Ontario is a “hotbed of research”
Ontario is one of the world’s 20 best biotech places, according to the June 2008 report issued by Genome Technology Online (PDF).
Our province was given a high ranking due to a large number of resident biotech companies (120 private and 26 public companies), the presence of major research initiatives such as the Ontario Genomics Institute and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and the creation of a biotech-focused zone in downtown Toronto anchored by our own MaRS Discovery District.
To give you an idea of our competition and contemporaries, other established centres mentioned in the report were: Boston/Cambridge, San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, Florida, Washington D.C. Metro Area, Wisconsin, Singapore, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Research Triangle, NC.
Ontario is becoming increasingly connected to other established biotech clusters, as evidenced by recent research collaborations with California (check out our recent stories about these collaborations in the areas of cancer stem cells and iPS cells) and Singapore (see MaRS joins the Singapore-based TTN alliance).
We already know about the great things happening here, but it’s nice to have others notice too!
John provides assistance to life sciences entrepreneurs in business strategy, management, intellectual property, financing and licensing.
