Project
Life Sciences Forum
Healthy Canadians, competitive Canada
Share
About the project
Today’s global stage is rife with growing geopolitical and economic disruption. As Canada faces the persistent specter of tariffs on manufactured products, shifting attitudes toward public health, life sciences and research in the U.S. — Canada’s biggest customer — this country is navigating an uncertain trade environment while decoupling supply chains and maintaining its sovereignty.
This evolving context is why the latest phase of PPF’s Life Sciences Forum (LSF) shifts its focus towards Canada’s economic growth, prosperity and competitiveness.
The LSF, established in 2022, brings together experts from the public and private sectors, as well as academia, to explore how Canada can strengthen its health security by advancing the life sciences sector.
Initially focused on the urgent context of the COVID-19 pandemic management and recovery, the LSF has now entered its third phase with the goal of promoting the growth of Canada’s life sciences sector and protecting the health security of Canadians.
In 2025, the LSF is pursuing this goal through three core objectives:
- Provide federal policymakers with a well-informed approach to health security, including support for innovation hubs, investment attraction, regional engagement with the U.S. and the integration of AI.
- Identify ways to attract investment in key sector areas,such as R&D commercialization and the growth of SMEs.
- Advance innovation in the life sciences sector by exploring the potential role of AI in accelerating data analytics and management.
LSF Phase 3 will build on the following recommendations:
Government-led: Prioritization for sector growth and competitiveness
- Building resilience in the supply of critical medicines and treatments;
- Expanding international life sciences relationships and open up new markets; and
- Boosting sector ‘stickiness’ by championing domestic commercialization of Canadian R&D and expanding domestic procurement.
Industry-led: Future-proofing the sector’s success
- Encouraging capital investment to enhance sector productivity and competitiveness;
- Harnessing AI to support sector development; and
- Planning for successful recruitment, retention and workforce upskilling.
The work of LSF Phase 3 will be carried out by PPF staff, Fellows and consultants under the guidance of the Leadership Table of senior industry and government leadership. To ensure deep research, PPF will convene Working Tables composed of operations–level industry and government professionals to engage in detailed discussions and produce research outputs, which will then be validated by the Leadership Table.
Subscribe to PPF: Health Security, a weekly dose of critical health news in a post-pandemic world.
Events
Past Event
Mind the Gap: Strengthening Canada’s health security partnerships
Invitation-only member event
Reports
Canada’s Code Red
Why Canada’s health security emergency demands a new sense of urgency around its life sciences sector — and how the fix could yield both health and economic returns
The Next One
Another health security threat will certainly come, and it will defy expectations yet again. Here's how Canada can defend itself against the next emergency.
Podcasts
Why Canada needs more anchor companies
On this episode of WONK, host Amanda Lang talks to Gordon McCauley, CEO of adMare BioInnovations, about how to build a thriving biotech sector and the big benefits for Canada's economy
Measles is back. How did it come to this?
On this episode of WONK, Dr. Joss Reimer and Dr. Michael Gardam discuss the ‘devastating’ return of measles, the vaccination problem and hard COVID lessons
