 This paper examines the early development of four academic health services centers, AHSCs, in Australia. These centers were created with the goal of accelerating the translation of research into practice and improving the commercialization of scientific inventions. The authors found that these centers have been successful in achieving this goal, as evidenced by increased collaboration between academia and industry, improved patient outcomes, and greater investment in innovation. However, further research is needed to determine how these centers can best be used to maximize their potential impact on healthcare delivery. This article was authored by Ewan Furley.