BROMONT, Québec– BIOQuébec welcomes the tabling of the 2022-2025 Quebec Life Sciences Strategy (QLSS) which will support – and above all, foster – the growth of Quebec’s life sciences ecosystem. The second version of the QLSS features three major objectives, five areas of focus, and ten promising measures for the industry.
“The QLSS is the result of an extensive consultation process that involved five working groups and several meetings attended by BIOQuébec’s management and several of its members. We welcome the fact that the new Strategy, through its five pillars, addresses the issues and priorities identified by our members throughout these consultations,” stated Anie Perrault, BIOQuébec’s Executive Director.
BIOQuébec is especially pleased with the announced measures serving to develop human capital and support the launch and growth of businesses, including:
– The renewal of BIOMed Propulsion ($50 million)
– Adding a biopharmaceutical component to the Impulsion program (for which the terms and budget will be announced shortly)
– Creating a team assigned to life sciences at Investissement Québec, under the leadership of Didier Leconte: a commitment that should translate into $200 million of financial support over three years from IQ funds.
The five QLSS areas of focus will address issues that are crucial for the growth of our industry:
– Generate synergy to meet significant health challenges
– Develop human capital
– Support the launch and growth of businesses
– Attract and implement investment projects
– Locally promote the marketing of innovations
BIOQuébec welcomes with great enthusiasm the 5th area of focus, the goal of which is to locally promote the marketing of innovations. Our recently-released report on integrating innovations into the Quebec healthcare system includes several possible solutions, such as:
– Supporting and strengthening the Bureau de l’Innovation
– Developing innovative assessment approaches within the INESS: the 2022-2025 Quebec Life Sciences Strategy will foster the development of a methodology adapted to the early assessment of innovations.
– Expedite access to innovative drugs and the integration of Quebec innovations with a high-value potential: creating a strategic committee on innovation, which is the purview of the MSSS, that would foster Quebec’s competitiveness for registering drugs once they are recommended by the INESSS. A total budge of $19.6 million over three years has been dedicated to strengthening these resources.
“The issues have been identified but implementing the recently announced measures is crucial to achieving the objectives that have been established. BIOQuébec will continue acting on this and reiterates its willingness to work with the government to ensure this strategy’s success,” declared Anie Perrault.
