Critical Care Research Group

What Critical Care Research Group does

Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) is a private, Brisbane-based critical care research organization anchored at The Prince Charles Hospital, operating four specialized laboratories — PRIMELab (preclinical testing, described as Australia's largest such facility), ICETLab (cardiovascular engineering and technology translation), STARLab (translational heart, lung, and ECMO research), and The Living Heart Project (heart transplantation using Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion) — alongside the world-first ICU of the Future initiative launched in December 2022 and the COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium spanning 50+ countries. Its research portfolio addresses heart disease, lung disease, sepsis, ECMO anticoagulation (including a novel cyclotide-based factor XIIa inhibitor developed with the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience), ICU environmental design (noise, lighting, acoustics), and computational modeling of pulsatile VA-ECMO flows. The organization is led by Founder and Director Professor John Fraser AO and includes an international research fellow cohort.

CCRG is not a commercial entity: it generates no product or service revenue. Funding flows entirely through Australian federal and state research grants (NHMRC Development Grants, Australian Research Council, Queensland Mental Health Commission), philanthropic foundations (The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation's The Common Good initiative, including the AUD $1M Shelia and Bernard Joel Life-Saving Medical Equipment Foundation grant), industry sponsorships (Fisher & Paykel, Fresenius, Mallinckrodt, Philips) supporting the biennial CRIKEY Summit, and consumer-facing partnerships (Irvine Wines donating 15% of July proceeds). Go-to-market operates through scientific publications, conference participation, and implementation partnerships with hospitals — currently The Prince Charles Hospital, St Andrew's War Memorial Hospital, Gold Coast University Hospital domestically, and Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital in South Korea.

The organization serves a dual customer base: critically ill ICU patients (the ultimate beneficiary of improved survival and post-discharge outcomes, with up to 80% of ICU patients experiencing ongoing physical, cognitive, or psychological challenges) and institutional partners (hospitals, universities, and research institutes) that implement CCRG's evidence-based ICU design principles and clinical protocols. Leadership combines clinical medicine, biomedical engineering, and basic science disciplines, with notable international collaborators including Harvard/Boston Children's Hospital (mitochondrial transplantation), Bond University (AI/ML triage), and QUT (circadian lighting architecture).

Name

Critical Care Research Group

Legal name

Critical Care Research Group

Website

https://ccrg.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) is a private Brisbane-based critical care research organization operating four specialized laboratories and the world-first ICU of the Future initiative, conducting translational research on ECMO, heart/lung transplantation, sepsis, and ICU design for hospitals and critically ill patients in Australia and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Critical Care Research Services

NAICS

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (622110), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215), Medical Laboratories (621511)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) & Teaching Hospitals (HLAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Critical Care / ICU Pulmonology (Intensivist Services) (HLAKANAH), Global Health Security & Pandemic Preparedness Partnerships (HLAJAOAH), Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Critical care research
• Preclinical research
• Translational medicine
• Biomedical engineering
• Intensive care innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Donations: CCRG receives funding through grants from organizations including the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), Australian Research Council (ARC), The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, and charitable donations from partners such as Irvine Wines (15% of proceeds donated).
2. Equipment Funding: Significant equipment donations through foundations such as The Shelia and Bernard Joel Life-Saving Medical Equipment Foundation (valued at close to $1 million), administered by The Common Good.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CCRG conducts translational critical care research through multiple specialized laboratories (PRIMELab, ICETLab, STARLab) focused on improving ICU patient outcomes for heart, lung, and sepsis conditions. The group develops novel treatments and ICU design protocols—including the world-first ICU of the Future initiative—and translates them into clinical practice through hospital partnerships across Australia and internationally.

Product overview

Critical Care Research Group is a leading Australian critical care research organization comprising multiple specialized research laboratories and initiatives. The core research facilities include PRIMELab (preclinical testing), ICETLab (cardiovascular engineering), STARLab (translational research), and The Living Heart Project (heart transplantation). The portfolio is unified by the world-first ICU of the Future initiative focused on patient-centered intensive care design, alongside the COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium global database project. These laboratories and initiatives work collaboratively to improve patient outcomes through research into heart disease, lung disease, sepsis, ECMO, and critical care innovations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICU of the Future: World-first healthcare initiative transforming intensive care delivery, shifting focus beyond survival to long-term patient recovery and wellbeing through redesigned ICU environments targeting modifiable factors such as noise, lighting, and exposure to nature.
• PRIMELab
• ICETLab
• STARLab
• The Living Heart Project
• COVID Critical
• CRIKEY Summit
• Queensland Spatial Biology Centre

Products and services

• PRIMELab (Preclinical Innovative Medical and Engineering Laboratory) Australia's largest research facility testing the efficacy and safety of new medical and surgical interventions that are set to be implemented into clinical practice. Used by medical researchers, clinicians, and industry partners to validate preclinical interventions.
• ICETLab (Innovative Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology Laboratory)
• STARLab (Scientific and Translational Research Laboratory)
• ICU of the Future
• The Living Heart Project
• COVID Critical (COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium)
• Fellowship Program
• CRIKEY Summit

