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Hamilton’s Life Science Cluster
Hamilton is one of the most vibrant midsized Hamilton is home to investors with specialized
life science clusters in North America. Bringing knowledge in life sciences, as well as network
together world class research and academic of organizations that enable investment. For
institutions, leading hospital networks, example, Bay Area Health Trust (BAHT) has
sophisticated private companies, and supporting invested millions of dollars to support growth-
organizations, the Hamilton life science cluster oriented life science companies. Recent direct
links innovative research with the business acumen investments in Hamilton-based companies include
required to get it to market. Hamilton’s life science VoxNeuro and Mariner Endosurgery.
cluster is the largest in the city, home to 203
organizations who collectively employ 36,649 McMaster Innovation Park, situated on 55 acres in
individuals. the heart of Hamilton’s Innovation District, is the
fulcrum of a life sciences mega-hub stretching
This cluster in Hamilton is flourishing, seeing the from Toronto to Hamilton. MIP has embarked on a
formation of 43 new life science companies since $1.75 billion buildout that will grow its footprint by
2016, who can draw upon 7,170 STEM students an additional 2.8 million sq ft of mixed-use facilities
who graduates each years from two of the nation’s focused on life sciences (including 1.3 million
top academic institutions. The combination of new sq ft of wet lab space for scaling companies),
company formation and talent generation has advanced materials and manufacturing, and
put Hamilton on the map as a leading life science ICT. This new space will create an innovation
cluster in Canada.
continuum from fundamental research labs
to start-up spaces, to early-stage production
Notable organizations within Hamilton’s cluster
include Stryker, Fusion Pharmaceuticals and the facilities and full-scale biomanufacturing. This
McMaster Innovation Park. Stryker, one of the ambitious project will deliver the kind of space
top-ten largest medical device companies in the and resources that scaling organizations require to
world, recently invested $100 million to build succeed, building on MIP’s well-earned reputation
their Canadian headquarters in Hamilton. Fusion as a place of discovery, commercialization, and
Pharmaceuticals, while still in the clinical phase, entrepreneurship.
demonstrated the promising potential of using
targeted alpha therapeutics to improve the safety Hamilton’s success as a life science cluster is truly
of radiopharmaceuticals by launching the 2nd one-of-a-kind, possessing similar capabilities,
largest biotech IPO in Canadian history. capacity, and resources of much larger cities,
coupled with a strong spirit of collaboration
In Hamilton, start-up and scaling companies are that comes from being a midsized city. As a
increasingly successful in accessing public- and result, Hamilton’s ecosystem can move quickly
private-sector funding to grow and scale their to develop public-private relationships, moving
businesses. More than $620 million was raised by forward on projects at the rapid and demanding
Hamilton companies during the past five years. speed of business.
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