Federal investment to expand facility will support high-skilled job growth and strengthen the bioscience sector in PEI. 

For over a decade, a family-owned biotechnology company in Prince Edward Island has been making a name for itself around the globe, developing innovative and affordable pharmaceutical solutions. With Government of Canada support, Somru BioScience Inc. is expanding operations to provide enhanced research and laboratory support for clients developing biotherapeutic treatments.

Innovative Research Services

On February 16, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA, announced a total federal investment of $1,950,000, through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program for two projects with Somru BioScience Inc.

The contribution will help the company launch a contract research services division in Charlottetown, P.E.I. in response to increased market demand in the biologics and biosimilar drug market. With the help of this federal investment, the company will proceed with a 15,000 square foot expansion that will further position the company as a global leader. Along with new, advanced equipment, this will give Somru the capacity to offer large molecule bioanalytical services to pharmaceutical development companies in North America and Europe.

This announcement demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to advance Atlantic Canada’s bioscience sector in a globally competitive market, and attract more highly-skilled workers to the region.

Read more.

On Feb. 2nd, members of the Island business community came together to celebrate the 2022 Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards at the Loyalist Country Inn. The event, sponsored by Innovation PEI, honoured finalists and winners in eight different categories: Business Excellence in an organization with 1-10 Employees, Business Excellence in an organization with 11+ employees, New Business of the Year, Innovator of the Year, Community Impact, Employee of the Year, Accessibility & Inclusivity, and Lifetime Business Achievement.

The winner of the Business Excellence Award (1-10 Employees), sponsored by Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, was BioSpa (Quannessence Skincare). BioSpa is a PEI company that manufactures and distributes a novel professional skincare line – Quannessence Skincare – with botanical based technologies that improve skin conditions and assist in reducing the effects of aging.  Guided by traditional knowledge and cutting-edge science, each product is exclusively made on Prince Edward Island and several of the ingredients used in the products are derived from PEI-based extracts.

Today the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) announced an important milestone in addressing the future skills needs of the bioscience sector. The PEI BioAlliance founded CASTL as part of our strategy to ensure a skilled talent pipeline to support cluster growth.

The Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia have just announced a combined $7.2-million investment to create a new biomanufacturing training centre at BCIT, where in partnership with CASTL biomanufacturing training will be delivered to build the talent pool to meet the needs of the growing life sciences and biomanufacturing businesses

The new National Biomanufacturing Training Centre (NBTC) will be the first of its kind in B.C. It will give more people access to hands-on training courses to help them get skills for careers in life sciences and biomanufacturing. The NBTC will be part of CASTL’s national network of training facilities that offer industry-recognized curriculum from CASTL’s global partner, the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT). Based in Ireland, NIBRT is a global centre of excellence for developing state-of-the-art training and research in bioprocessing.

“CASTL is excited to work with BCIT and others to help build a talent engine to power a growing biomanufacturing sector,” said Penny Walsh-McGuire, Executive Director, CASTL. “The launch of this new facility will provide industry employees and post-secondary students with access to theoretical and hands-on training from a globally recognized curriculum. We appreciate the support of the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia as well as our network of industry and academic partners.”

The new facility will contain state-of-the-art pilot-scale bioprocessing equipment that will allow learners from industry and academic programs to gain practical skills that are immediately transferable to process scale-up and clean room environments.

It will be equipped with laboratories and classroom spaces built to allow our industry-informed trainers to deliver the highest quality training programs in a realistic GMP-simulated operational manufacturing environment.

CASTL training facilities are designed to allow employees and trainees a learning environment where they can make mistakes safely – avoiding deviations, lost time or lost batches in a real manufacturing setting.

“This National Biomanufacturing Training Centre is a natural extension of BCIT’s expertise in workforce development to support Canada’s Life Sciences sector,” said Paul McCullough, BCIT Interim President. “With funding support from the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada, we are excited to move forward in collaboration with the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences to develop a state-of-the-art facility and suite of programs to respond to industry need. British Columbia has long been recognized as a leader in biosciences and today marks another important milestone in creating a home for biomanufacturing workforce development and offering a portfolio of programs to support the growth of this sector.”

CASTL is supported by lead national partner, the adMare Academy. Together, CASTL and adMare Bioinnovations adMare Academy work to facilitate the development, delivery, and growth of training programs across the country.

