Manitoba's Action Strategy for Economic Growth
Research and Innovation
Knowledge-based industries are at the forefront of future economic growth
in Manitoba. PEAC has emphasized the importance of investments in
research and innovation – investments that enable productivity increases,
resource conservation and a higher standard of living.
Over the past seven years, Manitoba’s promising knowledge-based industries have matured to become significant forces in the provincial economy. Companies from around the world recognize Manitoba as an exciting and dynamic place to invest in research and development work.
Manitoba is home to 40 life sciences companies and 30 research and development groups with expertise in areas such as health, environmental and agricultural biotechnology. The sector generates more than $500 million in annual revenue and employs in excess of 4,000 people.
Manitoba’s notable biotech and research organizations include Innovative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Systems (IMRIS), Monteris, Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology, Medicure, the International Centre for Infectious Diseases, the Canadian Science Centre for Human and Animal Health, and the National Microbiology Laboratory.
The University of Manitoba, the province’s largest research institution, is a national and global innovation leader. Areas of excellence include functional foods and nutraceuticals, plant and human genomics, proteomics and systems biology, cardiovascular and diabetes diseases, HIV/AIDS research, alternative energy and advanced composite materials.
The Manitoba government provides strategic investments and targeted tax
credits to support research & development (R&D).
- The Manitoba Research and Innovation Fund (MRIF) provides direct funding support for R&D projects and helps lever funds from outside sources. From 2003 to 2006, MRIF provided $37 million for R&D projects and related support activities.
- The Manitoba Research and Development Tax Credit provides a 20% tax credit to support eligible R&D expenditures undertaken by Manitoba companies.
- The Industrial Technology Centre provides advanced technical services to Manitoba companies to improve their production processes.
Provincial investments support a unique cluster of international caliber in research, development, and commercialization of functional foods and natural health products, including:
- the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the University of Manitoba;
- the Canadian Centre for Agri-food Research in Health and Medicine in St. Boniface; and
- the Food Development Centre in Portage la Prairie.
Investments by Biovail and Cangene in the past two years have helped position Manitoba as one of the world’s most technologically advanced locations for pharmaceutical manufacturing. In 2006, Cangene successfully secured $505 million in biodefence contracts from the U.S. government – representing one of the largest secured contracts by a North American life sciences company.
Manitoba’s information and communications technology industry continues to grow and confidence in the sector is evident. The video game industry, for example, has grown by more than five-fold in the last two years. There are now more than 230 digital media companies in Manitoba. The Manitoba government continues to support growth in this sector with the Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Fund, providing new media producers with support for content development and marketing and promotion. The fund helps ensure Manitoba’s digital media developers have the tools to create top-quality products, and the talent and infrastructure to be competitive in this young, vibrant and fast-growing industry.
