Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane and Health Minister Sussan Ley convened the first meeting of the health industry stakeholder forum in Canberra today.
The forum succeeds the abolished Pharmaceutical Industry Working Group (PIWG)
AusBiotech was a member of PIWG and attend today's forum.
Other groups represented were from the medical technologies, pharmaceutical, chemicals and plastics and food manufacturing sectors
It was jointly chaired by Mr Macfarlane and Ms Ley, with the objective of providing an opportunity for cross-portfolio discussion of industry-related matters.
Key issues discussed include industry growth and investment, improving the environment for clinical trials, tax initiatives and regulation reform in several areas.
Ms Bronwyn Evans, Chair of the Medical Technologies and Pharmaceuticals Growth Centre, also provided the forum with an update on her industry discussions to date.
The Industry Growth Centre initiative targets five key sectors in which Australia is said to have a competitive edge, including medical technologies and pharmaceuticals.
The Growth Centres are designed to help these industries forge stronger links with our science and research agencies to drive innovation, lower costs and boost global excellence across these sectors.