Spotlight on Québec By Québec International
Québec City: A technology revolution serving the needs of health care Medicago and government representatives at the May 19, 2015 announcement. Photo credit: City of Québec
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he technology revolution that has taken hold in Québec City over the past few decades has spawned a number of life sciences success stories, paving the way for the development of a wide array of technologies in numerous fields. The life sciences sector alone employs nearly 6,000 people in Québec City and generates annual sales of over $1 billion, according to figures compiled by Québec International. Backed by Québec International, vaccine and diagnostic industry stakeholders in Québec City ensure the growth and development of their sector by sharing cutting-edge information on best practices, business opportunities, technology transfers, and training/ specialized worker needs with participating research centres and companies with the best interests of the community in mind.
Medicago sets its sights on Québec City to produce tomorrow’s vaccines On May 19, Medicago, a highly successful biotech start-up, announced a $245 million
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ric Diagnostics, presented the Mo PODTM, a mobile lab for performing low-cost medical diagnostic tests in remote and hard-to-get-to areas. Opsens is a Québec City-based optics and photonics company that manufactures fibre optic sensors for various industries. It recently received regulatory approval from Japan, Europe, and the U.S. to market its OptoWire and OptoMonitor products there. These two products are used to measure fractional flow reserve in heart disease patients. The company also recently announced an expansion project to boost its manufacturing capacity and accommodate its growing workforce. investment to build a vaccine bioproduction plant and an R&D centre. The company plans to invest a total of $800 million over the next 10 years to produce its vaccines for the future. Upon completion, the new complex, which will occupy the entire Estimauville Innovation Space, will be one of the largest biotech enterprises in Canada and will bolster Québec City’s international reputation as a leading hub for infectiology, vaccines, and diagnostics.
Optics and photonics serving the healthcare sector Alain Chandonnet launched Handyem in 2011 while he was an entrepreneur in residence at the National Optics Institute (INO). One year later the company brought its first portable cytometer to market. The device allows users to perform rapid cell counts using an innovative fibre-optic-based multi-fluid technology. Handyem’s ultimate goal is to equip every doctor’s office with one of its devices. In the meantime, at the recent BIO Conference in Philadelphia, the Québec City firm, together with U.S. company FlowMet-
Biotechnology Focus / August/September 2015
Ninth Québec City Healthcare Industry Forum Mainstreaming innovations in healthcare will be the theme of the upcoming Québec City Healthcare Industry Forum to be held on December 1, 2015, at the Québec City Hilton during the Semaine de l’innovation en santé (Healthcare Innovation Week).The event will feature talks by experts, case studies, workshops, and a plenary session on this unifying theme of importance not only to industry actors (innovative solutions and technologies) but also to health network managers, clinicians, and scientists. Over 200 people are expected to attend. For more information on the Forum, go to www.Québecinternational. ca/forumsante (in French only).
To see this story online visit http://biotechnologyfocus.ca/ Québec-city-a-technologyrevolutions-serving-the-needsof-health-care/