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ patients treated in ICU of the Future bedspaces since December 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Irvine WinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2024Partnership with acclaimed Australian winemaker where Irvine Wines donates 15% of proceeds from July purchases to The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation to support CCRG's life-changing medical research.
• The University of Queensland Institute for Molecular BiosciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Australian-first study targeting superbugs on mobile phones in hospitals, combining cutting-edge microbiology with practical solutions for infection control.
• The Wesley Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner supporting CCRG studies including mobile phone superbug research and Queensland Spatial Biology Centre initiatives.
• St Andrew's War Memorial HospitalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBrisbane hospital adopting ICU of the Future initiative, with significant private gift funding three ICUOTF bedspaces. Professor John Fraser serves as ICU Director.
• Gold Coast University HospitalcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdopting variations of ICU of the Future initiative as part of Queensland expansion of the program.
• Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital (South Korea)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInternational partner establishing ICU of the Future model at their facility, representing global expansion of the initiative.
• University of Queensland Institute for Molecular BiosciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on ECMO anticoagulation research including development of IMB-F12 cyclotide-based factor XIIa inhibitor for safer ECMO treatment.
• Bond UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on AI/machine learning tools for emergency department triaging, with Professor Marcus Randall leading development using data from The Prince Charles Hospital ED.
• Fisher & Paykel HealthcareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry sponsor for CRIKEY 2023 Summit. Leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of products for acute and chronic respiratory care, surgery and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
• FreseniusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry sponsor for CRIKEY 2023 Summit. Healthcare group offering high-quality products and services for dialysis, hospitals, and outpatient treatment with over 300,000 employees in more than 100 countries.
• Mallinckrodt PharmaceuticalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry sponsor for CRIKEY 2023 Summit. Specialty pharmaceutical company focused on providing medicines to address unmet patient needs.
• PhilipsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented 2025 CRIKEY Symposium with special guest Dr David Tscholl delivering keynote on Visual Patient Avatar technology for improved situational awareness in operating rooms.
• QUT School of Architecture and Built EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARC-funded project developing dynamic, evidence-based circadian lighting solutions to support sleep, recovery and wellbeing for critically ill patients in ICUs.
• Löwenstein MedicalcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of first ELISA 600 ventilator in Australia to CCRG, offering wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic tools for life-sustaining ventilation research.
• Harvard University / Boston Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr James McCully's team pioneered breakthrough mitochondrial transplantation technique that CCRG is integrating into The Living Heart Project.
• The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal organization for ECMO research and training. Professor John Fraser served as Immediate Past President of the Asia Pacific Chapter during COVID-19 pandemic.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Others

• Getinge (Maquet): Global medtech company offering ECMO consoles (Cardiohelp), ventilators, and ICU infrastructure. Industry partner and natural commercialization channel for CCRG's ECMO and ICU of the Future research, particularly relevant for translating pulsatile VA-ECMO findings into clinical practice.
• Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO): Global ECMO registry and research organization where Professor John Fraser served as Asia-Pacific Chapter Past President. Adjacent ecosystem organization that sets ECMO research standards and convenes the global ECMO research community in which CCRG operates.
• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare: New Zealand-based manufacturer of respiratory care products including ventilators and humidification systems used in ICUs. CRIKEY Summit sponsor and natural commercialization partner for CCRG's respiratory and ICU design research outputs. Comparable as an ICU-adjacent industry partner rather than direct research peer.

Broad incumbents

• Massachusetts General Hospital Critical Care Center: Harvard-affiliated academic medical center with leading critical care research including ECMO, sepsis, and ICU outcomes studies. Comparable as an AMC-based critical care research hub; broader in scope and substantially larger resourcing than CCRG.
• Mayo Clinic Critical Care Research: Large US academic medical center with extensive critical care research, ECMO program, and translational laboratories. Comparable in combining world-class clinical care with bench-to-bedside research; represents a much larger, well-funded peer that CCRG competes with for talent, grants, and global influence.

Direct peers

• Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals Critical Care: UK specialist heart and lung hospital with leading ECMO, transplantation, and critical care research. Highly comparable as a specialty hospital-based research group focused on cardiovascular and respiratory critical care, including HOPE organ preservation work that overlaps with CCRG's Living Heart Project.
• Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin ICU Research: Major European university hospital with prominent critical care and ECMO research, including ARDS and sepsis programs. Directly comparable as an academic critical care research organization with international ECMO consortium participation similar to CCRG's COVID-19 Critical Care Consortium.
• Karolinska Institutet Critical Care Research: European academic research powerhouse with major intensive care and ECMO research programs (including the ECMO center at Karolinska University Hospital). Directly comparable as a translational critical care research group with international collaborations and similar ECMO/sepsis focus.

Regional players

• Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital ICU Research: Quaternary hospital in Brisbane with active critical care research closely aligned with CCRG's institutional setting. Comparable as a Queensland-based critical care research provider and potential collaboration/competition for the same patient populations and grant funding.
• The Alfred Hospital Intensive Care Unit: Major Australian academic hospital with a leading ICU research program (Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society CTG). Comparable as an Australian critical care research hub conducting translational and clinical ICU studies, though primarily Melbourne-based rather than Brisbane.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ccrg_research
• Facebookfacebook.com/CriticalCareResearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Critical Care Research Group