Transformative made-in-Canada health solutions are crucial to improving the healthcare of Canadians. To support these efforts, the Government of Canada is making strategic investments to foster collaboration and drive innovation and growth in this sector.
On November 28, the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), visited with members of McMaster University's Global Nexus, a partnership-focused health innovation accelerator, to announce a FedDev Ontario investment of $4 million towards the new Centre for Collaborative Chemistry (C3).
During the visit, Minister Tassi learned about the University's plans for C3 and how the Government of Canada's support will increase the adoption of advanced equipment to fast-track Canadian drug discovery. Once operational, C3 will provide an environment to accelerate the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products.
With this investment, C3 will also leverage the regional life sciences ecosystem to provide small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with access to highly qualified personnel as well as training, mentorship and collaboration opportunities to develop and commercialize meaningful and effective healthcare solutions.
The Government of Canada is committed to fostering innovation in the life sciences sector by equipping Canadian businesses, organizations and academia with the necessary tools to innovate, grow, improve the lives of Canadians, and to compete on the global stage.
Quotes
"Supporting Canada's life sciences sector is crucial for driving innovation and improving healthcare outcomes here in Canada and around the world. McMaster University and the Centre for Collaborative Chemistry (C3) will provide SMEs with the expert support and talent needed to accelerate the development and commercialization of Canadian life-saving pharmaceutical products."
- The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)
"This transformational support from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario will catalyze new collaborations between academic and external partners, and create a cutting-edge experiential training environment that will ensure that we have a robust pipeline of highly skilled workers to meet the needs of our growing life sciences sector. With new capacity for research, partnerships, and training, McMaster is better positioned than ever to help drive new therapies to market."
- Matthew Miller, Executive Director of Global Nexus at McMaster University
Quick facts
- McMaster University is consistently ranked among Canada's top research-intensive universities, with a reputation as a hotspot for discovery and innovation.
- In 2020, McMaster University established Global Nexus, a partnership-focused health innovation accelerator, to address the challenges of translating and commercializing health discoveries.
- Global Nexus is also home to the Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Hub (CP2H), a partnership with the University of Ottawa, and one of five research hubs funded by the Government of Canada through the integrated Canada Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF) and Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF), as well as from the Canada Foundation for Innovation's Infrastructure Fund (IOF).
- Since 2015, FedDev Ontario has invested $244.5 million in 62 projects in southern Ontario's life sciences sector, supporting nearly 7,900 jobs.
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