to find ways to translate Melburnians’ great science and innovation into healthcare improvements for the community.’
Dr McIntosh’s research is focussed on how to improve drug delivery systems to enhance patient outcomes. To date, her research activities have attracted over $12 million in government, industry and philanthropic grants.
She is also passionate about cultivating next-generation talent and encourages people to pursue careers in healthcare or biomedical research.
‘The opportunities in Melbourne are endless and the skills of a scientist can be used in many different fields, not just the ones that might first come to mind,’ Dr McIntosh said.
‘Scientists are trained to evaluate data, apply critical thinking, problem-solve, work in teams and to communicate with a variety of stakeholders, but they are also skilled in time management, decision-making and attention to detail.’
Did you know
The City of Melbourne collects CLUE data through face-to-face interviews with every business across the municipality. The research has been conducted in one form or another since the 1960s.
To find out more about our latest Census of Land Use and Employment, visit CLUE.
Photo courtesy The Startup Show Library, a partnership between That Startup Show and the City of Melbourne.
