Bridging the Gap: Highlights from the 2025 ACADI Partnering Summit
On World Diabetes Day, held on Friday 14 November, ACADI hosted its 2025 Partnering Summit in Melbourne under the theme Bridging the Gap: Translating Innovation to Impact in Diabetes Care.
With registrations oversubscribed and every session buzzing with energy, the event brought together researchers, clinicians, industry partners, community leaders, and those with lived experience of diabetes to share insights, spark collaboration, and explore pathways for translating research into real-world outcomes.
On opening the Summit, ACADI Director Professor Elif Ekinci commented "Collaboration and innovation are essential in advancing diabetes research nationally. Bringing partners and community together at the Summit is key to driving meaningful change, advancing diabetes research, and improving the lives of people living with diabetes."
Program Highlights:
Opening Address
The Summit commenced with a Welcome to Country by Wurundjeri Elder Tony Garvey, followed by a pre-recorded message from Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, the Hon Mark Butler MP, who acknowledged the importance of collaboration and innovation in improving diabetes care across Australia.
International Keynotes
- Dr J. Fraser Wright (Kriya Therapeutics, US) explored the transformative potential of gene therapy in diabetes care.
- Dr Petter Bjornstad (University of Washington Medicine Diabetes Institute, US) shared precision medicine strategies for diabetic kidney disease, supported by Boehringer Ingelheim.
Expert Panels & Rapid-Fire Sessions
Australian leaders discussed partnering with industry, translating research into care, and building sustainable collaborations. Rapid-fire sessions provided a platform for diverse projects and perspectives, showcasing innovative approaches and practical strategies to accelerate impact.
HealthTech Innovation Challenge Spotlight
The Summit also celebrated the impact of ACADI’s HealthTech Innovation Challenge, which featured four pioneering solutions from finalists based at the University of Adelaide, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and University of Tasmania aimed at improving outcomes for people with diabetes. Congratulations to the University of Adelaide team behind the PAW project — a first-in-human clinical trial of plasma-activated water for diabetic foot ulcers — for exemplifying the type of translational innovation that ACADI champions.
The Summit marked an important step toward strengthening partnerships and shaping future innovations for people living with diabetes. ACADI thanks its co-hosts, MTPConnect, speakers, and participants for making this event a success.