Construction begins on cutting-edge NSW vaccine research and pilot manufacturing centre at Macquarie University

A world-leading vaccine research and pilot manufacturing centre which is set to change the way how NSW responds to future health challenges has entered its next stage.

Construction on the $96 million RNA research and pilot manufacturing facility has kicked off at Macquarie University – more than three years after the project was first announced.

The laboratory, located at Macquarie University, will be finished by 2026.

It is set to deliver new capabilities in developing world-leading vaccines and medical therapies for humans and animals alike, based on cutting-edge RNA technology.

The site will allow a wide range of RNA vaccines, therapeutics and delivery technologies to be independently designed and tested, and have the capacity to manufacture RNA-based therapeutics for the three main phases of clinical trials.

It will be operated by Aurora Biosynthetics, a subsidiary of Myeloid Therapeutics – recognised as a global leader in RNA technology.

The centre will be overseen by RNA Australia, a newly formed, NSW-based company, which is a joint venture between the NSW Government and four NSW universities, including Macquarie University, along with ANU.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the laboratory’s development was a step forward for healthcare in NSW and an opportunity to grow new hi-tech companies.

“This facility will drive jobs and investment in this sector, along with delivering potentially lifesaving solutions,” he said.

The NSW State Government delivered the $96 million in funding necessary for the project to go ahead.

“This facility helps put us at the front of the queue in the fierce global battle to attract new investment and build new industries,” Anoulack Chanthivong, the state minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, said.

“Nations around the world are crying out for new health solutions, and our state is well positioned to deliver them.”

RNA technology came to global prominence during the rapid development and deployment of vaccines in the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new RNA research facility offers the prospect of preventing and treating an even broader spectrum of health conditions, including cancers, genetic diseases and other viruses, a government spokesman said.

Around 90,000 people are already employed in the sector in NSW – representing 40 per cent of the national total.