Gail Garland, OBIO CEO talks with BNN about Canada's health science industry
Gail Garland, OBIO CEO talks with BNN about the economic and health benefits that accrue to Canada by building a globally competitive Canadian health science industry. Click here for the full interview.
Gail Garland, OBIO CEO talks with BNN about the economic and health benefits that accrue to Canada by building a globally competitive Canadian health science industry. Click here for the full interview.
OBIO Globe & Mail Op-Ed: Canada needs a strategy to reach its biotech potential
Canada needs a strategy to reach its biotech potential. Canada has a well-known research sector and relatively strong infrastructure to nurture startups, but once biotech companies start to grow, they often stall and struggle for resources.
Canada has a well-known research sector and relatively strong infrastructure to nurture startups, but once biotech companies start to grow, they often stall and struggle for resources. They become focused on keeping the lights on instead of moving commercialization forward, or are forced to sell at bargain-basement prices. Large multinational firms face unpredictable investment returns due to a number of factors.
For the Canadian health-care industry to compete globally, we need a plan that addresses capital requirements, human resources, regulations, market access and long-term predictability.
As such, the development of a sector-specific industrial strategy should be a top priority in order to fully develop and build Canada’s health-care industry. In its current state, it is a source of significant untapped potential.
While the new federal government has voiced a commitment to fostering innovation, there has been no mention of specific initiatives aimed at bolstering the human health technology sector.
Yet, the World Health Organization estimates that $6.5-trillion is spent on health care worldwide annually, a figure that represents significant economic potential for jurisdictions with sustainable health-care industries capable of solution-driven R&D and product commercialization.
A robust health-care industry is a key pillar of any thriving knowledge-based economy; in Canada, it could create sustainable development and provide a solution to both demographic and economic challenges.
Without critical policy changes that provide a consistent framework within which to operate, Canadian bioscience companies will lack global competitiveness, losing the opportunity to create jobs and health-care solutions that could bridge the divide between economic development and health-care demands.
The Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization conducted extensive consultations with senior executives from both local companies and multinational enterprises. There is general agreement that Canada is not capitalizing on its full potential.
Canada’s layers of bureaucracy and lack of transparency and predictability at federal and provincial levels are seen to stymie investment and growth. Approaches to innovation adoption, reimbursement and procurement were seen as significant barriers; there are too many hurdles to make innovations accessible to patients, and the administration and delivery of health care is often inefficient. Further, there is a widespread feeling that Canada lacks trust and a collaborative approach between stakeholders.
There’s also a perceived lack of globally experienced industry talent. While eager graduates may be abundant, there are not enough seasoned employees with the global networks and experience required to take a product from science to manufacturing and revenues. As a result of financing challenges within the industry, Canada is experiencing a talent exodus as graduates and sector specialists move to where the jobs, security and dollars are.
The gravest concern among small- and medium-sized enterprises is the availability of appropriate capital dedicated to commercializing health science and building health-care companies. Solutions developed and commercialized here could be used to improve health-care outcomes and reduce the burden of health-care spending.
In January, OBIO provided three significant recommendations to the provincial standing committee on finance and economics, all of which were focused on furthering bioscience industry priorities: Build companies and a sustainable industry that will strengthen Ontario’s economy; employ the best-educated, most innovative workers in the world; and provide cost-effective health-care solutions.
If Canada is to capitalize on the potential in its biotech sector, we have to make it a priority and collaborate on a long-term strategy codified in a national industrial policy.
OBIO® Strategic Review: August 2015
They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
Andy Warhol
2015 has been a year of growth and opportunity for OBIO with expanding networks and new partnerships. Since we released our five year strategic review in January 2015, there have been significant developments both within our walls and across the ecosystem.
OBIO / OBEST Five Year Strategic Review
“The best way to predict the future is to create it”
Peter Drucker
Since its founding in 2009, the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO®) has been engaged in creating the future of Ontario’s biomedical sector through industry-led strategy, policy development, advocacy and high impact programming. OBIO pursues innovative thought leadership within a culture of trust, reaching out to ever growing circles of thinkers and stakeholders.
