Palaszczuk Government ignites innovation for more Queensland jobs

More manufacturing jobs are on their way for a Queensland business, thanks to Palaszczuk Government funding to help market a very clever Brisbane innovation.

Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Brisbane firm Scott Airway Management had received $100,000 in Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas funding to scale up its SAM Safety Shield medical device and support 15 new jobs.

“For medical staff, men with beards in need of lifesaving ventilation can present a challenge,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

“When patients can’t breathe, first responders usually fit sealed Bag Mask Ventilation (BMV) to a patient’s face to push oxygen into their lungs.

“BMV relies on a tight face seal and having a beard or a misshaped face makes that difficult.

“The Brisbane-developed SAM Safety Shield solves the problem quickly, and we know in an emergency every single second counts.       

“Supporting local innovation and manufacturing is a key part of the Palaszczuk Government’s plan for Queensland’s economic recovery and that’s exactly what this Ignite Ideas grant has done.

“SAM Safety Shield has just been launched and with orders coming in, Scott Airway is exploring partnerships with local makers for the device to create Queensland manufacturing jobs.”

Dr Paul Scott from Scott Airway Management has 17 years’ experience in anaesthesia and critical care and came up with the device out of personal frustration.

“The SAM Safety Shield provides a flexible and contoured surface to seal a BMV,” Dr Scott said.

“Medical staff currently use wound dressing or cling film to attempt to improve the seal, but the application is time consuming, costly, complex and often ineffective.”

Dr Scott said the company tested the device with clinicians at Ramsay Health Care Australia and Healthscope hospitals in Brisbane.

“This has resulted in requests to stock the device in these hospitals,” Dr Scott said.

“With the Ignite Ideas funding, we’ll look to go out more broadly to market.

“Globally, there are about 350 million surgical procedures performed each year requiring patients to become unconscious and for clinicians to use BMV to breathe for them.

“Given that many men have beards these days we estimate the potential global market to be about 80 million units per year.

“Our aim is to achieve sales of 40 million units with the next five years, equating to about $50 million.

“In terms of jobs, we believe that we’ll need to put on 15 people, working across all aspects of the business, from marketing and sales to manufacturing.”

Mr Hinchliffe said Scott Airway Management was one of 31 Queensland small businesses to share in almost $3.8 million from the latest round of the Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas Fund.

“The fund is designed to support small-to-medium Queensland businesses to scale up market-ready, innovative products or services to national and global markets to support local jobs,” he said.

“Since the Ignite Ideas Fund launched four years ago, the Palaszczuk Government has invested more than $46.3 million to support 365 businesses.

“Ignite Ideas is supporting over 3,800 jobs across Queensland’s key industries including tourism, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, engineering, renewable engineering and construction.

“The SAM Safety Shield is just one example of local innovation and entrepreneurship supported by the Palaszczuk Government to drive the Queensland industries and jobs of the future.”

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