Life sciences
Queensland has a globally competitive life sciences sector. State Government investment over two decades in research, development and world-class infrastructure is paying dividends. The state is a highly attractive knowledge hub with successes in health, agriculture, the environment and industrial biotechnology utilising the state’s unique biodiversity, outstanding skills and infrastructure.
Key infrastructure and support
Queensland boasts a critical mass of research centres across biotechnology, food and agriculture, health and medical and offers a distinct advantage for conducting clinical trials. Queensland has nine universities including three of Australia’s ten largest universities. Details of the 250 plus centres in Queensland are available by searching the Queensland science capability directory.
The key industry-led organisation, Life Sciences Queensland works closely with and all levels of government providing leadership and growth and promotion opportunities for its 170 member organisations and businesses.
Queensland life sciences

Discover more about Queensland's strengths and investment opportunities in the Queensland life sciences brochure .
Find out why top researchers and industry leaders are saying Queensland is one of the best places in the world for life science research.
Video transcript
Voice over
Queensland has a globally competitive life sciences industry with a proven track record of success.
The Queensland Government has invested heavily in state-of-the-art research facilities which provide excellent base for scientists to work collaboratively.
Queensland biodiversity also presents significant opportunities for life sciences.
The researchers have achieved health breakthroughs such as Gardasil and Nanopatch that are world class.
Collaborating with researchers and investors, the Queensland life sciences industry will open up new opportunities.
Our investors and collaborators find it’s easy to do business here.
Professor Ian Frazer AC
The University of Queensland
Translational Research Ambassador
Chair of TRI Foundation Board
Co-inventor of Gardasil
Queensland has invested in over 20 years of providing the infrastructure that will enable businesses working in the life sciences to succeed.
It’s also invested heavily in education to ensure we’ve got the talent here to help businesses succeed.
Overall Queensland is just a great place to do biomedical research.
Mario Pennisi
Chief Executive Officer
Life Sciences Queensland
Because we are a western economy in a tropical world Queensland has the opportunity to lead in tropical health and infectious diseases.
And of course our proximity to Asia gives us a unique position.
The Novartis deal which was announced around the pain research that was done by Professor Maree Smith has resulted in the largest exit of an Australian biotech to date.
And we know that we have more of those types of opportunities in the pipeline.
Dr Kym Baker
General Manager, Patheon Biologics
Patheon offer a one of a kind offering in Australia which is contract manufacturing of biotherapeutics which are destined for use in Australian and across the world.
Our customers love the clinical trial schemes that offers them that competitive advantage to get into the clinic faster.
Tertia Dex
Director Business and Project Management
Patheon
We’ve been able to very successfully attract a lot of international business, in fact 90% of our customers come from overseas to work here in Queensland.
They see a high amount of value in the collaborations we have between the clinical trials sites, between the research organisations the universities as well as the government.
The incentives they can benefit from, the R&D tax incentives as well as the clinical trial access schemes that allows them to fast track into Phase 1 clinical trials faster than anywhere else in the world.
Professor Yaping Zhang
Vice President
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Queensland has many excellent research institutions and incredible scientists and the Queensland Government encourages innovations and that is important for our collaboration.
Distinguished Professor James Dale AO, FTSE
Queensland University of Technology
We’ve got a very, very good regulatory environment for doing this sort of work and we can go all the way through to field trial.
We’ve got a very strong intellectual property environment as well.
So we’re starting to get a reputation for excellence in life sciences particularly in tropical crops.
Professor Yaping Zhang
Queensland is very nice to live, and a wonderful environment and a pleasant climate.
Professor James Dale AO
We’ve been the envy of most other states in Australia when we talk about the support we get in Queensland from particularly from the Queensland Government.
And of course that’s been translated into real outcomes which I think we’re seeing now tremendous outcome from that investment into life sciences in Queensland.
David Hoey, CEO Vaxxas
Queensland is a wonderful place to do business. It’s very straight forward. The technology that we’re working on here has the opportunity to fundamentally change the way that vaccination takes place around the world.
We’re working with the World Health Organisation, the Gates Foundation on programs that can fundamentally improve vaccination in the developing world.
But the best place that we’ve found to do that development is right here.
Voice over
Queensland has amazing researchers, strong medical capabilities and an enviable lifestyle.
Queensland the right place for life sciences research and collaboration.