Biotechnology Focus article: OBIO® receives investment from the government of Canada to boost investment opportunities and strengthen innovation for Ontario’s commercial bioscience cluster
On May 22, 2015, Member of Parliament for Don Valley West John Carmichael, along with Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Lakeshore Bernard Trottier announced an investment of up to $3.894 million to support the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization’s (OBIO®) efforts to boost investment opportunities for Ontario companies and strengthen innovation for Ontario’s
commercial bioscience cluster.
OBEST Strategic Implementation Plan
Over the past several months, OBESTTM has engaged >200 senior representatives from major stakeholder groups across Ontario’s life-sciences sector. The 6-month strategic planning process has resulted in defined priorities and a plan for robust growth and commercial viability of the province’s bioscience industry.
Why do we need a strategy? Ontario taxpayers currently spend over $44 billion annually on healthcare and $22 billion for education. The 5% projected rate of increase in (2011/12), healthcare spending is greater than the projected rate of increase for Ontario’s GDP, 2.4% (2011). The education system and academic research funding costs also continue to rise. Ontario is a leading global jurisdiction for innovation indicators, in terms of R&D spending to GDP ratio, and percentage of individuals with post-secondary training.
However, Ontarians do not reap the benefits of an innovation economy due to the underdevelopment of the biosciences industry sector. Our investments in research, novel commercial technologies, highly-qualified individuals, and smaller start-up corporations are, for the most part, lost to foreign markets. The commercial products and services developed from our innovations are then bought back by Ontarians (in the form of novel therapeutics, diagnostics, and devices) at considerable mark-up. The increased costs are not only a growing burden for tax payers, but more importantly, we as Ontarians have not benefited from the economic prosperity (jobs and wealth creation) that would result from a strong and sustainable domestic biosciences sector.
For the full report, click here.
Ontario Bioscience Industry Generated Recommendations for Sustainability and Growth in 2011 and Beyond
Ontario's life sciences companies continue to be challenged by the slow global economic recovery. Restrictions in the availability of capital continue to constrain this sector's ability to ensure Ontario's 'human capital' provides its greatest return on our societal investment.
Ontario's life sciences companies continue to be challenged by the slow global economic recovery. Restrictions in the availability of capital continue to constrain this sector's ability to ensure Ontario's 'human capital' provides its greatest return on our societal investment.
In 2009 the Ontario Bioscience Industry Organization (OBIO™) conducted its first consultation with the Chief Executive Officers of Ontario's life sciences companies resulting in "Industry Generated Recommendations for Sustainability and Growth of Ontario's Bioscience Industry in 2010 and Beyond".
In November of 2010, OBIO conducted its second industry consultation. As with the first survey, this consultation sought to give voice to the concerns of senior life sciences executives and offer industry generated recommendations for how best to support this sector. The survey, sent to 77 C’level executives received 56 responses (73% response rate). Respondents were predominantly private companies (87%) focused on either research and development (35%) or pre-clinical research (30%). Many companies are 'pre-profit' (57%) and raising funds remains a critical focus for >90% of company leaders.
As in 2009, the 2010 survey polled executives on specific and actionable recommendations for improvements to existing funding initiatives. Chief Executives were consistent in raising concern over the level of support offered by government programs, the inefficiencies engendered by the application processes, and the challenges to their ongoing operations brought about by delays in disbursement. Accepting these opportunities for improvement, >85% of the CEO respondents consider their company's situations to be either the same or improved over the last year with the greater percentage (50%) offering that their situation has improved.
Proceeding forward, the 2010 survey offers insights as to those potential implementations considered to be of greatest value in supporting this sector. Common themes relate to 'easing' of the challenges associated with accessing existing government programs and 'easing' access to venture capital. As a measure of the commitment of industry leaders to growing their businesses within Ontario, the highest interest was accorded to "develop and implement a strategic plan for building a competitive indigenous bioscience industry in Ontario".
The 2010 OBIO CEO Consultative Survey speaks to the persistence of challenges in accessing capital and impediments to accessing both funding and markets. It gives voice to a sector which values both its productive relationship with the government of Ontario and the opportunity this survey provides to ensure government programs effectively address current needs. Importantly, this survey also serves as an initiation point for a discussion of alternative means of ensuring continued sector growth. OBIO, through OBEST™ (Ontario Bioscience Economic Strategy Team) will continue to work with industry leaders on the development of a strategic plan with the goal of delivering high value jobs, opportunities for wealth creation and improved health care for all Ontarians.
For the full report, click here