Industry Sectors

Life Sciences

Life Sciences in Alberta: A Growing Industry

Alberta has long been a powerhouse of life sciences reasearch and development, and it is home to more than 130 bioindustry companies.

The majority of companies are located in the Edmonton and Calgary regions and operate in the health biotechnology and medical devices & equipment sectors.

Alberta bioindustry revenues for 2006 were estimated to be more than CDN $800 million. More than 4,500 workers were directly employed by bioindustry companies in Alberta in 2006.

Total R&D spending for 2006 was approximately $135 million and projected to reach $247 million in 2010.

Areas of strength are:

  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Medical Devices
  • Agriculture and Bioproducts    

Life Sciences Industries Branch

The Life Sciences Industries Branch (LSInd) works to expand Alberta's life sciences industry by contributing to the establishment and growth of small- and medium-sized life sciences companies in Alberta.  

LSInd:

  • Fosters research partnerships with international companies, via support of collaborative research conducted at Alberta’s universities
  • Raises the profile of Alberta’s life sciences industry, and the Alberta business advantage through participation in conferences, trade shows, and trade missions
  • Maintains relationships with Alberta’s life sciences researchers and companies, and stays updated on their needs and concerns

Cost Advantages for Business in Alberta

  • The Competitive Alternatives: A Comparison of Business Costs
    Generic cost advantage competitiveness to United States due to the exchange rate and low business costs.
  • Alberta Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Credit
    The Alberta SR&ED tax credit benefits business of all sizes and in all sectors that conduct research and development that will lead to new, improved, or technologically advanced products or processes.
  • Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Incentive Program
    The SR&ED program is a federal tax incentive program, administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), that encourages Canadian businesses of all sizes, and in all sectors to conduct research and development (R&D) in Canada.  It is the largest single source of federal government support for industrial R&D.
  • Biotech Land Lease Program
    Designed to promote the growth of Edmonton’s Biotechnology sector, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation can offer an innovative program to aid the process of moving from concept to commercialization. 

Contact

For more information about the Life Sciences Industries Branch or to make use of our services, please contact us:

Phone: (780) 427-6602
Email Life Sciences Industries


Comments from Alberta’s Life Sciences Industry

“SemBioSys has reaped the benefits of being a part of the dynamic and growing province of Alberta.  As a biotech company which originally started at the University of Calgary, SemBioSys has prospered with the development of our technology, funding from the Alberta government (AVAC) and access to world-class employees...”  
Andrew Baum
President and CEO
SemBioSys Genetics Inc.

“The support provided by Alberta Life Sciences Industries for the Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre (ATAGC) has helped to position us as the leading Centre in applying molecular diagnostics to organ biopsies.  This is a unique resource for Alberta and has led to the creation of a spin-out company – Transcriptome Sciences Incorporated – that provides a means to apply transcriptomics to clinical medicine, as well as to attract industry investment in Alberta”. 
Dr. Deborah James, BSc (Pharm), RPEBC, PhD
Executive Director
Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre

“Life sciences industries has served as a catalyst and supporting framework to help support and launch the Biorefining Conversions Network.  Contributions have supported the purchase of key scale-up and commercialization equipment.  This will enable the commercialization of two Alberta-based and developed bioindustrial technologies in the areas of advanced biofuels and chemicals from biomass and have attracted several companies and collaborators to partner and invest in Alberta research and business including Sanimax Ltd. and Syngenta.”
Dr. David Bressler, PhD
Associate Professor - Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science
University of Alberta

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