Biotech innovation key to Canadian growth

Canada’s biotech sector needs anchor companies to establish themselves in Canada, become globally competitive and attract more investment, talent and ideas. These anchor companies will build upon an already strong foundation if they get the right support from the government and the wider sector. How would you describe the economic and social importance of the biotechnology sector for Canada? It is important to look at biotechnology and the sector not just through a Canadian lens but through a global lens. When you think about what is happening in the world, we have a planet with a population that is expected to grow to nine billion or 10 billion over the next decade or two, and that brings with it enormous challenges. We are already dealing with a changed environment and climate. The environment and climate will continue to change and adding more people is just going to accelerate the pace of that. We have to figure out new ways to lessen our impact on the planet and using biotechnology is one of the ways we can do that. That is the type of technology and innovation that allows us to grow differently, manufacture differently and heal our lives. It will not only lessen our impact on the planet but allows us to be more efficient as a species. At the end of the day, the planet is ultimately not threatened, but our species itself will be. Human beings are going to be threatened so unless we do something to address where our trajectory is going, we are going to have some fairly significant problems. This is not only Canada’s opportunity. Other countries recognize the economic and social opportunity of biotech and are supporting their local or domestic sectors. Canada has a fantastic foundation upon which to build. We have a great reputation for science and innovation and if we can take that and accelerate it, we are going to be at the forefront of developing some of the solutions that are needed for the global challenge of population growth.