New study shows Mississauga, ON is flourishing in life sciences industry

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A key finding of the study is a continual increase in the level of employment of this sector, adding more than 5,000 knowledge workers from 2003 to 2007.

According to the study, Mississauga is home to the third largest life sciences cluster in Canada, with more than 375 companies employing approximately 24,800 people.

“Exceptional talent, innovative companies and the convergence of many related industries in Mississauga are propelling this leading economic cluster forward,” said Larry Petovello, director of the Economic Development Office. “Mississauga is well-positioned to provide employment opportunities for its citizens as we build a city for the 21st century.”

The study specifies that the life sciences industry requires talent that focuses on two main areas of expertise: the industry must have highly-skilled scientific and technical personnel, and it also requires experienced management to lead production and drive the marketing of products and services.

“It’s apparent that life sciences firms are attracting highly-skilled candidates in Mississauga,” said Petovello. “The city is surrounded by some of Ontario’s finest post-secondary institutions offering a wide variety of educational opportunities.

Within an hour commute of Mississauga, there are nine major universities and six technical colleges with programs pertinent to life science-related occupations.”
Mississauga is Canada’s sixth largest city with a population of more than 700,000.

Its life sciences industry requires talent that focuses on two main areas of expertise. The industry must have highly-skilled scientific and technical personnel. They also require experienced management to lead the production and drive the marketing of products and services.

It has also become apparent that the life sciences’ firms are accessing the highly-skilled candidates with post-secondary education in Mississauga. The city is home to the University of Toronto Mississauga, which is an internationally renowned, research-based university offering one of the few Masters of Biotechnology programs in Canada. There is also the Masters of Innovation Management at U of T Mississauga, a program designed to support careers in the life sciences sector.

The roots of the Mississauga’s success go back nearly five decades, with one investment which then gained momentum over the years. In 1961, Astra Pharma opened manufacturing operations in the fields of what was later to become the City of Mississauga. It was the beginning of the economic cluster.

The life sciences sector is in fact an umbrella term that includes:

Bio-pharmaceuticals and pharmaceuticals
Antibiotics, vaccines, therapeutics and drug delivery systems.

Biotechnology
Specialized research and development in bio-agriculture, bio-food processing, bio-manufacturing, bio-processing and bio-natural resources.

Diagnostics
Screening and detection of disease, genetic disorders, tissue engineering, diagnostics kits and diagnostics instruments.

Nutraceuticals
Vitamin and mineral health supplements and nutritional analysis.

Equipment and Devices
Specialized lab equipment, specialized software, laser therapy, hospital equipment, surgical tools, implants, scientific instruments and cardiac equipment.

Health Care
Optical products, orthotic products, dental products and first aid.

Laboratories
Research facilities available.

Suppliers
Specialized medical and hospital equipment and supplies, sales and distribution. Medical information and service providers. Consulting firms providing service to biomedical or biotechnical areas.