Collaborating to fill critical knowledge and infrastructure gaps, the hubs will make scientific breakthroughs to benefit the health and prosperity of Canadians.
January 26, 2024 —
Leadership teams representing Canada’s five biomanufacturing and life sciences research hubs came together to set the stage for a new wave of biomedical innovation in Canada.
The goal of the session was to deepen collaboration across the five research hubs as they work to enhance Canada’s pandemic preparedness and biomanufacturing capacity, and to shape the hubs’ collective strategy for addressing the most pressing health challenges facing Canadians.
“We are in this together and supporting one another to transform Canada’s bio-economy and develop next-generation medicines that will benefit all Canadians. CIEBH is focused on collective success and is actively working to leverage existing Canadian strengths, build on our collaborative research efforts and increase partnerships,” said Dr. Michelle Wong, executive director of Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub and senior director, research, UBC’s Faculty of Medicine.
In a symbolic gesture, participants wore Canada flag pins to demonstrate their interconnectedness and shared vision to enhance the country’s ability to respond to emerging health threats. They underscored their common goal of strengthening the national life sciences and biomanufacturing sector and their commitment to a new way of working—as one unified national ecosystem—to ultimately create meaningful results for Canadians. The full-day meeting at the University of Toronto campus included team members from each of the five hubs:
- Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH), led by the University of British Columbia
- Canadian Hub for Health Intelligence & Innovation in Infectious Diseases (HI3), led by the University of Toronto
- Canadian Pandemic Preparedness Hub (CP2H), co-led by the University of Ottawa and McMaster University
- Eastern Canada Pandemic Preparedness Hub (ECaPPH), led by the Université de Montréal
- Prairie Hub for Pandemic Preparedness (PRAIRIE Hub), led by the University of Alberta
The five hubs were announced by the federal government in March 2023 as part of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy and are funded through the Canada Biomedical Research Fund. They bring together bold, visionary scientists across academia and the public and private sectors, to improve Canada’s pandemic readiness and the overall health and well-being of Canadians.
A total of $570 million in federal funding will be available over the next four years to support project proposals associated with these hubs as part of the national Canada Biomedical Research Fund and the Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund Competition.
Proposals are now being reviewed at the federal level, and competition results are expected in March 2024.