CSL Seqirus has opened its new $1 billion cell-based vaccine manufacturing facility in Tullamarine - a major investment that will enhance Australia’s sovereign vaccine capability and demonstrates the depth of Victoria’s life sciences ecosystem.
As the first company in the world to produce cell-based influenza vaccines at commercial scale, CSL Seqirus will operate the only facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
The investment reflects strong alignment between the Victorian Government, Australian Government and industry to expand domestic production of critical health products.
“CSL Seqirus has been at the forefront of innovation since 1919 and our partnership with the Australian and Victorian Governments has been central to that.”
Dave Ross, CSL Seqirus Senior Vice President and General Manager
A 12-year agreement between the Australian Government and Seqirus will see the company, manufacture and supply these critical health products through to 2036.
The world-class facility will manufacture high-value health products including pandemic and seasonal influenza vaccines, lifesaving antivenoms and Q-Fever vaccines — reinforcing Victoria’s role as a dependable base for advanced biopharmaceutical production.
Cell-based manufacturing is a technology that is easier and faster than traditional methods. CSL Seqirus’s cell-based technology makes more effective vaccines, allows greater production at a large scale, and uses fewer critical materials.
The new facility will draw upon Melbourne’s established life-science and biotech capabilities, leveraging a deep concentration of research institutes, specialist manufacturing expertise and highly trained STEM talent.
Victoria’s connected biomedical ecosystem enables faster innovation cycles, reliable access to skilled workers and a supportive environment for advanced manufacturing. For CSL Seqirus, it means the ability to scale production, accelerate R&D and supply both domestic and global markets from a mature and internationally recognised biotech hub.
Through its agreement with CSL Seqirus, Invest Victoria played a key role in securing the company’s advanced cell-based vaccine manufacturing facility for Victoria. This support helps retain high-value jobs and specialised skills in the state, while strengthening Victoria’s position in national and global vaccine supply chains.
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