Montréal is one of the east coast’s leading and most influential life sciences centres. It ranks eighth in North America for the number of jobs in the pharmaceutical sector, with the presence of multinational companies such as Pfizer, Novartis Pharma, Abbvie and Merck having their Canadian headquarters here. The Québec Life Sciences Strategy 2022-2025, as well, has provided $569 million in funding to support an estimated $2 billion in direct investment in the field. This is an exciting time for both the field and the city.
Areas of excellence
Montréal’s leading LSHT disciplines include the neurosciences, cardiology, oncology and metabolic diseases. The city also stands out in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, digital health, contract research organisations (CROs) and contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs).
As Montréal continues to establish itself as a world centre of excellence in artificial intelligence, as well, our LSHT sector is keeping pace. Examples of crossover include Imagia, a firm that uses AI to facilitate access to personalized care for cancer patients, and the TransMedTech Institute, a living lab that supports the accelerated development of next-generation medical technologies.
A unique life sciences ecosystem
Montréal’s life sciences ecosystem is unique because it can support all stages of product development, from research to marketing, in an effective spirit of collaboration among key stakeholders. Mobilizing the industry is an organization called Montréal InVivo: a non-profit industrial cluster comprised of more than 620 organizations, 11 post-secondary institutions and 41,000 skilled workers that’s a catalyst for innovation in areas of research ranging from cancer to ageing to genomics.
The draw of Montréal
InVivo advocates for the LSHT sector in Montréal by helping to attract top talent. The allure of the city is attributed to a variety of factors, ranging from lifestyle and affordability to the plenitude of eminent Montréal researchers. Montréal boasts five universities and 36 programs, with more than 10,000 university students graduating from a life science program each year. Our life sciences sector employs over 44,000 people, of which 12,000 are researchers and professionals working in 300 public and parapublic research centres.
But it’s not just the talent, it’s also the economic advantages of the city. Montréal offers the most competitive operating costs among the 20 largest cities in Canada and the United States. Many companies qualify for tax credits.
See the entrepreneurial spotlight video series that Montréal lnVivo developed, featuring LSHT successes in the region.
The country’s leading research hub
Life sciences professionals from around the world find fertile ground in Montréal. The city has developed an innovative approach to collaboration between companies, research centres and public institutions to make it one of the world’s largest life sciences hubs. Recognized research centres include:
- Le Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM)
- The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC)
- The CHU Sainte-Justine Mother and child university hospital center
- The Montréal Neurological Institute and Hospital, aka The Neuro (McGill University)
- The Montréal Heart Institute (Université de Montréal)
- The Université de Montréal hospital research centre (CRCHUM)
Some recent major Montréal LSHT events
- 29th Annual Meeting for the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (2023). Attendance: 2,500
- 2023 Congress of the International Council of Nurses. Attendance: 6,000
- American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine 2023 Annual Assembly. Attendance: 4,000
- Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons 2023 Postgraduate Course & Scientific Session. Attendance: 2,000
- 2023 International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Annual Conference. Attendance: 8,000
- 17th International Congress on Radiation Research (2023). Attendance: 1,500
- 2023 World Congress of Neurology. Attendance: 8,000
- Family Medicine Forum 2023. Attendance: 5,000
- 2024 SBI Breast Imaging Symposium. Attendance: 1,300
- 2024 PNS Annual Meeting. Attendance: 1,500
- ISMB 2024 Annual Meeting. Attendance: 1,800
- 3rd Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology (2024). Attendance: 2,500
- World Molecular Imaging Congress 2024. Attendance: 1,100
- MicroTAS 2024 Conference. Attendance: 1,200
- 15th World Congress on Brain Injury (2025). Attendance: 1,200
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