The Last word

By Josée Blanchard

Sherbrooke InternatIonal lIfe ScIenceS SummIt:

A regional gamble with national impact

Josée Blanchard, PhD, MBA Director, Business Development – Life Sciences

Turning a crisis into an opportunity

It’s no secret that the pharmaceutical industry has been undergoing unprecedented upheavals in recent years. Some might find that describing what is happening in the industry as a “crisis” is an exaggeration, but I don’t. Research centre closures, thousands of job losses – those are dramatic developments! Large pharmaceutical companies have had to drastically rethink their business models and revamp their approach to R&D.

This period of crisis was the impetus for the organization of Sherbrooke International Life Sciences Summit (SILS). Sherbrooke Innopole – the Local Development Centre (CLD) for Sherbrooke’s regional county municipality (MRC) – wanted to help local SMEs enhance their reputations, and, at the same time, provide major companies with a forum where they could learn more about the needs of small and medium enterprises as they move forward. These huge marketing mechanisms still needed to fill their pipelines, but how did they intend to do so? By working with SMEs and institutional laboratories, but what else?

This premise formed the backbone of SILS. Why not turn this crisis into an opportunity? That is the gamble we took in Sherbrooke, Québec, last year. Feature major players on stage and, in the same room, gather their potential future partners – SMEs and laboratories from around the world. To top it off, organize B2B meetings so that these companies could further explore partnership possibilities in a more intimate setting.

An extraordinary event

Many of you were among the nearly 300 people who attended the Summit’s first edition in Sherbrooke in September 2013. For a first edition, that was remarkable. Events of such magnitude in Sherbrooke are not seen very often. We managed to attract both international speakers and outstanding participants from SMEs and laboratories from around the world. We all know that time is precious for an entrepreneur, but the fact that so many CEOs took the time to attend our Summit confirms its relevance and added value. This conclusion is all supported by the fact that major pharmaceutical companies sent several delegates (up to five per company) to learn about their future partners and flagship products.

Real impact

What has been most striking is the impact of this event on local, provincial, and even national industry. The impact is being particularly felt in our region by the Sherbrooke companies and institutions that were able to take advantage of the opportunity to promote themselves among those in attendance. According to a survey we conducted, the benefits were tangible and real for several companies from Sherbrooke and elsewhere! Many organizations have already signed – or are about to sign – collaboration agreements with both Canadian institutions and major international companies.

The major pharmaceutical companies’ delegates who spoke at the Summit also took the opportunity to visit local companies and realized that Sherbrooke is an ideal place to conduct business and quality research. They discovered a few well-hidden secrets, and interesting partnerships emerged. Canadian and Québec associations like Rx&D, MEDEC, and CQDM also seized this opportunity to hold meetings, meet with researchers, and visit laboratories that had been until then unknown to them.

Great pride!

Sherbrooke Innopole is very proud of this event; we are pleased that we were able to contribute to the growth of the life sciences industry and create opportunities for our local companies. The success of Sherbrooke International Life Sciences Summit shows that, with joint efforts and a touch of audacity, the future of life sciences is bright. The second edition of SILS will be held from September 28 to 30, 2015. Come join us!

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