Swinburne and Bionics Institute announce strategic alliance to accelerate medical device research

The Bionics Institute will partner with Swinburne University of Technology in a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the development of life-changing medical devices.

Swinburne and the Bionics Institute will combine their cutting-edge facilities, scientific expertise and resources to progress medical device innovation into the clinic for the benefit of patients worldwide.

The partnership builds on decades of experience across both organisations. The Bionics Institute (BI) is a world-leading medical research institute with 40 years’ experience in taking medical devices from concept to clinical reality, including the cochlear implant and the epilepsy seizure monitoring device Minder.

Swinburne is a technology and engineering-infused university that has spent a decade investing in medical technology and commercialisation. Swinburne Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Pascale Quester says the partnership exemplifies how collaboration can make meaningful change.

“Swinburne and the Bionics Institute are united by a bold vision: to transform lives through innovation," Professor Quester says.

"The Institute’s pioneering work has already improved lives globally. At Swinburne, we harness technology for impact, and there is no greater impact than advancing patient outcomes through purposeful collaboration.”

BI will gain access to Swinburne’s fundamental research and next-generation facilities. This includes the only single-site human imaging facility in Australia and New Zealand to offer magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 

Dr Werner van der Merwe, Swinburne Vice-President, Innovation and Enterprise says BI will also benefit from the opportunity to secure commercialisation funding from the university’s investment fund, Swinburne Ventures.

He said: “This opens the door to millions of dollars of investment into spin-off companies commercialising devices and therapies developed at BI, enabling us to create a seamless pathway together to turn breakthrough research into real-world solutions driving change on a global scale."

BI’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Klupacs says the partnership with Swinburne will provide access to the vital resources and facilities needed to supercharge BI’s research and impact while ensuring BI retains its independence.

“We have long recognised that collaboration maximises our impact on patients’ lives. We’re incredibly excited to build on our existing work with Swinburne spanning optogenetics, neuroimaging and neuromodulation to change the lives of people with challenging medical conditions such as chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s disease and epilepsy,” he said.

The collaboration will also offer Swinburne’s biomedical engineering and other students real, hands-on experience at the forefront of research, development and innovation.

“We are excited to pair Swinburne’s undergraduate and graduate talent with work under the direction of focused medical research scientists. This will strengthen the pipeline of Australia’s STEM and med tech workforce, create new career opportunities, and ultimately increase the medical device concepts and products we can create,” Prof Quester said.

The partnership comes as Swinburne launches its new strategy, Ad Astra_2030, in which the university will co-create industries of the future through applied research and innovation.

Together, Swinburne and BI will lead and leverage technology to improve lives globally, starting on 1 January 2026.