Brisbane's Revolutionary Vaccine Delivery Technology to be Showcased Next Year

Queensland’s world-leading biomedical sector will be on show at the International Conference on Microneedles 2025 (ICM 2025) to take place at the ASM Global managed Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC).

A first-time event for Australia, Microneedles 2025 will provide a global platform for Brisbane’s world-leading biotechnology companies and research institutions to showcase new findings and product development that could deliver vaccines more cost effectively and efficiently, while significantly reducing the human and financial losses of future pandemics.

This international premier event for microarray patch technology, will be held over four days from May 11 to 14, 2025, with more than 400 of the world’s leading immunologists, vaccine researchers, engineers, healthcare professionals and scientists expected to attend.

The successful bid was spearheaded by The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Associate Professor David Muller and Professor Paul Young, in partnership with the team at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, with support from Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and the Brisbane Economic Development Authority (BEDA).

Securing Microneedles 2025 for Brisbane aligns with Queensland’s Biomedical 10-year Roadmap and Action Plan, launched as part of the $3.34 billion Queensland Jobs Fund, demonstrating the Queensland Government’s ongoing commitment to expanding the local biomedical sector.

Brisbane-based biotech company Vaxxas, founded in 2011 based on research from The University of Queensland (UQ) is excited to be joining the University as a presenting partner for the event. The company’s high-density-microarray patch (HD-MAP) technology has the potential to transform the way vaccines are delivered in the future.

Easy to use and with the potential to reduce the complexities and costs associated with refrigerated distribution and storage of traditional vaccination methods, Vaxxas’ technology could enable rapid and broad deployment of routine and pandemic vaccination.

Professor Young, a virologist at UQ, and BCEC Convention Advocate, explained the evolution of microneedle technology’s application in the healthcare sector.

“We’ve had over 170 years of using a needle and syringe to deliver drugs and vaccines and no real advance on that until quite recently,” he said. “In the last 15 years we have seen incredible development in the delivery component of vaccines through patch technology that makes them more efficient and accessible.”

Professor Young said Queensland had played a leading role in maturing the technology through Vaxxas with State Government support.

“Because of this, we thought it appropriate for this conference to come to Brisbane as a reflection of the city’s global leadership role in the sector and Vaxxas’ leadership in patch technology,” he said. “The conference offers the opportunity to bring global leaders in vaccine delivery here to Brisbane and showcase where we are heading with this technology.”

Microneedles 2025 will provide local biomedical companies and researchers, including Vaxxas and UQ, with a platform to showcase technology that Professor Young and Associate Professor Muller said would have the ability to transform the way vaccines are delivered globally in the future.

“Vaxxas’ technology is being developed in Brisbane with support from leading global organisations such as the World Health Organisation and the Gates Foundation, so it’s exciting to be bringing the sector’s global event to our city,” Associate Professor Muller explained.

BCEC General Manager, Kym Guesdon said the Centre was honoured to host Microneedles 2025. “BCEC plays a leadership role in partnering with our local scientific and research communities to showcase Queensland’s world-leading expertise in the critical sectors of biomedical, immunology and vaccine development.

“Conferences are a key vehicle for the transfer of knowledge and international collaboration between some of the world’s greatest thinkers and doers, which can be life changing for our communities,” says Guesdon. 

Brisbane Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner said the city is proud to host the Australian-first conference. “Brisbane is Australia’s lifestyle capital and is emerging as a global leader in biomedical innovation, so it is one of the best places in the world to host this exciting international conference,” Cr Schrinner said. 

“The Schrinner Council has created more to see and do right across our city so I encourage attendees to plan to take in our vibrant precincts and make time for our unrivalled experiences during their stay.”

The 2025 International Conference on Microneedles is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.