Alberta has played a powerful role in treatments for diabetes, cardiac care, and viruses — work that has changed lives around the world.
But outside the sector, many don’t know that life sciences is becoming one of the province’s biggest bets for the future.
“One of Alberta’s challenges is we’re quiet, and we should be a little more bold on the world stage,” says Robb Stoddard, president and CEO of BioAlberta.
The sector has grown from its early days of molecule discoveries into an ecosystem that includes biotech, medical devices, digital health, and AI-driven innovation. Companies are attracting investment, developing life-saving treatments, and commercializing technology at a pace that rivals global leaders.
Alberta is home to a nationally recognized AI and machine learning ecosystem that is accelerating research in fields ranging from drug discovery to diagnostics. At the same time, a strong post-secondary network and new government-backed accelerator programs are helping startups get off the ground.
“We do have world-class research in the University of Alberta, University of Lethbridge, University of Calgary,” says Stoddard. “We’ve got the titans of industry … They need an amplifier. They need a bullhorn to be able to say, ‘Here’s what we’re doing in Alberta.’”
From research roots to real-world tools
Alberta’s life sciences sector has deep roots in research. The province was historically known for its strength in virology, cardiac care, and diabetes research, areas driven at institutions like the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary. But the landscape has since shifted.
“When you compare 25 years ago to now, you’re seeing a lot more use of technology,” says Stoddard. “The medtech sector has grown, the medical device sector has grown in Alberta, and now you’re seeing the next evolution in digital health and consumables: wearables, the Internet of Things, and connected devices, which are transforming community care and acute care.”
That evolution is being accelerated by artificial intelligence. The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) at the University of Alberta is ranked among the top five AI research facilities in the world, collaborating with technology leaders like Google, IBM, and Microsoft.
The province also recently launched a $100 billion AI data centre strategy aimed at solidifying its leadership in the field.
“AI is a tool,” says Stoddard. “It allows you to compute massive, massive amounts of data, and you can almost take a result and then use AI to come back to work through and figure out what the rules were and what the decisions were to get to that final result.”
Four signals of where the sector is heading
As Alberta’s life sciences ecosystem grows, certain patterns are emerging. Beyond industry headlines, these are signals of deeper shifts underway across research, funding, policy, and technology. Together, they point to how the next chapter of innovation might unfold, and what it will take to sustain progress.
Digital health expansion is shifting care closer to patients
The next wave of innovation in Alberta’s life sciences sector is happening in everyday life. Digital health tools, from apps to wearables to remote monitoring, are transforming how people access and manage their health.
And, while the convenience of this is, well, convenient, this new wave brings much more than that. It has the capability to redesign healthcare delivery to reach more people in more places and to help the system scale without overloading hospitals.
Stoddard says the pace of change is accelerating, and he expects to see an emergence of “more health tech and digital companies.”
For Alberta, this is an opportunity to lead in a field where software meets science. The goal is to build tools that improve patient outcomes and reduce costs, especially in rural and underserved regions.
Big biotech deals are putting Alberta companies on the map
Alberta may not be known globally as a biotech hub, but momentum is building.
“Pacylex out of Edmonton just announced one of the largest licensing deals ever for their oncology drug that was announced in December,” says Stoddard.
The late 2024 deal drew attention to the scale of innovation emerging from the province and underscored its growing potential in global biotech.
These kinds of deals are milestones not just for the companies involved, but for the entire sector. They offer a reminder that Alberta firms are increasingly active players in a global innovation economy.
A stronger scale-up ecosystem is starting to take shape
Many startups in Alberta’s life sciences space begin in academic labs, backed by grants or early-stage programs. But turning promising science into commercial success requires something different: growth capital, experienced operators, and the right regulatory support.
That is where Alberta is focused next.
“We need to make sure that we have an ecosystem built to support those companies as they move forward,” says Stoddard.
Organizations like BioAlberta are helping bridge gaps between researchers, funders, and government. Infrastructure investments, including new lab space and test beds, are also part of building a scale-up ecosystem that keeps companies in Alberta as they grow.