“adMare is proud to partner with CASTL to develop biomanufacturing talent across Canada. The opening of the British Columbia Biomanufacturing Training Facility strengthens the national network essential to develop talented employees, which form the core of a strong life science industry,” said Gordon McCauley, President & CEO of adMare BioInnovations.

The facility at BCIT’s campus is expected to open in Spring 2024 with the first biomanufacturing training program delivered later that summer.

In October 2022, CASTL opened its first Biomanufacturing Training Facility in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. In January 2023, CASTL announced its second Biomanufacturing Training Facility would open in Montreal, Quebec, in Fall 2023.

For more information on CASTL training programs, visit castlcanada.ca.

$50M government investment in major infrastructure in PEI will support Canada’s rapidly expanding bioscience industry

Charlottetown, PE – The Governments of Canada and Prince Edward Island today announced a $50 million investment in the BioAccelerator, the largest single investment in economic development infrastructure in PEI history. The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA, and Premier Dennis King made the announcement in support of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy and the province’s strategic plan for the bioscience sector.

Spearheaded by the PEI BioAlliance, this new 75,000 sq. ft. biomanufacturing centre of expertise is unique in Canada in its design and service delivery components. It will enable Canadian bioscience companies to carry out research and new product development, process development, manufacturing scale up, as well as provide access to biopharmaceutical  manufacturing skills and training.

Situated in the BioCommons Research Park in Charlottetown, the BioAccelerator builds upon recent public and private sector investments such as BIOVECTRA’s expansion into the development of mRNA-Vaccines and bio-manufacturing facilities, the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL), and the BioManufacturing Incubator. It will provide much-needed biomanufacturing infrastructure to advance the bioscience and life sciences ecosystem at both the regional and national level.

The BioAccelerator will provide capacity and expertise to support fermentation and downstream bioprocessing in areas of biologics, probiotics, natural product chemistry-derived products, and animal and fish health products. These are areas where capacity is extremely limited in North America and especially so in Canada.

“Today’s announcement is an exceptional endorsement of the hard work and vision of leaders from our cluster’s business, research, and government organizations and their commitment to sustainable economic growth,” said Rory Francis, CEO, PEI BioAlliance. “The BioAccelerator will provide essential biomanufacturing facilities and services for businesses across the region and beyond, that are critical to business growth and biomanufacturing self-sufficiency for Canada.”

PEI’s bioscience community is recognized across Canada for the success of its collaborative economic cluster model in advancing and growing the sector. With the guidance of PEI BioAlliance partners from business, academia, research, and governments at all levels, the sector has quadrupled in size since 2012 to include over 65 bioscience companies earning over $600 million per year in sales. The sector is now one of the top three industry contributors to the provincial economy. The PEI bioscience cluster has surpassed 2025 growth targets and is well on its way to becoming a billion-dollar industry by 2030.

Tenants in the BioAccelerator will include early-stage companies, small, and medium size enterprises from Atlantic Canada, across Canada, and from international locations. It will also include the facilities and expertise of the National Research Council of Canada’s atypical fermentation labs as well as CASTL, providing hands-on biopharmaceutical manufacturing training for the talent pipeline that will be essential to Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy. The BioAccelerator will be CASTL’s national headquarters and expanded lead training facility.

“Prince Edward Island continues to play a key role in expanding Canada’s bioscience innovation ecosystem,” said Minister Petitpas Taylor. “Attracting more leading bioscience companies to Atlantic Canada is a key opportunity to grow and strengthen the bioscience cluster in our region. This will bring new high-skilled jobs, opportunities for advanced training, and the development of innovative new ideas and cutting-edge research.”

The bioeconomy is an important economic driver for Atlantic Canada, and critical to PEI’s economic diversification. The Atlantic sector consists of approximately 900 organizations, including commercial businesses, hospital and university research institutions, and employed 10,800 people in 2019. The private sector alone employs approximately 5,500 people in a diverse range of companies, from start-ups to multinationals.

“By investing in today, we’re preparing for a stronger tomorrow that will have a positive and lasting impact on the Island’s economy and people,” said Premier Dennis King. “This facility demonstrates what we can accomplish when we work together, believe in the possibilities, and share a vision for a prosperous Prince Edward Island.”

