World leading 3D Printing company Materialise will move its Australian HQ to a new 200-hectare site in the Gold Coast’s emerging health and innovation hub.
The Belgium-based company, whose software and services enable patient-specific treatments that help improve and save lives, has confirmed that it will relocate its operations from Sydney to the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP), where it intends to create a hub for cutting-edge medical device innovation.
Materialise Australia Business Manager Madeleine McIntyre said the Gold Coast was the perfect location for the company’s new HQ given its existing world-class research expertise, skilled graduates and the lifestyle to attract global talent, as well as crucial co-location with clinical facilities.
“We have been the backbone of the 3D printing industry for nearly 3 decades, and have pioneered many leading medical applications of 3D printing,” Ms McIntyre continued.
“The innovative and collaborative environment provided by the GCHKP will help us to further advance our medical software and services.
“Matching our company’s entrepreneurial culture, the GCHKP will be a strong base for Materialise to expand our Australasian footprint and provides a lifestyle advantage for our employees and the future talent we will attract here.”
GCHKP Project Director Di Dixon, said the move will spark additional interest from associated innovative companies.
“We’ve always said the GCHKP is a long-term project and we’re pleased our Project Office efforts have been able to attract a global player of this calibre even before the first building is constructed,” Ms Dixon said.
“This is our preferred model for development – focusing on areas where we have genuine global niche expertise and attracting aligned industry co-location so we can rapidly translate research to great health and commercial outcomes.”
Griffith University’s Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Ned Pankhurst, described the announcement as ‘a coup’ for Queensland and the Gold Coast, adding that the move will allow the company to capitalise on the University’s plans for an $80 million Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Centre (ADaPT), which is scheduled to commence construction in 2019.
“Materialise is truly a world-class company with 24 offices in 19 countries, and for them to choose to locate in the GCHKP at the ground-up stage signals the potential for a world-leading hub to develop here,” Professor Pankhurst added.
“We’ve already opened up our ADaPT 1.0 industry showcase facility and Materialise staff will initially be based on campus, alongside our leading researchers who are working in areas such as developing orthopaedic and other medical devices.”