Government and industry are aligning to set funding priorities
In a sector where development cycles can last over a decade, funding is about timing, patience, and coordinated strategy. Alberta’s leaders are asking tough questions about how to fund companies through that full journey.
“How does government and industry work together to make sure that they are putting a priority of funding on the right groups?” asks Stoddard.
That includes everything from making capital available to growth-stage companies to designing procurement and regulatory pathways that help homegrown innovations reach Albertans faster.
The goal is not to chase trends. It is to make sure Alberta builds a coherent, sustainable system that can support the full lifecycle of a company, from idea to impact.
Solving for scale: What needs to be built next
Innovation is not Alberta’s biggest hurdle. The challenge is building the pathways to scale.
Unlike tech startups that can launch quickly, life sciences companies operate on much longer timelines. It often takes more than a decade to go from research to commercialization. That means sustained investment, better integration between academia and industry, and a stronger push to keep Alberta companies growing at home.
Many life sciences startups begin in university labs, founded by researchers who are experts in science but not necessarily in business. That’s where BioAlberta comes in.
“Our role is to help those sides understand each other, help them navigate to each other at the right time and build success by facilitating those connections and that development,” says Stoddard.
The funding journey for life sciences startups is complex. In the early days, they rely on government grants, vouchers, and angel investors. But scaling requires larger investments, often in the millions, making access to venture capital a critical challenge.
Alberta Innovates and several new accelerator programs have supported early-stage ventures. Still, many companies face a gap when moving to the scale-up phase.
“Where Alberta needs to work is that next phase, for the companies that come out of that startup phase and are now looking for a growth stage or scaling up,” Stoddard adds. “That’s where you’re looking for different investors. You’re looking for bigger investments.”
Alberta isn’t copying other ecosystems. It’s building something its own
“We sometimes get caught up in comparing ourselves to places like Boston, Montreal, or Vancouver,” says Stoddard. “But they didn’t get there in one step either. So what are the pieces that are missing and what are the pieces that are next that you need to focus on?”
BioAlberta’s 2023 State of the Industry report shows that Alberta’s life sciences sector now includes more than 1,000 startups and life sciences companies, supports approximately 22,000 employees, and contributes nearly $1.89 billion to the provincial economy.
Marketing Alberta’s capabilities globally is part of BioAlberta’s strategy. The organization works with companies and government partners to raise Alberta’s profile globally and highlight its research strengths, business potential, and emerging talent.
Investments in infrastructure — like the $100 million Life Sciences Innovation and Future Technologies (LIFT) Centre at the University of Alberta — are expanding lab capacity and creating new opportunities for scale.
The talent pipeline is another key factor. The province ranks among the best in Canada for life sciences academic programs and research talent, and Alberta’s universities are producing world-class researchers. The province is also attracting top talent from other jurisdictions.
The challenge is keeping them here.
Stoddard says Alberta’s talent is as good as anything you will find in Cambridge or San Francisco. “But we need to build the right ecosystem so companies don’t feel like they have to leave to grow,” he adds.
The next chapter depends on visibility, coordination, and confidence
Alberta’s life sciences sector has grown into a force of global relevance, powered by research depth, emerging infrastructure, and increasing investor interest. It is not waiting for validation. The breakthroughs, partnerships, and platform are already here.
Now, the province’s challenge is making that strength visible and building what is needed to sustain it. That means coordinated investment at all stages, a scale-up ecosystem that does not leak talent, and more intentional alignment between government, academia, and industry.
The opportunity is not to copy what has been done elsewhere. It is to define Alberta’s own version of success, one that reflects its collaborative mindset, scientific strength, and drive to compete globally on its own terms.
“We need to make sure Alberta isn’t just a great place to start a life sciences company, but a great place to scale and succeed,” says Stoddard.
The ingredients are here. The story is ready. Now it’s time to pull out the bullhorn and make sure people hear about it.