The BioAccelerator is a key element in the PEI BioAlliance’s plan to build out the province’s capacity and reputation as a national centre of expertise in biomanufacturing.

“The BioAccelerator will create a unique space for bioscience businesses to flourish, accelerating new product development and commercialization to advance solutions that can improve health and food security,” said Oliver Technow, Board Chair, PEI BioAlliance, and CEO, BIOVECTRA. “This investment positions Atlantic Canada as a leading force in Canada’s bio-revolution.”

The BioAccelerator is expected to be completed in fall 2025.

On Wednesday January 25, Pegasus Biotech was celebrated at the 2023 Greater Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce President’s Excellence Awards winning in the category of Emerging Business Excellence.

“Our success and rapid growth are due to the hard work put in by Pegasus’ employees, and the support of the PEI and Canadian biotech ecosystem over the past two years of operation,” said Dr. Yimy Mena, CEO of Pegasus Biotech.

Over the past 24 months, Pegasus Biotech has experienced a 10-fold growth in revenue and size, signing contracts with clients in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. This has established the company as a global player in the biotechnology CRO industry and the CRO of choice for DNA vaccine development services.

The mission of Pegasus Biotech is to enable their clients to bring cutting edge innovation to the global human and animal health markets. Their area of expertise is ensuring that client biopharmaceutical and vaccine development activities result in commercially viable products that are compliant with global regulations.

To learn more about Pegasus’ services, visit their website.

About Pegasus Biotech Inc: Pegasus Biotech Inc. is a full-service biotechnology contract research organization. They offer both process and analytical development services to the global pharma industry. They specialize in vaccine and biopharmaceutical development and are global leaders in DNA vaccine development.

Seasoned cohort of business professionals will bring wealth of expertise

Emergence is pleased to announce that five new mentors have joined the incubator program as part of the MIT-inspired Team Mentorship Program. These seasoned business professionals join the existing mentors who are experts in their fields and provide practical advice on key issues and strategic support to companies to advance their business objectives. The new mentors joining Emergence are Cathy Bennett, Tanya Chapman, Branko Jankovic, Kent Summers, and Tom Turi.

“Emergence is delighted to welcome such a highly-skilled group of experienced individuals to join our Team Mentorship Program,” said Jason Cleaversmith, Director of Incubation, PEI BioAlliance. “Our clients will benefit tremendously from the wealth and breadth of their knowledge and professional advice.”

Led by the PEI BioAlliance, Emergence is a bioscience incubator that accelerates the growth of Atlantic Canadian startups and early-stage companies moving from ideation to commercialization. Emergence provides companies with business incubation services including the Critical Path program, one-on-one and team mentorship, business strategy and advisory services, as well as access to the Emergence Performance Network.

Learn more about our new mentors:

Cathy Bennett
An award-winning former CEO and seasoned entrepreneur, Cathy’s focus today is innovation and growth. With over 35 years of business leadership, Bennett Group of Companies, grew from a small group of service businesses to operations in commercial construction, industrial manufacturing, HR support, service, retail, industrial supply, and real estate investments and operations. Cathy is currently an Independent Board Director with Vigilant Management, Marathon Gold and the Business Development Bank of Canada, and TaskForceNL. Read more.

Tanya Chapman
Tanya is CEO of the The Chapman Group, an organization that she founded to help individuals, teams and organizations transform to perform. Her boutique consulting company tailors custom solutions for each client, aligning strategic HR practices with the overall organizational vision. Tanya is committed to leading positive, progressive, and sustainable growth in NB and across Atlantic Canada. She encourages leaders to think big about their businesses, teams, plans and purpose, and she leads by example. Read more.

Branko Jankovic
Branko has been a CPA since 1985 and has spent much of his career in senior financial roles for various companies and organizations. He has been the Chief Financial Officer of two TSX-V listed companies focused on the development, manufacturing, and sale of ingredients to the global personal care, cosmetic, and food industries. He has served on the board of a TSX listed biotechnology company focused on the development of plasma based and oral therapeutics. Read more.

Kent Summers
Kent Summers is a seasoned technology entrepreneur with four successful startups and a 30-year contribution to the Boston entrepreneurship community in operating, volunteer and board roles. Kent’s passion is working with talented founders to navigate early-stage company formation and growth challenges. Since 2002, he has been an active volunteer mentor with MIT Venture Mentoring Service (VMS), and a volunteer Instructor with the VMS Outreach team, where he works closely with organizations around the world to successfully adopt the VMS Team Mentoring model. Read more.

