This project will help address the healthcare sector’s ongoing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical devices by helping Australian companies set up new manufacturing technologies and processes.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a significant and unprecedented threat to global healthcare systems. Worldwide, there is now a severe shortage of PPE for healthcare workers and critical medical devices to treat patients in intensive care. This has led many countries in Europe, Asia and the United States to compete to acquire this critical equipment. Countries around the world have also called on their domestic manufacturers to redeploy to produce medical and hygiene products. 

One major challenge facing companies that are ‘retooling’ – that is, redirecting their manufacturing efforts to make PPE and medical devices – is the lack of advanced manufacturing technologies for rapid production. 

By leveraging the expertise of a group of UNSW academics from different faculties and schools working closely with our industry partners and contacts in the health sector, this project will address the severe ongoing medical supplies shortage. 

The aim is to develop new manufacturing technologies and processes that can be scaled-up by local industries and intensive care units to develop PPE and critical medical device components to meet Australia’s demand.