Quarterly Message from the CEO
I am thrilled by the energy across the SMART CRC as we begin 2026. The momentum building across Australia’s regenerative therapies ecosystem is unmistakable and genuinely exciting.
At our recent Quarterly Showcase we had a powerful bird’s‑eye view of collaboration in action and we hope our Victorian partners and associates enjoyed the Showcase as much as we did. Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to such a dynamic exchange of ideas.
Inside the SMART CRC, we continue to build. With our full team now in place, we are strongly positioned to accelerate impact.
We are also excited to have launched our new Associates program, opening the door to even broader collaboration across the regenerative therapies ecosystem. We look forward to introducing our new associates in the next edition.
Industry engagement
As always collaboration remains our greatest priority and in quarter three, I had the privilege of meeting with all our partners to shape our 2026 strategy and was delighted to host delegations including Lifeblood and QIMRB at our headquarters in Brisbane.
It was a pleasure to meet with our NCRIS capability partners to develop a shared understanding of available facilities, expertise and infrastructure to strengthen early project design.
I’ve also spent time in South Australia with key research and industry partners, and I’m thrilled that the SMART CRC is working with Dr Joy Rathjen to contribute to the South Australian Health Strategy.
Also in South Australia, we partnered with EMBL Australia to deliver an intensive workshop for PhD students from diverse research fields, as part of our focus on the future workforce of regenerative therapies.
Across our travels, we’ve prioritised strengthening relationships with the Queensland and South Australian Governments, while continuing to build deeper connections with Victoria and NSW.
Our relationships with the rare disease foundation community have also been in focus this quarter, as we have worked to deepen research support for rare diseases.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to be joining our team, including Chair Dr Leanna Read, Chief Operating Officer Dr Sarah Costanzo, and Chief Development Officer Isaac Coonan, to represent SMART CRC at the BIO International Conference in San Diego this June as part of multiple Australian state government delegations.
As our strategic planning for the coming years progresses, I am genuinely excited about the opportunities ahead and look forward to sharing more in mid‑2026.
We are incredibly proud to be working alongside our partners and associates to build Australia’s capability to develop and manufacture regenerative therapies, so that every patient can access the treatments they need.