Lytton company Advanced Robotic Technology (ART) is one of the successful recipients of a grant provided under the Accelerating Commercialisation element of the Australian Government’s Entrepreneurs’ Programme, Federal Member for Bonner Ross Vasta said today.

ART has developed an advanced robotic structural steel processing system that has the potential to help Australian firms better compete with cheap imported fabricators through lower costs, quicker turnaround and superior accuracy.

Director of ART David White said the grant funding would enable the company to transition from R&D to a production product.

“This grant will help us cover the costs of building and installing a prototype system here at our Brisbane facility,” Mr White said.

“It will also help us complete and transport a display model they we can use for real-world demonstrations in Australia and overseas. This will help us generate leads with companies that are crying out for this kind of product, because we’ll be able to actively demonstrate the efficiency of this system in an industry neutral environment.”

Mr Vasta, who today visited ART with Minister for Jobs and Innovation, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said it was great to see a local company receiving government support to develop and build world-class technology.

“This is a world-leading product that will boost productivity and allow workers to move up to higher-skilled jobs,” Mr Vasta said.

Minister Cash said she was pleased to be visiting ART to see how the Government’s funding will assist them to take their ideas to the market.

“The Entrepreneurs’ Programme supports businesses to develop and commercialise ideas that will improve business capability and competitiveness, promote economic growth and create jobs,” Minister Cash said.

Mr White said the government’s support had been invaluable for ART to develop the technology.

“Without the R&D Tax Incentive Scheme, it would not have been viable for us to invest the necessary funds that have been required to develop this level of technology. It’s been pivotal to help us recoup costs, which has in turn encouraged further development,” Mr White said.

“The assistance available through schemes like the Entrepreneurs’ Programme and the R&D Tax Incentive provides a high level of confidence that the Government is backing Australian innovation.”

More information on Accelerating Commercialisation: https://www.business.gov.au/assistance/entrepreneurs-programme/accelerating-commercialisation

More information on the R&D Tax Incentive: https://www.business.gov.au/assistance/research-and-development-tax-incentive

The Turnbull Government has announced in the 2018-19 Budget the listing of a life-changing breast cancer medicine on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that would otherwise cost patients around $71,820 per year.

Federal Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta, who today attended a Breast Cancer Australia afternoon tea held for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer, welcomed the announcement.

Mr Vasta said the Government’s $703.6 million investment will mean more than 3,000 Australian patients with inoperable or metastatic hormone receptor positive breast cancer will benefit from the 1 July 2018 listing of ribociclib (Kisqali®).

“Hormone receptor positive tumours are the most common form of breast cancer and account for most of the deaths from the disease,” Mr Vasta said.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt, who also attended the Breast Cancer Australia afternoon tea, said by inhibiting two proteins that drive the growth of tumour cells, ribociclib—used in combination with other drugs—will slow the progression of inoperable and metastatic breast cancers in some patients.

Mt Gravatt local Dr David Hunt welcomed the Government’s decision.

“As someone who's lost their mother to breast cancer, I think this Budget decision is close to the heart of many families in our nation,” Dr Hunt said.

“I applaud the Government on this decision. I believe it will help many women overcome this disease in Australia.”

The independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) recommended the listing of Kisqali.

The Committee is, by law and in practice, independent of Government in its deliberations.  By law the Federal Government cannot list a new medicine without a positive recommendation from this committee.

Mr Vasta said since coming into Government, the Coalition has helped improve the health of Australians by subsidising approximately $9 billion worth of new medicines.

Minister for Health Greg Hunt said the Government’s commitment to the PBS is rock solid. 

“Together with Medicare, it is a foundation of our world-class health care system,” Minister Hunt said.