The Canadian Life Sciences Sector: Making the case for increased investment and support and its impact on leadership

Canada’s life sciences sector, a cornerstone of our nation’s health, social, and economic security, has a rich history and holds immense potential for global competitiveness. This potential was particularly underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic, as experts from industry, academia, and government collaborated and innovated, highlighting the sector’s vital importance. 

Now, as we navigate the new normal, the question arises: Are we maintaining our momentum?

At the peak of the pandemic, an unprecedented collaboration between public health, vaccine manufacturing, and virology and immunology research and development (R&D) emerged to tackle one of the greatest health challenges of our time. Simultaneously, the vulnerabilities in Canada’s vaccine research and production capacity spurred a substantial influx of public and private investment, leading to millions of lives being saved. This was a Herculean effort that demonstrated the untapped potential of the life sciences sector, and it seemed as if finally, it was getting the attention and investment it deserved.

Today, opinion leaders in life sciences are challenging the public and private sectors to sustain the level of investment made during the height of the pandemic. Not only to allow Canada’s life sciences sector to continue to grow and thrive, but more importantly, through health research, to contribute to addressing major societal issues such as climate change, housing, and poverty.