Nature of TBI

More than 40% of Canada’s biotechnology industry is located in the Greater Toronto Area. This community includes many of the most dynamic companies in Canada’s rapidly emerging bioindustry, from start-ups to international pharmaceutical companies. While biopharmaceuticals and diagnostics are core strengths of this community, Ontario, of which Toronto is the capital, is also the largest agricultural and food processing province in Canada. As such, Ontario has broad research capability and growing commercial activity in agri-food biotechnology. A third emerging sector is the resource and environmental biotech industries.

The foundation for TBI is the region’s superlative infrastructure of universities and research institutions. TAHSC (The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and its affiliated teaching hospitals) is arguably the largest knowledge-based enterprise in all of Canada and one of the largest medical research complexes in North America. But the Toronto region has enormous scientific research capability in non-medical areas as well. As the business and investment capital of Canada, Toronto boasts a wealth of financial, legal, accounting and other service sector specialists—essential partners in the growth of the biotechnology industry.

TBI's central role is to build bridges, to bring together all the biotech stakeholders, to link the research, business and public interest communities. In addition, through active participation in the Canadian Institute of Biotechnology, the Industrial Biotechnology Association of Canada, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, and the Council of Biotechnology Centres, TBI collaborates in the advancement of biotechnology regionally, nationally and internationally.

TBI’s members are drawn from all segments of the biotech community. The City of Toronto, and the Ontario and Canadian governments all play an important role in supporting TBI and its activities.