The Australian biopharmaceutical manufacturing sector, valued at $12 billion, serves a rapidly growing domestic and export market. This sector includes 50 pharmaceutical and 400 biotech companies, offering significant opportunities driven by an aging population in Australia, the rapid expansion of the $1.3 trillion global biopharmaceutical market, the sovereign need for vaccine and drug production, and the commercialisation of Australian medical research.

Compared to the international market, however, Australian manufacturers face challenges such as higher costs and lower productivity. To remain competitive and avoid dependence on imported skills and technologies, it is crucial for the sector to adopt Industry 4.0 techniques, the hallmark of the fourth industrial revolution.

Industry 4.0 has already increased productivity by up to 25% in other industries globally, thanks to streamlined manufacturing processes, faster development cycles, greater flexibility, and improved product quality. Similarly, digitization and Artificial Intelligence (AI) hold the potential to revolutionize Australian biopharmaceutical manufacturing, significantly boosting productivity, agility, and product quality.

The ARC Digital Bioprocess Development Hub is strategically positioned to address key technical challenges and drive transformational change in Australian biopharma. An interdisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, and computing specialists is working to develop digitally integrated advanced manufacturing processes and a platform for industry-wide adoption. The Hub’s mission is to transform biopharmaceutical manufacturing, unlocking growth opportunities and forging an internationally competitive Australian biopharma sector.

The program’s objectives are to:

  • Increase digital innovation in the biopharma industry by tackling key bioprocessing research challenges.
  • Develop new bioprocess and digital models that can predict and optimize biomanufacturing processes.
  • Improve yield, and create faster, more flexible bioprocesses with enhanced product stability.

Interdisciplinary Focus