Health & Life Sciences

The Australian Health Sector

The Health and Life Sciences Cluster integrates a wide spectrum of market segments, ranging from medical technology devices, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and life sciences to research institutions and government stakeholders.

Bringing together stakeholders from industry and research, as well as services, policy, regulatory authorities, and market consultants, our Health and Life Sciences Cluster provides its members the opportunity to influence and actively engage with industry partners and stakeholders and thus shape an industry advocacy roadmap and access valuable insights and connections. Members will be invited to industry-focused events and activities for networking, learning, speaking, hosting and sponsoring opportunities aimed at both the German and the Australian markets. You will also benefit from complementary consulting services and heightened exposure and visibility. Find out more about membership options here.

For new entrants to the market, the Australian Health Sector promises continuous growth in the coming years. Australians highly value good medical care and the aging population is leading to rising demand for branch-specific products. Further, Australia’s huge geographical dispersion and remoteness for some of its population, combined with congestion of health care service providers and a strong push for digitalisation in the health care sector, allows for great opportunities in the field of digital health solutions.

Medical devices and technologies, the pharmaceutical industry, and the biotechnology sector are promising fields for foreign investors. While Australia has one of the world’s leading health systems, a growing and aging population are placing great demand on the Health Sector. The Australian society faces internal pressures driven by:

rising chronic disease rates
inequitable access to services and healthcare
shortage of skilled staff and infrastructure
clinical supply chain issues and infrastructure

These will need to be addressed by private and public investment.

In 2022–23, health spending accounted for 9.9% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in Australia, putting the healthcare industry in the leading position for all expenditures. Health expenditures per capita equalled $9,597 in 2022-23, making Australia one of the world’s top 10 countries in terms of per capita expenditure. Healthcare and Social Assistance is also the largest employing industry in Australia providing work to over 15.8% of all employees.

The current government is strongly committed to strengthening the Australian health system and patient access to innovative treatments. Equal access to more medicine via the PBS is the goal of the recent HTA Review recommendations and the Digital Health Roadmap seeks to enhance digital health solutions. The government also supports investments in Australian health and medical research with initiatives such as the Medical Research Future Fund, which will benefit from additional funding, and the inclusion of medical products manufacturing in the Modern Manufacturing Initiative. Additionally, Australian state and territory governments have dedicated investment in the current budgets to build and redevelop hospitals and health facilities across the nation.

Australia’s universities are part of the world’s leading institutions in pharmaceutical research and medicine.

Medical Technology

Australia relies heavily on imports to cover the market demand for medical technology products: Approximately 90% of medical technology devices are imported, with Germany being one of the main supplier countries. Companies operating in the Australian medical device and diagnostics sector are well-positioned to develop new products and bring innovative ideas to market. A reduced time to market compared with drug discovery provides a competitive advantage and a highly skilled workforce and strategic geographic position in the Asia-Pacific Region further strengthen the sector. The core of the Australian medical technology sector is made of small companies with only a few larger industry player.

Medical doctor working on virtual interface icons of healthcare applications. — Getty Images via CANVA / SOMKID THONGDEE

Pharmaceuticals

While Australia only accounts for 0.3% of the world’s population, its demand for pharmaceuticals is significant. Around 1% of all global pharmaceutical sales are contributed to the Australian market which places it as the 12th largest market in the world with an estimated revenue of AUD$21.0 billion in 2022 and expected growth of over 4.6% until 2027. Australia heavily relies on overseas imports for over 90% of its demand in medicines. Combined with a lack of major manufacturing capabilities for medical supplies, Australia faces high import dependencies. Around 70% of Australia's medical imports originate from Europe. Regulatory approval and reimbursement processes can be lengthy.

Production line of medication - pharmaceutical industry — Getty Images via Canva / bitenka

Biotechnology

Australia's biotechnology sector is experiencing strong growth, with an estimated turnover of A$ 11.9 billion in 2024, expected to rise to A$ 14.4 billion by 2030, driven by an average annual growth rate of 3.9%. The sector benefits from high demand, a large number of active companies, and a dynamic start-up scene. Growth is also fueled by government and university research institutions, as well as incubation funds that support businesses. Human medicine remains the most significant market segment, while there are also opportunities for importers of scientific equipment, as 90% of such goods are sourced from abroad, particularly Germany.

Plants are cultivated in reagent jars — Pexels via Canva

Growth Forecasts and Market Trends

The biotechnology sector in Australia is projected to grow from A$ 11.9 billion in 2024 to A$ 14.4 billion by 2030, with an annual growth rate of 3.9%.
Key Growth Drivers

High demand, numerous active companies, and research support from government and university institutions, along with a focus on human medicine, are major contributors to growth.
Opportunities for Importers

90% of scientific equipment and lab technology in Australia is imported, with a significant portion, including measuring equipment, sourced from Germany.

Health in Australia

Regulatory Framework

Therapeutic goods such as medicines, medical devices or complementary medicine must be registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Products not classified as therapeutic goods such as cosmetics may be assessed by the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS).
Medicines and medical devices are reimbursed via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) or the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) if approved by the responsible committees.

Australian Manufacturers

There are four major manufacturers for pharmaceuticals in Australia: AstraZeneca Holdings (5.9%), Aspen Asia Pacific (4.5%), Viatris (4.0%) and CSL (3.5%) share just under a fifth of the market. The remaining 82% are shared by small and medium-sized companies.
ResMed Australia (32.4%), Cochlear (5.5%) and Baxter Healthcare (5.2%) make up almost half of the market for medical equipment in Australia.

Healthcare System

Australia’s healthcare is divided into a public and private system. Medicare as the universal health care scheme is available to Australian citizens, permanent residents and people from countries with reciprocal agreements. It covers all of the costs of public hospital and general practitioners’ services, while private health insurance covers additional services such as private patient in-hospital and non-medical services (e.g. dental, physiotherapy and optical services).

Digital Health

Digital Health encompasses the digitalised field of medicine and its applications, improving the healthcare system by using technology – ranging from data analysis and hospital management to artificial intelligence and telehealth. Digital systems for medical care and public health are widespread in Australia. For example, the electronic patient file My Health Record has a participation rate of around 90% of the population. Telemedicine and virtual consultation are improving health coverage in many rural and remote areas.