Biotech & Life Sciences

The Waterloo Region is well-positioned to experience further growth of the life sciences sector. The sector has recorded significant local investment in recent years (biotechnology, medical, environmental sciences). New medical and biological technologies research institutes have been established. The competitive advantage for the sector in the Waterloo Region is close proximity to the U.S. market, the presence of leading-edge research facilities, an educated local workforce, and generous R&D tax credits.

Applied Health Informatics in Waterloo Region

The stakeholders

Areas of strength include: bioinformatics, bio-products, health informatics, informatics applications, pharmaceutical and medical applications, alternative clean energy and fuels, agricultural biotechnology, physical engineering and pure research. Waterloo Region is also home to the Regional Innovation Network for Public Health, located in the Waterloo Research + Technology Park. Region is home to the Guelph-Waterloo Biotechnology Cluster, a consortium comprising government, academic and industry.
Canada leads the world in biotechnology firms per capita, with Ontario home to more than half the country's brand-name pharmaceutical and medical devices industries, and almost half the medical biotechnology industry. Ontario has North America's 3rd largest regional concentration of biotechnology firms and is 6th largest in revenues earned.

Research and Development

There is significant Life Science R&D activity in the Waterloo Region: University of Waterloo Institute for Biotechnology and Molecular Biology; the Biotechnology Research Centre; Centre for Research in Earth and Space Technology; Waterloo Institute for Health Informatics Research; and the Centre for Applied Health Research at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU).

The University of Waterloo spends 1/5 of its R & D budget on biotechnology.

Resource Documents

Description	Download
Waterloo Region/Guelph Biotech Success Stories
Ontario's Life Sciences Industry
Health Informatics Overview for Waterloo Region	PDF
UW School of Pharmacy Success Story	PDF