By Kelly Louiseize
Neureka Research Corp. based out of Laurentian University in Greater Sudbury is in the midst of a name change to accommodate the formation of a biotechnology cluster initiative for the North.
Northern Centre for Biotechnology and Clinical Research, formerly Neureka, has been selected by the province to lead a pan-northern biotechnology initiative for Northern Ontario, Magdy Basta, president and chief executive officer, has confirmed.
The name change will allow the organization to better reflect biotechnology on a Northern Ontario-wide scale, he says.
Northern Centre for Biotechnology and Clinical Research is a provincially-funded organization that facilitates and collaborates biomedical, bio-environmental, bio-forestry, bio-mining and other clinical research.
It was not a big surprise to Barbara Eccles, technology transfer officer at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay to find out that the application for a northwestern biotechnology cluster was turned down by the Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation.
“It would have been nice to kick-start the development in the way we wanted to, but it does not mean (the biotechnology cluster for the northwest) is not going to work,” Eccles, says. “It may take a little bit longer.” She believes one of the reasons their proposal was turned down was because they concentrated on the current and future environment of biotechnology in their area.
“We wanted to look at where we are today, but also where we want to be when we grow up.”
Becoming a biotech centre is not something that will happen overnight, she explains. It is going to take a lot of work and time and the province wanted to know what the area could provide at present. “(The provincial government) wanted to know where you are now and what your strengths are now, so I do not think we fit into the mandate of the program,” Eccles adds.
This is not to say that northwestern Ontario will not pursue a biotechnology community.
“What we would like to do is make sure that we have all the pieces in place that would encourage biotechnology businesses to grow and locate and be created in Thunder Bay.”
In June of 2002, the Ontario government announced the conception of a $30-million Biotechnology Cluster Innovation Program (BCIP). This past March the Ernie Eve’s government asked communities to submit a proposal by April 8 for the potential biotechnology clusters in their area. An official announcement on the Northern Ontario biotechnology initiative, the pan-northern cluster, is expected on Aug.8.
Watch for next week’s Around the North as Northern Ontario Business takes an in-depth look at the new pan-northern initiative, and what it means for the North.
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