3 December 2025
NCRIS-Enabled RNA Innovation Foundry at The University of Western Australia Opens New Pathways for Researchers
Therapeutic Innovation Australia (TIA) welcomes the launch of the new RNA Innovation Foundry at The University of Western Australia in Perth, a national capability supported through the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). As a funding partner, TIA is proud to help establish infrastructure that strengthens Australia’s capacity to progress RNA-based discoveries toward real-world applications.
The launch event brought together leaders from across government, academia and industry, including the Minister for Science, Innovation and Medical Research Hon Stephen Dawson MLA, UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anna Nowak, and Foundry Director Professor Archa Fox.
For researchers, the Foundry represents a new, open-access capability designed to support RNA manufacturing and process development at a standard that aligns with industry expectations. The facility offers digital workflows, specialist expertise, and pathways that can help accelerate projects from early discovery through to translational development.
TIA CEO Dr Stuart Newman said the new capability responds directly to a growing national need for RNA manufacturing capacity and translational support.
“Facilities such as this break down barriers to translation,” Dr Newman said. “They deliver real outcomes, benefiting patients, energising industry, and boosting Australia’s global competitiveness.
“By enabling faster development and scalable manufacturing, we are not just supporting scientific breakthroughs; we are driving workforce growth, new collaborations, and export-ready innovations that strengthen our economy.”
He acknowledged the crucial support of NCRIS. “This program, nearly two decades old, is the unseen, unheralded foundation of Australian science”
The Foundry is part of TIA’s broader RNA Product Capability established in 2023, which includes three other nodes located in Brisbane (BASE Facility), Sydney (UNSW RNA Institute) and Melbourne (mRNA Core) . Together, these facilities form a coordinated national network, offering researchers accessible, expert RNA infrastructure across the country.
The Foundry also announced a strategic partnership and MOU with Belgium-based biotech company Quantoom, bringing a robotic, automated mRNA manufacturing system to the facility, the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
TIA is committed to supporting facilities that help researchers move promising ideas toward impact. Supported through NCRIS-enabled national research infrastructure, the Foundry and the wider TIA RNA network will provide researchers a clearer and more connected pathway to advance RNA-based technologies.
