South Australia has teamed up with BioCina, an international biotech business, to establish Australia’s first mRNA development and production site. This move is expected to help create locally produced mRNA vaccines. The country’s only domestically manufactured COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca, was withdrawn in March 2023. The mRNA vaccine facility is being constructed at Monash University in Victoria, but South Australia’s BioCina, now the owner of a fully functional laboratory for mRNA vaccine development, may give Victoria a run for its money. With a $10 million (US$6.7 million) joint grant from the Australian and South Australian Labor governments, BioCina will significantly increase its capacity to produce mRNA drugs. Premier Peter Malinauskas hailed the development, saying it would boost South Australia’s economic footprint in the rapidly expanding biomedical sector. Unlike other centers, the BioCina center provides a comprehensive service without the need for third parties, according to Minister for Health and Wellbeing Chris Picton.