Mayor Crombie addressing business leaders during the Mayor’s Life Sciences Roundtable.
For Immediate Release
June 21st, 2017
Mayor Crombie, Economic Development Staff Host Life Sciences Roundtable
Although Mississauga is known as a hub for big pharma, popularly known as Pill Hill, our cluster is more diverse than ever, contributing to new technologies and innovations that benefit healthcare and wellness globally, Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today.
Mayor Crombie made the comments during a roundtable discussion organized and hosted by Mississauga’s Economic Development Office (EDO), with business leaders and representatives from the healthcare, pharmaceutical and the broader life sciences industries.
“This roundtable is an opportunity to strengthen networks and pitch Mississauga’s success story as Canada’s leading destination for job creators to invest, expand service offerings and remain ahead of the competition.” Mississauga is home to over 430 life sciences companies, employing roughly 22,000 people.
“We’re the 2nd largest life sciences cluster in Canada by employment, right behind Toronto.”
The roundtable discussion took place during the 2017 Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) International Convention – the largest global event for the biotechnology industry. Mayor Crombie and EDO professionals are attending. Mississauga is represented in the Ontario and Canadian pavilions at booth #4325. For more information about the 2017 BIO International Convention, visit www.convention.bio.org.
Roundtable discussions focused on EDO’s new five-year Life Sciences Cluster Strategy and how “the strategy identifies priorities to support the growth and development of the life sciences sector and is the first of its kind for a Canadian municipality,” Mayor Crombie said.
“This strategy is guiding EDO’s ongoing efforts to identify new opportunities to strengthen Mississauga’s competitive advantage in the life sciences industry,” added Mayor Crombie. “This strategy is the spark that will ignite the synergy between government, industry, academia and concerned citizens.
The strategy contains seven main goals:
- Create Opportunities for Life Sciences Partnerships and Leadership
- Create Opportunities for Effective Networking and Collaboration
- Build a Robust Life Sciences Talent Pipeline
- Provide Access to Efficient Transit Options
- Create a Centralized Life Sciences Hub
- Become a Proven Destination for Life Sciences
- Build a Supportive Business and Investment Environment
Mayor Crombie thanked the business leaders in attendance, concluding that “together, we will create a sustainable environment that supports and nurtures scientific breakthroughs and medical innovations that will benefit the world while generating important economic development here at home.”
-30-
Click to view the executive summary of the Life Sciences Cluster Strategy.
For more information on Mississauga’s life sciences cluster, visit www.winthehumanrace.ca/industry-clusters