Translating research outcomes into real life solutions to many of the challenges we face today.
We encourage investors and collaborators to experience why Queensland is the right place for your next venture in life sciences.
[Captions]
With thanks:
Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Cook Medical
Ecosciences Precinct
Griffith University
James Cook University
Life Sciences Queensland
Patheon
QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
QUT
The University of Queensland
Tourism and Events Queensland
TRI (Translational Research Institute)
[Captions]
Advance Queensland
Queensland Government
Queensland Life Sciences
Globally Competitive
For more information… www.qld.gov.au/LifeSciences
View Queensland life sciences video with Chinese subtitles
昆士兰生命科学 – 全球领先”视频(附中文字幕)
Investing or collaborating in Queensland life sciences
There are plenty of exciting opportunities for collaboration or investment with Queensland’s life sciences sector.
Queensland life sciences research centres
Queensland boasts a critical mass of research centres across a range of sectors with over 180 institutes, facilities, research hospitals, precincts, laboratories and other research organisations involved in the life sciences sector.
- Adem Crosby Centre (ACC)
- Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC)
- Animal Research Centre
- Applethorpe Research Facility
- Army Malaria Institute (AMI)
- Aus-China Centre for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (ACCTERM)
- Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research (ACPIR)
- Australian Centre for Robotic Vision (ACRV)
- Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre (AID)
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN)
- Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP)
- Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine - Cairns (AITHM)
- Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine - Townsville (AITHM)
- Australian Prostate Cancer Research Centre - Queensland (APCRC-Q)
- Australian Rivers Institute (ARI)
- Australian Tropical Herbarium (ATH)
- Australian Tropical Science and Innovation Precinct (ATSIP)
- Australian e-Health Research Centre (AEHRC)
- Ayr Research Facility
- Banyo Pilot Plant
- BioBank (BB)
- Bond University
- Bowen Research Facility
- Brian Pastures Research Facility
- Bribie Island Research Centre (BIRC)
- Bundaberg Research Facility (BRF)
- Central Analytical Research Facility (CARF)
- Central Queensland University - Brisbane (CQUniversity )
- Central Queensland University - Bundaberg (CQUniversity )
- Central Queensland University - Cairns (CQUniversity )
- Central Queensland University - Gladstone (CQUniversity )
- Central Queensland University - Mackay (CQUniversity )
- Central Queensland University - Rockhampton (CQUniversity )
- Central Queensland University - Townsville (CQUniversity )
- Centre for Actuarial and Financial Big Data Analytics (CAFBDA)
- Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI)
- Centre for Agricultural Engineering (CAE)
- Centre for Animal Science (CAS)
- Centre for Biodiscovery and Molecular Development of Therapeutics (CBMDT)
- Centre for Biosecurity and Tropical Infectious Diseases (CBTID)
- Centre for Children’s Health Research (CCHR)
- Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR)
- Centre for Comprehensive Biomedical Imaging (ACRF-CCBI)
- Centre for Crop Health (CCH)
- Centre for Crop Science (QAAFI CPS)
- Centre for Genetics, Ecology and Physiology
- Centre for Health, Informatics, and Economic Research (CHIER)
- Centre for Horticultural Science (CHS)
- Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems (CHFSS)
- Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development (QIMR-CIVD)
- Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development (CIPDD)
- Centre for Integrative Legume Research (CILR)
- Centre for Macroalgal Resources and Biotechnology (MACRO )
- Centre for Marine Microbiology and Genetics Research (CMMG)
- Centre for Medical Diagnostic Technologies Queensland (MedTeQ)
- Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (CMM)
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Science (CNAFS)
- Centre for Online Health (COH)
- Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice (CREBP)
- Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CSAS)
- Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture (CSTFA)
- Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change (CTBCC)
- Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities (CTCB)
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research - Cairns (TropWATER)
- Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research - Townsville (TropWATER)
- Centre for Urology Research (CUR)
- Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing (WOW)
- Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (CoralCoE)
- Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED)
- Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth (StillbirthCRE)
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR)
- Clem Jones Research Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CJRCRM)
- Clinical Trials Centre (CTC)
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
