“At times when we cannot rely on the international supply chain,we must rely on ourselves and we must rely on great start-up companies that are growing quickly,” he said.
The announcement camea month after concerns were raised about TRI’s funding shortfall,which Deputy Premier Steven Miles blamed on the then-Morrison government.
Dick said there were 1200 companies in Queensland sector looking to scale up and employ about 12,500 people.
And the Labor treasurer could not resist a thinly veiled swipe at former prime minister Scott Morrison,whofamously said Australia’s vaccine procurement was “not a race”,in the process.
“We are in a race,” Dick said. “We are in a race to make sure we take Queensland know-how,that maroon know how,and turn it into maroon business products.”
Dick said the biomedical sector contributed $2.1 billion to the Queensland economy each year and had an export value of about $450 million.