Ontario Launches $30M Biotech Cluster Initiative

The Ontario Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation has launched a two-phase, $30 million program intended to accelerate the development of Ontario's biotechnology cluster. The Biotechnology Cluster Innovation Program (BCIP) will support biotechnology infrastructure projects that will help create new companies.

BCIP is expected to support projects such as commercialization centers, research parks and other regional initiatives that demonstrate entrepreneurship and innovation. The program also will fund projects that integrate biotechnology into knowledge-based and traditional industry sectors such as photonics, information technology, automotive, chemicals, agriculture, and forestry.

"(The Ontario) government's biotechnology strategy will make Ontario one of the most competitive jurisdictions in North America," Minister of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation Jim Flaherty said in a press statement. "Merging biotechnology with traditional industry sectors could provide a significant contribution to the economic growth of the province."

The first phase of BCIP is $2 million directed to regional biotech partnerships to develop strategic plans for enhancing Ontario's biotechnology capacity.  The second $28 million phase focuses on implementing the plans.

Regionally based partnerships are invited to participate in the first phase of the BCIP, which will provide individual awards of up to $200,000. Partnerships may be comprised of industry, entrepreneurs, municipalities, universities and other research institutions, researchers, colleges, venture capital firms and investors, federal government agencies and school boards. The program materials say at a minimum consortia should consist of the following organizations: universities and other R&D institutions, municipalities, industry/farm associations, entrepreneurs, investors and all levels of government. Involvement of at least one post-secondary institution is mandatory.

BCIP is part of the province's $51 million biotech strategy launched last summer (see the June 14, 2002 issue of the SSTI Weekly Digest for details). Ontario is Canada's most populous province with 11.4 million residents in 2001, which would make it the seventh largest U.S. state by comparison.

More information on the BCIP is available at: http://www.ontariocanada.com/ontcan/en/rts/rts_bcip.jsp