Research Canada’s Stakeholder Action Roundtable: Two Weeks Away

In a compelling speech delivered recently at the IFPMA World Health Assembly event in Geneva, Canada’s Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel, made a strong case for viewing Canada’s health and life sciences sector not only through a healthcare lens, but as a strategic economic and sovereignty imperative.

Minister Michel highlighted the need for:

• A stronger domestic pharmaceutical industry
• A more agile regulatory environment
• Modernized clinical trials
• A world-class talent and research ecosystem

These themes are increasingly central to Canada’s competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global landscape — and they are exactly the issues that will be explored at Research Canada’s upcoming Stakeholder Action Roundtable on June 11.

The event will begin with a keynote address from former Ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, who will provide insight into the geopolitical and economic forces reshaping Canada’s position globally and the implications for the country’s health and innovation sectors.

This will be followed by a high-level panel discussion featuring:

• Martin Leblanc, CellCarta and Co-Chair of the federal government’s Task Force on Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences
• Brad Wouters, University Health Network (UHN)
• Lauren Fischer, AbbVie
• MP Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry

Together, these leaders will explore how emerging global dynamics are influencing Canada’s health research and innovation ecosystem, including impacts on investment, talent, resilience, innovation, and long-term growth.

With just over two weeks remaining, strong interest is building from across Canada’s research and innovation community, including industry, academia, government, health charities, research hospitals, and public sector leadership.

This important conversation will help shape how Canada positions itself within a rapidly changing global environment — and why continued collaboration across the ecosystem is more important than evert,