UBC is at the heart of a biomedical innovation hotspot.
Whether it’s educating next-generation talent, translating discoveries into patient care and new treatments, or launching ambitious biotech companies, the UBC community is playing a critical role in positioning BC as global hub of biomedical innovation.
Driven by world-class research and bolstered by a vibrant community of innovative private sector firms, BC is home to the fastest growing life sciences sector in Canada. It is leading the country in building an extraordinary biomanufacturing ecosystem where the entire process — from research to clinical trials, to the translation of discoveries into patient- and market-ready treatments and technologies — can happen efficiently in one place.
UBC research is supported by funding from federal and provincial government, non-profit and industry partners. Each year, researchers in the Faculty of Medicine alone engage in approximately 700 research partnerships with industry collaborators. These projects enable a sharing of research expertise and capacity, and can leverage UBC's outstanding research facilities, including a Containment Level 3 facility for research with high-risk pathogens.
This environment enabled UBC research discoveries and spin-off companies to play critical roles in the medical response to COVID-19, including contributing to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, developing an approved COVID-19 antibody treatment, and attracting investment to respond to COVID-19 and to prepare Canada for and future pandemics. Read more.
