Skills, workforce and research development links with Australia’s booming medical technology and pharmaceutical industry has received a $32 million injection.

The Medical Device Partnering Program (MDPP), founded by Flinders University, has become a partner in the new Researcher Exchange and Development with Industry (REDI) program, a new Medical Research Future Fund initiative.

The new program will be managed by MTPConnect, the national agency charged with driving innovative health and medical research ideas into commercial reality.

Flinders University Professor Karen Reynolds says REDI will further expands the MDPP and University’s involvement with MTPConnect.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with MTPConnect through the announcement of the REDI program and to continue to support the med-tech sector across Australia,” she says.

The MDPP, which has expanded to Victoria and other states, has conducted 90 projects and 135 workshops and worked with more than 500 product ideas over the past 10 years.

The Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals (MTP) Industry Growth Centre Initiative was formed in 2015 to increase commercialisation, collaboration and establish Australia as an Asia-Pacific hub for the sector.

Under the new initiative, MTPConnect will partner with a wide range of organisations to drive skills development and workforce training that brings together more researchers, clinicians, industry and training organisations into the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“Our REDI program is all about ensuring Australia has an industry-ready MTP workforce with the skills necessary to keep pace with a rapidly changing sector,” says MTPConnect managing director Dan Grant.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data in 2016 found the medical technology, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry supported $5.2 billion in exports, and 62,109 jobs including 22,650 in research centres and laboratories.