Melbourne’s world-leading Biomedical Precinct will soon be home to a new institute to protect Australians against infectious diseases and future pandemics.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Medical Research Mary-Anne Thomas today unveiled the designs for the new Australian Institute for Infectious Disease (AIID), which will be built next to the world-leading Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity.

The Andrews Labor Government is investing up to $400 million to deliver the institute, which will bring together three of Victoria’s leading research organisations to help form the largest centre of infectious disease expertise in the Southern Hemisphere.

An additional investment of $250 million from three Foundation Partners – the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, the Burnet Institute, and the University of Melbourne – will ensure greater collaboration on infectious diseases for the benefit of the community.

Supporting research into life-saving therapeutics, diagnostics and vaccines, the AIID will establish Victoria as a global leader in understanding and fighting infectious diseases and seize upon the opportunities to respond to other public health challenges highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Including dedicated spaces for drug screening and critical imaging not currently available in Australia, it will also provide access to a broad range of shared facilities and platforms to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Major works are set to kick off early next year, with Wardle appointed as architects and Aurecon as engineers on the project – which will create around 350 jobs in the design and construction phase alone.

Once complete in 2027, the AIID will house more than 1,000 scientists, academics, students and public health experts and has the potential to support up to 5,000 jobs across the research ecosystem.

The AIID is just one of the Labor Government’s major investments in medical research, alongside the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics, the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery and support for Australia’s mRNA vaccine manufacturing capability and research ecosystem.

Victoria’s medical research sector supports more than 30,000 jobs across institutes, universities and industry, contributing an estimated $21 billion to the state economy – with every $1 invested generating $3.90 of activity.

Quote attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“Victoria has long been the medical research capital of Australia – this world-class centre for research and innovation will ensure medical research breakthroughs keep happening right here in Victoria.”