Tom Turi
Thomas Turi, Ph.D. currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer for Flagship Biosciences developing and implementing Spatial Biology and Digital Pathology solutions to accelerate drug development programs. He previously served as the Chief Scientific Officer for Nexelis where he assisted in the development of multiple approved and authorized COVID vaccine programs in addition to overseeing R&D activities in biomarkers and preclinical sciences. Read more.

Today the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) announced an important milestone in addressing the future skills needs of the bioscience sector. The PEI BioAlliance founded CASTL as part of our strategy to ensure a skilled talent pipeline to support cluster growth.

Charlottetown, PE and Montreal, QC – The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) announced today its expansion into Quebec with the location of their future Biomanufacturing Training Facility in Montreal.

Located at 4100 Molson Street, in the heart of the Technopôle Angus, the new 4544 square foot training facility will contain leading-edge pilot-scale bioprocessing equipment that will allow employees to gain practical skills that are immediately transferable to process scale-up and clean room environments. The facility will be equipped with laboratories and classroom spaces built to deliver the highest quality bioprocessing training. With this new facility, CASTL can deliver on-site customized hands-on and theoretical training for entry-level employees through to senior management and post-secondary students.

“CASTL is excited to buildout partnerships with academia, industry, and government in Quebec to address the future skills needs of the bioscience sector. This new facility located in Technopôle Angus responds to the demand for highly skilled personnel in Quebec’s growing biomanufacturing sector. We’re pleased to partner with Société de développement Angus on this initiative,” said Penny Walsh-McGuire, Executive Director, CASTL.

Located just a few kilometres from downtown Montreal in the heart of the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie borough, Technopôle Angus is a significant health care hub in East Montreal and houses public and private medical clinics and many organizations offering research, health, and wellness services.

“The arrival of the CASTL Biomanufacturing Training Facility at Technopôle Angus marks a step forward in our efforts to establish the Personalized Healthcare Zone in eastern Montreal. We are looking forward to trainees coming to the facility and discovering everything this site has to offer,” said Christian Yaccarini, CEO of la Société de développement Angus.

In April 2022, CASTL announced the intent to establish a biomanufacturing training facility in Quebec. The facility development is made possible through a contribution of $2.5 million from the Quebec Government. It is expected to open in Fall 2023.

“This new training centre will strengthen our province’s expertise in the areas of health and innovation, as well as bolster Quebec and Montreal’s position as leaders in the life sciences field. It’s a major asset to develop and attract new talents in the east end of Montreal,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister Responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal Region.

A national initiative supporting Canada’s life sciences ecosystem, CASTL offers training specializing in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. CASTL is supported by National Lead Partner adMare BioInnovations and its adMare Academy.

“As a major hub of biotechnology and innovation, Montreal is a phenomenal choice for CASTL’s new biomanufacturing training facility,” says Christine Allen, adMare’s VP of Ecosystems. “adMare is thrilled to welcome CASTL to Montreal, where we can continue to work closely together to train the talent in the Canadian life sciences ecosystem, as their national lead partner.”

In September 2022, CASTL opened its first biomanufacturing training facility in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Additional facility locations within Canada are being considered to ensure broad geographic access to this type of critical training.

For more information on CASTL’s Biomanufacturing Training Programs visit www.castlcanada.ca or email info@castlcanada.ca.

New survey data indicates revenue of $575 million and more than 2,300 employees in the sector

The Prince Edward Island Bioscience Cluster has surpassed 2025 growth targets and is well on its way to becoming a billion-dollar industry by 2030.

The PEI BioAlliance today released the results of a survey of more than 65 employers in the sector based on 2021 business performance. Private sector company revenues reached $575 million, a $200 million increase over 2020, while investment attraction topped $110 million, almost doubling the previous year. Sector workforce has increased by 400 full-time jobs since the pandemic began, now standing at 2,300 employees. Business-led R&D was $28.2 million, up $8 million, while annual tax revenues to governments were estimated at $87 million annually, up 53% since 2018.

