Immersive: that’s how I would describe the event. Participating for the third time, Boardroom once again joined international delegates for a programme designed to go well beyond observation. Through site visits, one-on-one meetings, lab tours and expert panels, delegates were given a direct line into Calgary’s life sciences network – its research, its commercialisation capacity, its community engagement – and, more broadly, into Canada’s national framework for health innovation. Proof of a country not only open for meetings, but open to collaboration on some of the most critical healthcare challenges of our time.
Canada Co-Creates
Destination Canada Business Events functions with a distinct mission: to attract global associations not merely as clients but as collaborators. Its approach aligns high-impact sectors (such as life sciences, advanced manufacturing and clean technologies) with international organisations seeking venues that offer partnership and access to expertise – while also recognising the unique value of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives within Canada’s research and healthcare landscape.
Canada’s life sciences sector represents a cornerstone of its innovation economy, contributing more than €13.5 billion annually to GDP and encompassing over 13,000 companies and 600 research institutions. This solid base remains flexible and current thanks to a carefully thought-out strategy: the federal ‘Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy’ supports long-term sectoral growth, from clinical research to domestic vaccine production.
The country captures 4% of global clinical trials, making it a top G7 performer in clinical productivity. It is home to a workforce renowned for its scientific literacy and diversity, which is further supported by welcoming immigration and education policies. Major players like AstraZeneca, Moderna, Roche and Sanofi have all expanded operations here. But the sector’s strength lies just as much in public-private alignment as it does in private investment. This alignment is visible in how cities across Canada complement rather than compete with each other.
From Lab to Community in Calgary
Calgary’s selection as host city for Innovate Canada 2025 was no coincidence. It is a city in transformation, from energy capital to life sciences powerhouse, thanks to investment, academic leadership, and entrepreneurial drive. Key to this transformation is the University of Calgary, whose Cumming School of Medicine leads globally in research.
“The University of Calgary is a leader in brain and mental health, biomedical engineering, chronic diseases and cardiovascular research,” says David Woodward, Executive Director, Meetings and Conventions at Tourism Calgary. “This, along with the impressive advancements being made in digital health services by local companies, position Calgary as a leader and an ideal destination for an event.”
Delegates experienced this first-hand during curated tours of the Life Sciences Innovation Hub, where robotics labs showcased MRI-compatible surgical arms, and rehabilitation units used split-belt treadmills and visual technologies to support stroke recovery. Across disciplines, the university’s applied research efforts are yielding high-impact ventures, including Parrus Therapeutics, a startup developing next-generation lipid-based therapeutics.
At Orpyx, a Calgary-based digital therapeutics company, delegates saw how remote monitoring is transforming diabetic care. “We were quite active in the digital health space before digital health was even a thing,” said co-founder Dr Breanne Everett, referring to their sensory insole technology.
Innovation in Calgary is closely tied to accessibility and patient impact. TELUS Health, based in the city’s TELUS Sky development, is advancing predictive and personalised care through projects like the “digital twin,” a dynamic health model enhanced by AI and continuous data inputs. This private-sector innovation complements the city’s public and academic institutions: “We see healthcare not as a moment, but as a continuum,” explained a Telus Health executive. “It’s about sustaining wellbeing, rather than curing illness.”
A Connected Nation of Innovation
Yet Calgary was far from alone in its message. Across Canada, cities are investing strategically in the industry. On the Pacific Coast, Vancouver’s life sciences sector is globally recognised for its contributions to oncology, regenerative medicine, and biomedical AI. Supported by the University of British Columbia and research institutions like the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre, the city blends foundational science with commercial innovation. The upcoming World Congress of Biomechanics 2026 will bring global experts in human movement, tissue engineering and clinical applications to this cluster.
To the north, Edmonton offers a concentration of advanced research in virology, stem cell therapy and health AI. It is home to Canada’s largest stem cell manufacturing facility and the new Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence in Cancer Care. Edmonton’s legacy includes the Edmonton Protocol, a pioneering treatment for diabetes. These credentials make it a natural location for symposiums such as the Annual Metabolomics Association of North America Conference, recently hosted there.
In Saskatoon, research focuses on biotechnology, isotope development and nuclear science. Facilities such as the Canadian Light Source synchrotron and Sylvia Fedoruk Canadian Centre for Nuclear Innovation are attracting global research communities. Naturally, the city recently welcomed the 11th International Conference on Isotopes.
On the eastern side, Toronto remains Canada’s largest life sciences centre by scale and influence. With over 1,400 companies, 37 research institutes, and nine teaching hospitals, the city continues to lead in AI-driven healthcare, neuroscience and genomics. In July 2025 Toronto will welcome the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, the world’s foremost event on dementia science.
Close by, Mississauga is now a strategically located hub with direct access to international markets via Canada’s busiest airport. Home to over 500 life sciences companies and the country’s first life sciences sector strategy, it also houses flagship operations from AstraZeneca, Roche, and Boston Scientific.
Further east, Ottawa blends government leadership with scientific credibility. As the nation’s regulatory and research capital, it houses the National Research Council and two Networks of Excellence: the Stem Cell Network and the Biotherapeutics for Cancer Treatment. The city has hosted high-profile events including the eMental Health International Collaborative Congress.
Montréal, one of Canada’s most influential centres for health technology, thrives on its intersection of AI, neuroscience and oncology. With over 1,600 life sciences organisations and a major university base, it has cultivated breakthroughs from whole cancer genome mapping to real-world applications of hospital-based AI. The city will host the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 2026.
Québec City, with one of the highest concentrations of researchers per capita in the country, is at the forefront of cosmeceuticals and natural health innovation. The presence of companies like Feldan Therapeutics and BD, alongside university-led research into gene editing and mental health diagnostics, makes it a compelling destination for research-intensive meetings.
Finally, Halifax is expanding its national profile through innovation in vaccinology, pediatric care and neurological rehabilitation. With six universities and institutions like the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology and the Brain Repair Centre, Halifax is actively shaping the future of care.
Sustainability as Shared Responsibility
Sustainability at Innovate Canada was a fundamental value embedded in planning. The event followed a comprehensive sustainability framework rooted in environmental, socio-economic, and cultural responsibility. Locally sourced food options were prioritised, reusable alternatives replaced printed materials, and emissions were calculated and offset to ensure a carbon-neutral outcome.
But sustainability here extended well beyond the environmental. As Dr. Lindsay Crowshoe, a Blackfoot primary care physician and researcher, member of the Piikani First Nation, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Assistant Dean of Indigenous Health at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, shared during a closing session, “care begins long before diagnosis; it begins by listening to people who’ve been left unheard.” His work with patients who are homeless, affected by intergenerational trauma, or disconnected from social supports highlighted the country’s commitment to decolonising care and addressing the societal structures that perpetuate inequality.
Innovate Canada offered delegates valuable insights to a destination that prioritises health, more inclusive care, and smarter science. More than that, it showed that Canada is ready to be a true partner to any association.