The national peak body for health and medical research and innovation, Research Australia, is calling for the Federal Government to prioritise health and medical research, development and innovation within its productivity agenda, driving economic diversification, resilience, growth and budget sustainability.
In its submission to the Productivity Commission’s 5 pillar productivity inquiries, Research Australia has set out key reforms needed to elevate health and medical research as a driver of productivity and position Australia as a leader in improving health outcomes and global innovation, enhance economic diversification, and respond to demographic and healthcare system pressures.
“Lifting Australia’s productivity isn’t just an economic challenge—it’s a health and medical research opportunity. When we invest in discovery, health services research and commercialisation, we cut waste, lift workforce participation, and create new industries,” said Nadia Levin, CEO & Managing Director of Research Australia.
“Every preventable hospital admission we avoid, every faster diagnosis we enable, and every home-grown medical product we export is productivity in action. Elevating health and medical research and innovation makes that possible.”
Key recommendations, developed in consultation with Research Australia’s members across the whole pipeline of health and medical research and innovation, include:
• Establish a measurable path to at least 5% of health expenditure to preventive health measures by 2030 and implement ‘Prevention Responsive Budgeting’ to ensure government budgets account for, prioritise, and evaluate investments in disease prevention, equity and health promotion.
• Utilise MRFF underspent funds to strategically invest in health and medical research and innovation, with a focus on strengthening the infrastructure that supports research translation and innovation.
• Define a pathway to fund the full cost of research, in a rational and sustainable way, including infrastructure.
• A bipartisan national health data framework to guide long-term investment and coordination in Australia’s health and medical data infrastructure.
• Work across government portfolios to prioritise and expedite the development of a National
Health and Medical Research and Innovation Workforce Plan to bolster Australia’s skilled and globally competitive workforce, that includes support for early- and mid-career researchers, clinician researchers and lived experience researchers.
“Economies that back research outperform. A national commitment to 3% of GDP for R&D will anchor the next decade of Australian productivity, with health and medical research leading the way,” said Ms Levin.
“For every dollar invested in Australian health and medical research and innovation yields close to $4 to the Australian economy,” Ms Levin said. “Investment in our sector is not just budget neutral; it allows further reinvestment back into the broader health sector.
Read Research Australia’s full submission to the 5 pillars productivity inquiries here.
