City Hosts Consortium with Leading Experts to Strengthen Life Sciences Sector Across the Province

Today, the City of Mississauga hosted a Life Sciences Consortium with the Province of Ontario, industry leaders and top executives in the Life Sciences field. Discussions included the advancement of the sector, attracting experienced talent, fostering a collaborative ecosystem, and creating an internationally competitive environment for companies in Canada.

Speakers at the Life Sciences Consortium included:

• Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie
• Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade
• Honourable Nina Tangri, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development Job Creation & Trade
• Jason Field, President, Life Sciences Ontario
• Bonnie Brown, Director, Economic Development Office, City of Mississauga
• Jackie O’Connor, Life Sciences Business Consultation, Economic Development Office, City of Mississauga

“I would like to thank Minister Fedeli and MPP Tangri along with members from our City’s life sciences community for offering their time, expertise and insight on how we can work together to strengthen this sector and ensure it remains a major economic driver across the province,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “It’s clear that life sciences play an integral role in advancing our cities, province, and nation and we are pleased that as the second-largest Life Sciences cluster in the country, Mississauga is at the centre of these discussions. Our local economy has greatly benefitted from our thriving life sciences sector, which has been recognized globally as a place where researchers can not only make medical breakthroughs but where products can be commercialized and brought to market.”

The meeting also highlighted the benefits of having coordinated regulations, policies and programs between the municipal and provincial government to foster growth and success within the Ontario Life Sciences Sector.

Mississauga has hosted Life Science Consortium meetings since 2017, bringing together industry leaders and key stakeholders to discuss the life science sector in Canada.

“Every consortium meeting that we have held to date continues to gain traction. Gaining support from the various levels of government and industry experts proves there is worth in creating an environment with coordinated policies, regulations and programs for companies to grow,” said Bonnie Brown, Director of Economic Development. “Our Life Sciences sector is successful because we have provided the support and guidance that companies need to reach the next level.”

Mississauga is Canada’s second largest Life Sciences Sector, featuring 490 companies and employing more than 24,000 individuals. The City’s five year Life Sciences Cluster Strategy and Action Plan, the first of its kind for a Canadian municipality. The plan focuses on establishing Mississauga as the premier Canadian destination for the commercialization of life sciences products, technologies and services. The plan aims at increasing the number of established life sciences companies within the region to influence job creation, investment capital and attracting life sciences related business expertise and services Ontario.

[Mayor Bonnie Crombie delivers remarks at the Life Sciences Consortium]

[Mayor Bonnie Crombie with Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade and Honourable Nina Tangri, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade with members of the life science community at the Life Sciences Consortium]

For more information about Mississauga’s Life Sciences Cluster, visit thefutureisunlimited.ca 

Background

Mississauga has a robust and diverse business community that makes up some of the largest knowledge-based sectors in Canada. These sectors include Life Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing (Aerospace, Automotive, Clean Tech and Food and Beverage), Information and Communications Technology and Financial Services and Real Estate.