A new state-of-the-art training facility in Sydney is set to transform how health care professionals (HCPs) across Australia and New Zealand learn, collaborate, and adopt emerging medical technologies.

The Johnson & Johnson Institute brings together more than 600 employees from the company’s medtech, innovation medicine, and vision divisions under one roof for the first time, marking a significant investment in the future of health care education.

Opening the building, Peter Hawkes, Cluster Lead Johnson & Johnson MedTech Australia and New Zealand, welcomed a broad audience of surgeons, clinicians, industry partners, and educators, highlighting the organisation’s longstanding commitment to health care training.

“Johnson & Johnson has a long, proud history here in Australia,” he said. “We’ve been supporting the health of Australians and partnering in the education of health care professionals since 1931… and today is about extending that next chapter and building on this legacy.”

The new Sydney facility is the 24th Johnson & Johnson Institute globally and has been designed to meet the evolving demands of modern health care, where increasing complexity, rapid innovation, and growing patient expectations are reshaping clinical practice.

At the heart of the Institute is a focus on flexible, technology-driven learning. The facility includes simulation suites, artificial training environments, and advanced connectivity that enables remote education and collaboration.

Blake Thomas, Country Manager ANZ Surgical Vision at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, said the centre allows for a wide range of training formats, from in-person workshops to livestreamed sessions with international experts.

“It gives us the option of leading education across a whole broad spectrum of needs,” he said. “We have a multi-purpose facility that can meet those needs for small or large groups.”

GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY

A key feature is its global connectivity, enabling clinicians to participate in training regardless of location. This includes the ability to connect across Australia and internationally, supporting live events and collaborative learning.

“We can connect across the states in Australia… or with international colleagues,” Mr Thomas said. “We’re still learning how we can best use this exciting digital capability for the benefit of eye care practitioners across Australia and New Zealand.”

The Institute also incorporates hands-on simulation technology, allowing practitioners to train using artificial eyes and simulated surgical environments before entering operating theatres. This approach is increasingly seen as critical in improving patient safety and clinical outcomes.

Importantly, the facility is not limited to a single specialty. While ophthalmology and vision care are key areas, the Institute supports a wide range of medical disciplines aligned with Johnson & Johnson’s broader portfolio.

“It’s much bigger than ophthalmology and optometry,” Mr Thomas said. “The Institute supports all the medical specialties where Johnson & Johnson are present.”

Mr Hawkes emphasised that education remains central to the company’s mission, noting that more than 3,500 healthcare professionals across Australia and New Zealand have been trained by local teams in the past two years alone.

The new facility expands this capability through initiatives such as tele-mentoring, where surgeons from around the world can be guided remotely through procedures in real time.

“So, whether you’re a surgeon from Argentina, Albania, or Albury, we can tele-mentor you directly into our simulation suites,” Mr Hawkes said.

The Institute also offers the opportunity to formalise new industry partnerships focusing on education. One such partnership includes a collaboration with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons aimed at improving surgical training standards across the region.

Dr Jodie Ellis-Clark, a colorectal surgeon and chair of the Australia and New Zealand training board in colon and rectal surgery, said the facility represents a major step forward for medical education.

“Technology alone doesn’t transform care,” she said. “What really matters is how clinicians are trained to use it.”

“Surgery is a practical craft. We learn by observing, practising, and sharing ideas… preferably in a place where it’s safe to do so,” she said.

For Johnson & Johnson, the goal is clear: by investing in training, education and partnerships, the ultimate beneficiaries will be patients.

“Ultimately, when clinicians, educators, industry, and government work together to support surgical training,” Dr Ellis-Clark said, “the real beneficiaries are the patients we care for every day.”