Ground broken on the SBA, which is set to transform Australia’s medical research and translation landscape
Researchers, clinicians, industry, government and philanthropic partners have come together to celebrate the future of biomedical research in Australia, with construction of the state-of-the-art Sydney Biomedical Accelerator set to begin this year.
The University of Sydney, the NSW Government and Sydney Local Health District today broke ground on the $780 million Sydney Biomedical Accelerator (SBA), an innovative partnership to create a world-class facility to fast-track scientific discovery into real life health outcomes.
Due to open in 2028, the two new connected buildings of the SBA will span the University’s Camperdown campus and the District’s Royal Prince Alfred Hospital campus, offering a unique global concentration of biomedical research talent, facilities and capabilities, strengthening Australia’s global leadership in biomedical innovation.
Designed to accelerate the translation of research into public healthcare, the University of Sydney is building on its original $478 million investment by committing a further $150 million to the SBA.
It will bring together the brightest academics, most skilled clinicians, and industry partners to tackle some of the world’s most complex health problems. It will also provide state-of-the-art training facilities for more than 8,000 anatomy students, embedding education within a world-class research environment.
The facility, which will have a total floorspace of over 36,000 square metres, will include cutting-edge wet laboratories, a state-of-the-art biobank, clean rooms for prototyping medical products for clinical trials, high-performance computing and specialised facilities for microscopy, imaging, bioinformatics, genetic, cell and protein research. These facilities will be available to researchers from universities and health districts across Australia and internationally, as well as industry partners.
The SBA’s ease of access to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital will foster even deeper collaboration between clinicians and academic partners, enabling a seamless exchange of knowledge, accelerating translational research and enhancing patient outcomes through innovation.
Philanthropic support from the founding donors of the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator — including the Susan and Isaac Wakil Foundation, Medich Foundation, CLEARbridge Foundation, the late Dr Marie Knispel, and an anonymous donor — is helping bring to life an infrastructure project that is as bold and innovative as the groundbreaking research it will enable, positioning Sydney as a global leader in biomedical discovery. Central to this vision is the SBA’s Isaac Wakil Biomedical Building which will foster greater collaboration among researchers, the health sector and industry.
University of Sydney Chancellor David Thodey AO, FTSE said: “The combined generosity of our donors forms a powerful foundation for the SBA. With the Medich Biobank Facility and CLEARbridge Cell and Biologics Manufacturing Facility housed within the Isaac Wakil Biomedical Building which borders RPA on our Camperdown campus, these transformative contributions are equipping Sydney with the infrastructure, expertise and capability to tackle the most pressing health challenges of today — and those yet to come.”
NSW Minister for Health, the Hon. Ryan Park attended the event. He said: “This new facility is set to change the game when it comes to research into diagnostics and treatments in Australia, and I am really proud that we have it here in New South Wales.
“Benchmarked against the world’s leading biomedical facilities, the Accelerator is set to change to landscape of medical research, and I hope it becomes a major drawcard for world class health researchers. Cutting-edge laboratories will empower researchers to accelerate the discovery of cures and treatments for a wide range of diseases, driving medical breakthroughs with greater speed and precision.”
The SBA will also help attract and retain world class researchers to Sydney, provide anatomy training facilities for our future health workforce and create career opportunities for those wanting to break into the field of medical and scientific research. University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott AO said: “The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is a bold step forward in Australia’s research and development landscape. What makes it exciting is its integration of world-class research with innovation, commercial translation, and real-world clinical outcomes. It will be a place for discovery – but also one where ideas transform into impact, accelerating solutions from the lab bench to the bedside and beyond.”
Sydney Local Health District Chief Executive, Deb Willcox AM said: “This visionary facility is the result of a powerful partnership – between the NSW Government, the University of Sydney, our generous donors, and the dedicated clinicians, researchers, and staff who have made it a reality. Co-located with the almost $1 billion redevelopment of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, this state-of-the-art environment will transform healthcare by accelerating biomedical discovery into real-world impact for patients and families. It will make it one of the most significant health campuses in the country and potentially internationally.
Inspired by the bedside, innovated at the bench, and delivered back again
One example of research that is being guided by patient care, shaped through scientific inquiry, and delivered back as transformative clinical innovation is the work of Professor Steven Wise.
Based in the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health, Professor Wise and his team are developing a naturally derived alternative to artificial blood vessel grafts commonly used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Their material of choice is one of the strongest found in nature—silk. His research is driven by a clear clinical need and a strong commitment to addressing unmet medical challenges, a direction shaped by close collaboration with cardiology clinicians at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and is an example of the type of synergy between researchers and clinicians that the SBA aims to foster.
Another example is the research of Professor Tamera Corte, a respiratory physician and Chief Investigator at the Centre of Research Excellence in pulmonary fibrosis. Her team is investigating how genes drive pulmonary fibrosis, focusing on improving early diagnosis and developing targeted treatments that slow, stop, or reverse the disease. She works with an Australian team of experts to investigate genetics, RNA-based therapies and AI-driven diagnostics to identify and treat early disease and improve outcomes for people living with this condition.
Following a competitive tender process, Richard Crookes Constructions has been selected as the construction partner for the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator. An independent and Australian owned business with a strong track record in health and life sciences builds, their expertise and commitment will help us bring the SBA vision to life.
International architectural firms Denton Corker Marshall and HDR have worked on the design of the facility.
Top image: Jamie Crookes of Richard Crookes Constructions, NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce, Health Minister Ryan Park, Isaac Wakil, University of Sydney Chancellor David Thodey, David Khedoori, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor Annamarie Jagose, Chief Executive of Sydney Local Health District Deb Willcox and Board Chair Karen Crawshaw, Grant D’Arcy of Richard Crookes Constructions .
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