CSL Ltd Annual Report 2021

Global collaborations for innovation Our R&D portfolio focuses on innovation in new products, improved products and manufacturing expertise, ensuring our continued growth. In addition, CSL continues to identify and build strategic collaborations that align with our therapeutic areas of focus. CSL proactively sources promising external projects across the globe to add to our early stage therapeutic areas portfolios. Our strategy for sourcing external innovation consists of six pillars: 1. strategic partnerships with universities, medical research institutes and hospitals around the globe; 2. funding and collaboration initiatives including CSL’s annual Research Acceleration Initiative (RAI), which aims to fast-track discovery of innovative biotherapies through partnerships between CSL and global research organisations; 3. venture capital (VC) investment, partnerships and seed- funding organisations; 4. partnerships with biotech companies; 5. participation in global partnering conferences such as BIO, BIO Europe, Biotechgate and AusBiotech; and 6. integration of our research sites within global science and innovation hubs. In support of the yearly seasonal influenza vaccine epidemic, Seqirus collaborates with the WHO Coordinating Centre in Melbourne, Australia to prepare vaccine seeds and potency reagents that are made widely available. This is an important contribution to assist with the global effort to prepare for the forthcoming vaccination season. Influenza remains one of our greatest global health threats. CSL is committed to collaborating with like-minded partners to advance understanding of the human response to influenza and to discover new and innovative vaccine solutions. We have continued our support of an international, non-profit venture, the Human Vaccines Project, dedicated to decoding the immune system to develop a universal influenza vaccine that affords long-lasting protection against seasonal and pandemic influenza across demographics and geography. The project unites leading academic research centres, industry partners, non-profits and governments to address the primary scientific barriers to developing new vaccines and immunotherapies. The project will utilise biomedical and artificial intelligence-based, machine- learning technologies to develop models of the immune system to rapidly accelerate vaccine research. Strategic support for innovative medical research One of our core values at CSL is innovation and over the past year we have continued to support collaborative innovation. Netherlands The Heimburger award is a global award available to researchers across the world. One of the recipients was Professor Dr Norbert Heimburger, a CSL Behring employee for over three decades, was a pioneer of modern coagulation therapy. Among his many achievements, Prof Dr Heimburger developed virus-safe plasma products based on pasteurisation, including launching the first effectively virus-inactivated FVIII concentrate in 1981. In his honour, CSL Behring created the Heimburger Award, recognising clinical and/or preclinical research of emerging coagulation specialists who are driven to improve the care of patients with bleeding disorders. In July 2020, five recipients from the Netherlands, received this award. Australia In October 2020, two Australian scientists were each awarded a CSL Centenary Fellowship, valued at A$1.25 million over five years, to investigate new ways to fight two of the world’s biggest health challenges: cancer and infectious diseases. CSL Limited Annual Report 2020/21 29