Manufacturing cell therapies for spinal injuries, malaria vaccine development, and testing medical devices will be the cornerstone of Griffith University’s new Health and Advanced Technology Research and Innovation Centre (HATRIC).
A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held as construction company ADCO started work in the heart of the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, with HATRIC due for completion in May 2028.
HATRIC will house cutting-edge projects from Griffith’s Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics (IBG), Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT), and an expanded Griffith Clinical Trial Unit alongside startup and scale-up spaces.
Set to strengthen medical research, innovation and commercialisation capabilities, this landmark facility will create a direct pathway from discovery through to industry adoption.
Once complete, HATRIC will house purpose-designed cleanrooms for the manufacturing of vaccine and therapeutic investigational technologies for first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trials; Manufacture cell therapies for the Spinal Injury Project; Manufacture whole parasite vaccines for malaria and babesia; Manufacture and early clinical evaluation of investigational vaccine adjuvants discovered and developed through the IBG’s new Vaccine ADD ARC Centre of Research Excellence; House Strep A and COVID projects to develop protein-conjugate and RNA vaccines; Allow overnight stay facilities with extended infusion and pharmacokinetic monitoring capabilities to support clinical trial research; Support expanded Phase I-IV clinical trial capabilities, including precision medicine, gene therapy, and cell therapy research training models for surgery; Enable in situ functional mechanical testing of medical devices; Provide opportunities for hands-on industry-specific training in advanced manufacturing, design and simulation
HATRIC is backed by $25 million from the South East Queensland (SEQ) Innovation Economy Fund, comprised of $12.5 million from each of the Australian and Queensland Governments. The City of Gold Coast is also contributing $10 million.
