In November 2020, the Victorian Premier and Minister forInnovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, together with theFounding Partners Burnet Institute, Doherty Institute and the University of Melbourne, announced the establishment of the Australian Institute forInfectious Disease (AIID). The AIID facility is part of the State Government’s investment in the national effort to tackle COVID-19 and prepare for future pandemics to enable:

• fast detection and tracking of new infectious diseases, including COVID-19 mutations
• faster development of new drug candidates and tools to combat new infectious diseases
• stronger connections with industry, pharmaceutical companies and start-ups to drive promising new technologies, and
• increased training of future experts in pandemic response and infectious disease.

Burnet Institute will be the only Foundation Partnerre locating all existing operations to the new AIID facility.

‍

Johnstaff is advising and representing the Burnet Institute through all phases of the new AIID facility development, from pre-business case onwards. Johnstaff assisted Burnet Institute with preparing key project establishment and framework documents, making resource recommendations, advising on investment requirements in each project phase and proactively identifying and managing Burnet-specific risks.

‍

To address Burnet’s unique risk profile, Johnstaff developed a comprehensive Burnet-specific risk register and risk management plan. These addressed fundamental matters, such as whether the facility has capacity to house all of the Burnet Institute, given its current growth trajectory, and whether Burnet can maintain organisational independence and brand awareness whilst strengthening collaborative relationships and opportunities for innovative research outcomes.

‍