national Biotech week

Q&A

with Peter Brenders

With National Biotech Week preparations underway, Biotechnology Focus sat down with BIOTECanada president and CEO Peter Brenders on the eve of the event to get a feel of the current state of the industry.

Biotechnology Focus: There is

talk that the industry is rebounding, David Schechner of Cannacord Genuity even speculated at the most recent BioFinance (held in Toronto in May) that we are on the verge of another biotech bubble. What are you hearing from your members, are we out of the woods, what’s the buzz in Canadian Biotech?

Peter Brenders: The industry is full of successes, from exciting new developments in stem cell research to new composite manufacturing; from environmental technologies to new vaccines. There are plenty of areas to watch. As we look to the next generation of economic growth within our industry we continue to seek opportunities to catalyze new technologies into the commercialization cycle as a solution for the challenges faced by traditional industries. This includes new manufacturing processes for the automotive and chemistry industries, environmental solutions for the forestry and resource industries, new sources of renewable energy, and successful innovative vaccine and health therapeutics meeting increased health care demands.

BF: We now have a majority Conservative government, and the importance of lobbying for the betterment of life sciences and biotech is as important as ever. What are some of the key hot button issues that BIOTECanada is lobbying for and when do you think we’ll start to see some action on this new government’s part in aiding our industry?

PB: The arrival of a majority government offers the association the opportunity for long-term planning and engagement on strategic initiatives as we seek to secure our policy goals. We will be able to focus attention on key political leaders throughout the government caucus as they settle into their respective roles and establish champions able and willing to engage on issues on our behalf. This level of stability will be a refreshing environment for all stakeholders. With the number of new MPs we will be using this opportunity to showcase an overview of biotech excellence, and from this briefing we will break into one-on-one meetings between our member CEOs, federal MPs and government officials. We will continue to drive sustainable commercial development mostly in terms of capital formation and improved operating environment. The Conservative’s made a promise to take action on the findings of the Research and Development Review Panel commissioned in October 2010 and we look forward to the findings from the Research and Development Panel set to report in October, 2011.

BF: Turning our attention to National Biotech Week, what are the major themes of this year’s event and highlights our readers should take note of?

PB: Now in its eighth year, National Biotechnology Week (September 16 to 23) is a celebration of ‘imagenenation’ by Canada’s biotechnology scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs. National Biotechnology Week will kick off this year on Friday September 16 at the grand opening of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon. The International Vaccine Centre is Canada’s newest lab for protecting animals and humans against emerging infectious diseases. When doors officially open in September, the new $140 million InterVac facility will be Canada’s largest containment level 3 agricultural facility and the most advanced of its kind in the world. National Biotechnology Week is filled with exciting events, lectures, facility tours and hands-on science experiments happening on a daily basis across the entire country. The week, produced in coordination with BIOTECanada and its national organization partners include events for everyone. Popular events include student competitions, facility and company tours; meet the experts and leader events and provincial government recognition of the week. To find out more, your readers need only visit our National Biotechnology Week website at www.imagenenation.ca

The message we want to get out to the public is that the Canadian bio-economy continues to drive economic growth and value into our daily lives. Canada’s bio-economy represents $86.5 billion or seven per cent of our national GDP. Moreover, the bio-economy has grown more than 60 per cent since 2000, representing a growth rate that is double to that of the broader economy. Today, Canada’s bio-economy has an employment network of more than one million. Canada’s biotech industry is broadly distributed, with applications in health and therapeutics (44 per cent), industrial and environmental technologies (28 per cent), and innovative bio-products in the agriculture space (25 per cent) and other areas (three per cent).

The term bio-economy refers to the application of biotechnology processes, products and tools to create new methods of manufacturing and developing consumer products and services. The three primary components of Canada’s bio-based economy are health, industrial processes and agriculture. We encounter biorelated technology everyday. From a car seat made from soybean foam to the therapies for Alzheimer’s and cancer, biotechnology touches every aspect of our daily life.

From coast to coast, Canada has a strong network of companies and individuals working to make ensure we stay among the world’s best in biotechnology. National Biotechology Week is an important part of making sure we take the time to celebrate everything we have achieved in the past and everything we will achieve in the future.

For more NatioNal

Biotech Week

information visit our PrOFILES Web Portal at

www.bioscienceworld.ca

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