Australian rapid COVID-19 test manufacturer gets Christmas investment

An Australian business producing 30,000 rapid COVID-19 tests each day will soon increase that capacity to 100,000.

An Australian company will ship 20 million rapid COVID-19 tests overseas in the first half of 2021 after it received everyone’s favourite Christmas present, cash.

The Queensland government has thrown its weight behind the biotech sector in a bid to grow local jobs in the burgeoning industry.

It will invest in Brisbane-based businesses Ellume and Luina Bio as part of its $50 million Essential Goods and Supply Chain program.

Ellume CEO and founder Dr Sean Parsons at its new facility in Richlands. Picture: Annette Dew

Ellume is already manufacturing 30,000 of its 15-minute COVID-19 tests per day.

The additional investment will enable the business to increase production to 100,000 kits daily, with plans to produce 20 million by July 2021.

Its Queensland workforce is also expected to grow from 80 to 500, with local manufacturing to increase from 30 to 80 per cent.

Treasurer Cameron Dick said by investing in biotech industries, the Sunshine State would be able to help the world handle both COVID-19 and any other future health crisis.

“These two investments will support more than 870 skilled jobs in what is undoubtedly an industry of the future,” he told the CEDA Post Budget Lunch on Tuesday.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick said the government had identified biotech as a growth sector before COVID-19. Picture: Annette Dew

Ellume chief executive and founder Dr Sean Parsons said the company would now be able to install automated production lines and upscale critical manufacturing parts.

“Already, we’ve created more than 300 jobs and need to grow our staffing numbers as quickly as we can to meet production targets,” he said.

“This is world-leading and lifesaving diagnostic testing technology, created and manufactured right here in Queensland.”

Luina Bio is also working in the COVID-19 space.

“We anticipate that the company may manufacture COVID-19 vaccine candidates through its various partnerships in development,” Mr Dick said.