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British Columbia is one of the premiere biotechnology and life science centres in North America. The Pacific Province includes nearly 100 biotechnology and medical device companies, and represents the fastest growing hub in Canada for the industry. Its location on the Pacific Rim gives British Columbia access to vast international markets, including other industry hubs on the West Coast of North America.
More than ninety percent of the British Columbia industry is located in the Greater Vancouver Metropolitan Area, and in 2008, thirty-four British Columbia companies are publicly traded on the NASDAQ, New York or Toronto Stock Exchanges, or on an Over the Counter securities market. Notably, forty percent of the life science companies in British Columbia have been established since 2000, and thirty-nine percent are founded on technology developed at the University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Victoria (UVic), and Simon Fraser University (SFU).
Many globally recognized biotech and pharmaceutical companies reside in British Columbia, including Amgen British Columbia; Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Cardiome Pharma Corp.; enGene Inc.; Allon Therapeutics Inc.; Linnaeus Plant Sciences Inc.; QLT Inc.; Xenon Pharmaceuticals; OncoGenex Technologies Inc.; and many others.
Impressive universities aid British Columbia’s biotechnology and life sciences sector through their research departments. The University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver supports a wide variety of research, and assists with technology transfer and commercialization. UBC is also home to Canada’s first interdisciplinary biotechnology unit, the Michael Smith Laboratories (recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Chemistry), whose research activities are performed with an interdisciplinary emphasis by nearly 250 personnel. Areas of research include human and animal genetics, fermentation and bio-process engineering, plant and forestry molecular genetics, and bioinformatics. The University of Victoria boasts over $60 million in outside research grants awarded in 2004-2005, and also offers the Innovation and Development Corporation to aid technology transfer. Simon Fraser University (SFU) offers numerous research settings and benefits from grants totaling more than $60 million. SFU’s University/Industry Liaison Office assists with technology transfer.
Additionally, such esteemed research institutions as the
BC Cancer Research Centre (BCCRC), in Vancouver, prove to be assets to the Pacific Province. The BCCRC is the research arm of the
BC Cancer Agency. The Centre works directly with cancer centres throughout the province to facilitate clinical research. Its scientists and researchers also work toward finding new cancer treatments through basic and epidemiological research. British Columbia also boasts the
Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI), which performs a variety of research in children’s and women’s health. The
Brain Research Centre hosts over 190 investigators in neuroscience research and is headquartered at
Vancouver Coastal Health.
Organizations such as Genome British Columbia (Genome BC) work towards ensuring success in biotechnology and life sciences in the province. Genome BC invests in and manages projects in genomics and proteomics, working with government, academia, and industry toward the goal of a genomics-driven life sciences cluster for the nation as well as for the province. Genome BC is part of Genome Canada, which provides the primary funding and information resource related to genomics and proteomics in Canada. LifeSciences British Columbia, formerly known as BC Biotech, is a not-for-profit association that supports and represents the biotechnology, medical device, and greater life sciences community of British Columbia through leadership, advocacy and promotion of its world-class science and industry.
Additional advantages to doing business in British Columbia include the provincial government investment of $1.5 billion towards life sciences research and infrastructure; lower operating costs for research and development and manufacturing compared with the United States; tax credits for research and development activity; and the proximity to United States life science hubs, as well as the advantage of the Pacific Rim location.
With so many assets within one province, British Columbia guarantees a successful future in the life sciences and biotechnology arena.
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