Mayor Bonnie Crombie and Susan Amring, Director of Economic Development, host a roundtable discussion about Mississauga’s thriving life sciences sector during the 2015 BIO International Convention in Philadelphia.
For Immediate Release
June 17th, 2015
Mayor Crombie Holds Roundtable with Life Science Leaders
Philadelphia – Mississauga is the second largest life sciences cluster in Canada and we are currently home to more than 380 life science companies that employ more than 25,000 people, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said today.
Mayor Crombie made the comments during a roundtable discussion about Mississauga’s thriving life sciences sector during the 2015 BIO International Convention. The mayor is attending the conference with senior staff from the Economic Development Office.
“This is my first opportunity to attend the BIO International Convention as Mississauga’s new mayor,” Mayor Crombie said. “I believe that it is fundamental that I build on the work of my predecessor, Hazel McCallion, and continue to strengthen relationships with businesses from the life science sector.
“I know former mayor Hazel McCallion attended multiple BIO Conferences during her tenure, Mayor Crombie added.
Roundtable participants included senior corporate leaders from global healthcare companies, along with representatives from Life Sciences Ontario and the University of Toronto at Mississauga (UTM), including Bryan Stewart, Vice President of Research, and Donna Heslin, Assistant Director of External Relations.
Crombie said the City of Mississauga invested $10 million to develop UTM’s Innovation Complex, which brings together students, academics and business professionals to pursue new innovation ventures, adding that “UTM is also home to the Mississauga Academy of Medicine undertakes important life science research and graduates a wealth of human capital in the fields of commerce, healthcare, and medicine.”
Participants’ debated a number of different issues to better unlock the potential of Mississauga’s life science cluster, including: having an educated workforce; access to capital; strategies for partnership between key stakeholders; and future opportunities for continued growth.
To demonstrate Mississauga’s ongoing commitment to support its life science industry, Mayor Crombie informed participants about the new position of Life Sciences Business Consultant, based out of the Economic Development Office. This individual will be dedicated to developing and implementing initiatives to advance Mississauga’s life sciences sector. Click here, for more information on the current job posting.
Mayor Crombie concluded, “This roundtable was another opportunity for me to tell Mississauga’s success story and to further discuss the competitive advantages to invest, do business, and achieve success in Mississauga.”
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