Funding Addresses A Unique Gap In The Life Sciences Ecosystem That Will Help Life Sciences Companies In BC Scale Up
VICTORIA – British Columbia’s life sciences sector has faced substantial equipment and training costs, restricting companies from quickly responding to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Opportunities exist to improve the health of western Canadians, which is why the Government of Canada is investing in access to critical infrastructure and training in this sector.
Terry Beech, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (BC), on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, announced funding of $536,729 in federal support for the University of Victoria to create the Centre for Advanced Materials & Related Technology (CAMTEC) BioMedical Core.
This funding will help establish a Class II biosafety facility, or wet lab, that will be shared by a broad range of clients. The specialized equipment in this facility will position CAMTEC to support a variety of initiatives, including oncology and precision health, apparel manufacturing, and water treatment programs.
The new CAMTEC BioMedical Core will support increased access to critical infrastructure and training for industry partners that lack access to specialized equipment. This transformation is essential in ensuring companies can access the resources they need in order to grow.
The Province has the fastest growing life sciences sector in Canada and there are 1,100 active life sciences companies and 20,000 employees in BC.
“The new CAMTEC BioMedical Core greatly expands biosciences infrastructure and access to Class II biosafety space on Vancouver Island. This unique core facility incorporates advanced instrumentation and infrastructure that has previously been totally unavailable to local businesses looking to compete in a global marketplace. The availability of these resources in a shared, industry-focused research environment will contribute to substantial growth in the life sciences sector in British Columbia,” said Jeremy Wulff, professor of chemistry, Canada Research Chair and director, CAMTEC BioMedical Core.