- Community for Open Antimicrobial Drug Discovery (CO-ADD)
- Comparative Genomics Centre (CGC)
- Compounds Australia
- Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)
- Department of Enviroment and Science (DES)
- Diamantina Institute (UQDI)
- Ecology Centre
- Ecosciences Precinct (ESP)
- Forensic and Scientific Services (FSS)
- Forest Industries Research Centre (FIRC-USC)
- Functional Foods Research Group (FFRG)
- Gatton Research Facility (GRF)
- Genomics Clinical Trials Centre (GCT)
- Genomics Research Centre (GRC)
- Global Change Institute (GCI)
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD)
- Griffith University - Gold Coast (GU)
- Griffith University - Logan (GU)
- Griffith University - Mt Gravatt (GU)
- Griffith University - Nathan (GU)
- Health and Food Sciences Precinct
- Hermitage Research Facility (HRF)
- Heron Island Research Station (HIRS)
- Herston Imaging Research Facility (HIRF)
- Inflammation and Healing Research Cluster (INFLAME)
- Institute for Agriculture and the Environment (IAgE)
- Institute for Future Environments (IFE)
- Institute for Glycomics
- Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems (IIIS)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB)
- Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR)
- Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI)
- Institute of Health and Sport
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health (ILAQH)
- Invasive Plant and Animal Science unit
- J Bjelke-Petersen Research Facility
- James Cook University - Cairns (JCU)
- James Cook University - Mackay Education Research Centre (JCU)
- James Cook University - Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health (JCU)
- James Cook University - Thursday Island (JCU)
- James Cook University - Townsville (JCU)
- Leslie Research Facility (LRC)
- Life Sciences Queensland Ltd (LSQ)
- Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant (MRBPP)
- Mareeba Research Facility
- Maroochy Research Facility
- Mater Research
- Mater Research Institute (MRI-UQ)
- Medical Engineering Research Facility (MERF)
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland (MHIQ)
- Moreton Bay Research Station (MBRS)
- NURTURE Research Cluster (NURTURE)
- Nanomaterials Centre (Nanomac)
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF)
- Northern Fisheries Centre (NFC)
- Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence (PACE)
- Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH)
- QFAB Bioinformatics (QFAB)
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI)
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS)
- Queensland Animal Science Precinct (QASP)
- Queensland Bioscience Precinct (QBP)
- Queensland Brain Institute (QBI)
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR)
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research - Neurobiology (QCMHR)
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research - Psychiatric Genomics (QCMHR)
- Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre (QCPRRC)
- Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation, CQU (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation, GU (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation, JCU (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation, QUT (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation, UQ (QCIF)
- Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation, USQ (QCIF)
- Queensland Eye Institute (QEI)
- Queensland Herbarium
- Queensland Museum
- Queensland University of Technology - Gardens Point (QUT)
- Queensland University of Technology - Kelvin Grove (QUT)
- RECOVER Injury Research Centre
- Redden St Research Facility
- Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC)
- Research Computing Centre (RCC)
- Research Hub for Advanced Prawn Breeding
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
- Rural Economies Centre of Excellence (RECoE)
- Salisbury Research Facility
- South Johnstone Research Facility
- Sport Performance Innovation and Knowledge Excellence (SPIKE)
- Spyglass Beef Research Facility
- Sugar Research Australia Limited (SRA)
- Sugar Research Institute (SRI)
- Sunshine Coast Clinical Trials (CRU, SCUH)
- Sustainable Minerals Institute (SMI)
- The Chemistry Centre
- The Museum of Tropical Queensland
- The University of Queensland - Gatton (UQ)
- The University of Queensland - Herston (UQ)
- The University of Queensland - St Lucia (UQ)
- Townsville Hospital (THHS)
- Translational Research Institute (TRI)
- UQ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences (SCMB)
- UniQuest Pty Limited
- University of Southern Queensland - Ipswich (USQ)
- University of Southern Queensland - Springfield (USQ)
- University of Southern Queensland - Toowoomba (USQ)
- University of the Sunshine Coast - Fraser Island (USC)
- University of the Sunshine Coast - Gympie (USC)
- University of the Sunshine Coast - Sunshine Coast (USC)
- Viertel Cancer Research Centre (CRC)
- Walkamin Research Facility
- Wesley Medical Research - Buderim Private Hospital (WMR)
- Wesley Medical Research - St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital (WMR)
- Wesley Medical Research - St Stephen's Hospital (WMR)
- Wesley Medical Research - Wesley Hospital (WMR)