“The accelerated growth and strength of PEI’s bio sector is very encouraging, particularly in these challenging economic times,” said Oliver Technow, Board Chair, PEI BioAlliance and CEO, BIOVECTRA. “Sector investments in research, new product development, and manufacturing capacity have successfully translated to sales revenue from global markets.”

Private sector investment in new facilities and equipment was more than $69 million, adding to an $85 million investment in 2020. Significant revenue increases were achieved in sales of animal health vaccines, human health diagnostics, contract manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, cannabis-based value-added products, and natural health products.

Rory Francis, CEO of the PEI BioAlliance said that the combination of strong growth of the Cluster’s larger companies and commercial success of earlier stage companies has been an excellent recipe for sustained development of the Cluster.

“It’s truly remarkable to see the range of breakthrough technologies and products coming from our Cluster companies that are bringing new solutions to global challenges in human, animal, and fish health,” said Francis. “Collaboration and cooperation among businesses, academic and research partners, and governments at all levels continues to make PEI a great place to grow bioscience-based businesses.”

The rapid growth of the Cluster has put pressure on two key enablers of continued success: the availability of skilled personnel, and the availability of specialized R&D and manufacturing facilities. In 2021, the BioAlliance established the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) to create a national talent pipeline for the bioscience sector. Locally, Holland College, Acadia University, UPEI, and Skills PEI have become important CASTL partners. CASTL opened its headquarters and Biomanufacturing Training Facility in Charlottetown in September. Earlier this year, with support from the Government of Quebec, CASTL announced plans to open a biomanufacturing training facility in Montreal. Additional facility locations are being considered to ensure broad geographic access to this type of training across Canada.

The opening of the new BioManufacturing Incubator (BMI) in early 2022 has been a critical step in ensuring availability of leasable space for manufacturing scale up. The six unit, 20,000 sq ft facility was fully leased before completion pointing to the urgent need to add to the continuum of pilot plant and scale up manufacturing space meeting international regulatory standards.

Together, these initiatives are key elements in the BioAlliance’s plan to build out the province’s capacity and reputation as a national centre of expertise in biomanufacturing.

“From vaccines and drugs to fight disease, to sustainable food production and climate change mitigation, biotechnology holds solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time,” said Francis. “Prince Edward Island is making its mark.”

For the past 8 years, PEI bioscience pioneer and founding mentor of the Emergence Incubator Regis Duffy has made a lasting impact on the bioscience community in Atlantic Canada. Celebrated at an event in October, he has now formally retired from his role and was recognized as Emergence’s first-ever Mentor Emeritus for his dedication and service to the program and the bioscience sector in PEI and Atlantic Canada. Regis was a mentor in the Critical Path Team Mentorship program, and his direction and leadership has been invaluable to many bioscience companies.

“On behalf of the Emergence team and all of the companies in the program, we wanted to extend our thanks, and share how privileged we have been to have had Regis’ participation in this program and the experience and advice he has shared,” said Jason Cleaversmith, Executive Director, Incubation and Infrastructure, PEI BioAlliance.

Regis Duffy’s career is an inspiration to many of those working in the bioscience sector, who have dubbed him “the godfather of bioscience in PEI.” In 2021, his daughter published a book about his career entitled The Chemistry of Innovation: Regis Duffy and the story of DCI.

About Regis Duffy

Dr. Regis Duffy is the former Dean of Science and Chairman of the Chemistry Department at the University of Prince Edward Island. In 1970, he founded Diagnostic Chemicals Limited (now Sekisui Diagnostics), a chemical manufacturing company engaged in the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients, fine chemicals, enzymes, and chemical reagents.

After serving as Chair of the UPEI Board of Governors from 1996 to 2006, Regis was named Board Chair Emeritus in 2007 for his contributions as a board member and chair, and for his many years of service to the university. His many honours include being named a member of the Order of Canada, receiving the PEI Region Canadian Red Cross Humanitarian Award, being awarded Atlantic Canada’s Innovator of the Year and Atlantic Canada’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and being inducted into the PEI Business Hall of Fame. He is the founding chair of the PEI BioAlliance, a leadership organization for the bioscience cluster, and he is a member of the NRC Institute for Marine Biosciences-Institute for Nutrisciences and Health (IMB-INH) Advisory Committee. In April 2008, a state-of-the-art bioscience and health research centre at UPEI was named the Regis and Joan Duffy Research Centre.