Province Invests in Canada’s First-of-Its-Kind Bioinnovation Centre

Nova Scotia will soon be a major player in the world of bioinnovation thanks to the newly opened Neptune BioInnovation Centre in Dartmouth.

The centre will transform Nova Scotia’s bioindustrial landscape and will be a world-leading biofermentation centre, allowing Nova Scotia to compete globally, strengthen domestic supply chains and foster biotechnology advancements across critical sectors, including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, forestry and agriculture.

“The Neptune BioInnovation Centre is not just changing the game for bioinnovation in Nova Scotia, it is creating a whole new one,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Growth and Development. “This investment will attract the best and brightest minds and companies in this sector to Nova Scotia. Their groundbreaking work will commercialize clean technologies for a more sustainable and prosperous future.”

The Neptune BioInnovation Centre is a world-class, multi-user facility that is the first of its kind in Canada and one of three in the world. It is projected to create more than 2,400 jobs, $175 million in salaries and $74 million in tax revenue and contribute $334 million annually to the province’s gross domestic product.

The Province is investing $5 million to help transform the 4,738-square-metre (51,000 square feet) facility into new state-of-the-art wet and dry labs that will offer commercial-scale precision fermentation and spray drying capacity.

Quotes:

“This Neptune asset and planned expansion are a game-changer for the N.S. and Canadian biomanufacturing sector, building the largest capacity in Canada. This will ensure companies scale and build commercial plants here, generating a critical domestic green supply chain for Canadian manufacturers to compete here and in Europe.”
— Beth Mason, Director, Neptune BioInnovation Centre

Quick Facts:

• the centre will help strengthen Nova Scotia’s domestic supply chains and promote biotechnology advancements in areas such as smart materials, bioplastics, functional foods, green chemicals, therapeutics and alternative proteins
• the centre is an $18-million public-private partnership with funding committed by the Province, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) and cleantech firm Dispersa
  • NGen is an industry-led, non-profit organization leading the country’s global innovation cluster for advanced manufacturing

Additional Resources:

Neptune BioInnovation Centre: https://neptunebio.ca/