think bioproducts. think niagara.
Niagara’s Bioeconomy Ontario is home to a diverse group of biobased industries, innovative new manufacturing processes, and exciting research activities.
• Niagara is one of the most affordable locations in North America to do business according to KPMG International’s Competitive Alternatives Study 2010.
Niagara has many unique competitive advantages perfectly suited to this emerging bioeconomy — a long-established agricultural and agrifood business infrastructure; institutional bioscience research; industry expertise drawn from a number of leading-edge companies; and abundant supplies of water, energy and biomass.
• Convenient air travel from Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo International Airports connects Niagara with North America’s research clusters.
Collectively, these assets have attracted businesses in a variety of growing sub-industries within the bioproducts field, from waste-to-energy conversion to industrial fermentation.
THE NIAGARA ADVANTAGE Niagara’s natural and man-made assets are providing a firm foundation for future growth and innovation in the bioeconomy making it the ideal location for your biobased business.
Workforce: • Highly skilled, experienced workforce • Niagara’s post secondary institutions, Brock University and Niagara College, supply a steady stream of highly qualified graduates. • Ontario is the main port of entry for highly qualified immigrants to Canada including scientists and medical personnel educated outside North America and Western Europe.
Location: • Niagara is located on the Canada/U.S. border and adjacent to Ontario’s pharmaceutical industry in the Greater Toronto Area. • Easy access to U.S. markets through four international bridge crossings and a multimodal transportation network.
Supply Chain Networks: • Niagara is a unique region in North America where the key elements of cultivation, generic manufacturing, regulatory, research, distribution channels, and finance are concentrated into a compact geographic area. • Home to one of Canada’s Top 10 Life Sciences companies, Norgen Biotek Inc.; and pharmaceutical drug manufacturers Biolyse Pharma Corp. and Pharmetics Inc. • Niagara is home to a growing number of international biobased food ingredient manufacturers including, CASCO and Jungbunzlauer International, located in Port Colborne’s Carbohydrate Valley. • Ontario has greenhouse structure capacity valued at $2bn, with additional annual investments forecast. Niagara’s greenhouse industry is focused on floral and hydroponic vegetable production. • Ontario bulb producers account for 55% of the Canadian total. Niagara is the main horticultural region in the province with expertise and infrastructure for bulb cultivation.
Research & Development • Niagara is home to Brock University’s new Niagara/ Carins Family Health & Bioscience Research Complex that will open in 2012 and focus on biotechnology and green chemistry. • Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, located in Niagara, is an international centre of horticultural research and industry-driven innovation. • Niagara College’s School of Horticulture and Agribusiness provides education training and certification through teaching labs and practical experience.
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