Growing Atlantic Canada's biomanufacturing capacity

Major new infrastructure to support Canada's rapidly expanding bioscience industry to be built in Charlottetown

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, Feb. 10, 2023 /CNW/ - Federal and provincial governments are working closely with industry to boost Canada's biomanufacturing and life sciences industries. In Prince Edward Island, the bioscience community works with organizations and businesses throughout Atlantic Canada to advance an innovative economy and make the region a globally recognized bioscience hub.

With the guidance of the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance and government and industry support, the sector in P.E.I. has quadrupled in size since 2012 to include over 65 bioscience companies and more than 2,300 skilled workers. Today, a major step to help grow further the domestic biomanufacturing and life sciences industries was unveiled.

To that end, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, announced that the Government of Canada will invest $25,000,000 toward the design and construction of the BioAccelerator, a new biomanufacturing facility on P.E.I. 

The Honourable Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island also announced a $25,000,000 contribution toward the project.

A new 75,000 square foot biomanufacturing facility, the BioAccelerator will be located in the BioCommons Research Park in Charlottetown. Once completed, it will become a key piece of infrastructure to advance the bioscience and life sciences ecosystem at both the regional and national level, providing support for research activities; product development; skills and training; and scale-up for bioscience companies in Atlantic Canada. This project is spearheaded by the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance, in partnership with the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC).

The Government of Canada continues to work with provincial and business partners to support key industries in all regions of the country to grow the economy and create highly skilled and well-paying jobs for Canadians.

"Prince Edward Island continues to play a key role in expanding Canada's bioscience innovation ecosystem. Attracting more leading bioscience companies to Atlantic Canada is a key opportunity to grow and strengthen the bioscience cluster in our region. This will bring new high-skilled jobs, opportunities for advanced training, and the development of innovative new ideas and cutting-edge research."
- The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA

"The PEI BioAlliance BioAccelerator is another step forward as we continue the work of building back our biomanufacturing sector after a 40-year decline, including investing in projects across the country to cement Canada's leading role in the life and science sector. PEI and the Atlantic region are becoming an innovative hub focused on skills development and training, scaling up bioscience companies and creating well-paying jobs in the sector. I look forward to seeing the innovative Atlantic Canadian-grown contributions from the talented workers, researchers and companies collaborating with the BioAccelerator."
- The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

"This will forever be a memorable day for the bioscience sector of Prince Edward Island. Today's announcement shows what we can accomplish when we work together, believe in the possibilities, and share the same vision for a prosperous future. This new facility will significantly enhance our province's reputation as a leader in bioscience research and innovation."  
- The Honourable Dennis King, Premier of Prince Edward Island  

"Today's announcement is an exceptional endorsement of the hard work and vision of leaders from our Cluster's business, research, and government organizations and their commitment to sustainable economic growth. The BioAccelerator will provide essential biomanufacturing facilities and services for businesses across the region and beyond, that are critical to business growth and biomanufacturing self-sufficiency for Canada."  
-?Rory Francis, CEO, PEI BioAlliance? 

"We are very pleased to partner with the PEI BioAlliance in the delivery of this very exciting project which will provide critical infrastructure for the future growth of the bioscience sector in the Province."  
- Wade Arsenault, CEO, Charlottetown Area Development Corporation

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada will provide a $25,000,000 investment through ACOA's Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program to support the design and construction of a BioAccelerator facility in Prince Edward Island's BioCommons Research Park. The federal funding is conditional on all parties signing a contribution agreement.
• The Government of Prince Edward Island also contributed $25,000,000 to the project.
• The bioeconomy is an important driver for Atlantic Canada and Prince Edward Island. In Atlantic Canada, the sector consists of approximately 900 organizations, including commercial businesses as well as hospital and university research institutions. In 2019, it employed 10,800 people, including approximately 5,500 people in a diverse range of private sector companies, from start-ups to multinationals.
• The P.E.I. bioscience sector has grown to include 65 diverse companies earning over $575 million in revenue, attracting $96 million in new investment, and employing over 2,300 highly skilled individuals.
• The new BioAccelerator facility in P.E.I. complements continued federal support for bioscience infrastructure and programming in the Atlantic region to help build more capacity and competitively position the sector, including support for the Verschuren Centre in Sydney, Cape Breton.
• The new facility will also contribute to the objectives of Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, which has included substantial investments to revitalize the domestic biomanufacturing industry and ensure preparedness for future pandemics and other health emergencies.
• Formed in 2005, the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance is a member-based industry association that continues to assume and demonstrate a critical leadership role in the development and growth of the bioscience sector on P.E.I.
• The Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC) provides innovation, investment, and expertise for individual projects of economic and social benefit. CADC acts as a catalyst with the private sector and brings together various levels of the business community to initiate development projects and urban renewal.

Associated links

• Investing in Training and Infrastructure for PEI's Bioscience Sector
• Support for incubator fuels growth in Atlantic Canadian bioscience sector
• Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program
• Prince Edward Island BioAlliance
• Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL)
• Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC)

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SOURCE Opportunities NB