Ontario creates two more biotech incubation centres

Ontario's Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology has announced two more in its series of biotechnology incubator centres, stemming from its $20-million Ontario Biotechnology Commercialization Fund created late last year (R$, November 10/99). The two newest centres in Ottawa and London follow an earlier announcement for a Toronto incubator (R$, June 30/00). The Ottawa Biotechnology Incubation Centre will receive $5.4 million to create two locations to serve start-ups in the health and agriculture biotech sectors - a new building in the Ottawa Life Sciences Park and a retrofitted facility at the former Centre of Farm Animal Research in Nepean ON. An additional $200,000 in seed funding was awarded to create a BioProducts Institute at the latter site. Both projects will be led by the Ottawa Life Sciences Council and funds were made available through the Ontario SuperBuild initiative. In London, $5 million has been allocated to create the London Biotechnology Commercialization Centre. It will focus primarily on commercialization of biomedical activity, and is led by the London Biotechnology Incubator (LBI). The LBI's membership includes the Univ of Western Ontario, London Health Sciences Centre, Lawson Research Institute, John P Robarts Research Institute, Lawson Research Institute, the Univ of Guelph and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The City of London has committed $5 million to the centre and the Univ of Western Ontario has donated land in its research park....