Research Canada Stakeholder Action Roundtable
Research Canada Stakeholder Action Roundtable
Canada’s health research and life sciences sector is at a critical inflection point. On June 11, Research Canada will convene leaders from government, industry, academia, and the not-for-profit sector for its 2026 Stakeholder Action Roundtable – an in-person forum focused on turning insight into action.
The half-day event will explore how Canada can strengthen its health economy, accelerate innovation, and compete globally.
Kirsten Hillman, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States (Keynote)
Ritu Banerjee, Assistant Deputy Minister, HERC, ISED
Andrew Booth, Chief Financial Officer, AbCellera
Kimberley Hanson, Chief External Relations Officer, Breakthrough T1D Canada
Martin Leblanc, Vice-Chairman and Co-Founder, CellCarta Biosciences
Dr. Stephanie Michaud, President & CEO, BioCanRX
Arima Ventin, Head, Market Access and Government Affairs Canada, AbbVie
Brad Wouters, Executive Vice President, Science and Research, UHN
An afternoon AGM and special talk by David Coletto will follow. Register for the AGM here!
Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®, will be attending this event.
BIO International Convention
BIO International Convention
The BIO International Convention is the largest and most comprehensive event for biotechnology, representing the full ecosystem of biotech with 20,000 industry leaders from across the globe.
Whether you work at a public pharmaceutical company, biotech startup, academia, non-profit organization, or government agency; or you work as a researcher, business development professional or investor, BIO is where you'll make valuable connections and build relationships.
Breakfast event at the BIO International Convention
Clinical Trials Ontario and Life Sciences Central [powered by MaRS, OBIO® and TIAP] are bringing together leaders from across the sector for an event featuring a panel discussion on how Ontario and Canada’s life sciences and clinical trials ecosystem can support the advancement of dual-use biotechnology.
Join the event on Monday, June 22, 2026, at the Omni San Diego Hotel at the Ballpark for an opportunity to connect with peers, exchange ideas, and engage with Ontario’s dynamic life sciences community on a global stage. Learn more about this event here.
BIO Discounted Registration | National Biotech ACCORD
Registration for the BIO International Convention is now at the full BIO non-member rates of $3,950 USD but there's still a way to get in at the discounted early bird National Biotech ACCORD rate.
Members of the National Biotech ACCORD can secure Premier Access registration for just $3,075 USD. Saving you over $1,000 CAD.
Your Premier Access pass gives you full access to everything BIO has to offer:
BIO One-on-One Partnering™
Exhibitor Booth Partnering
Main Stage Programming & Education Sessions
BIO Receptions & Exhibition
Company Presentations
Investor Showcase
Investor Showcase
Bold ideas. Live pitches. Real investment opportunities. Join the Investor Showcase on June 23!
Featuring a keynote presentation from McMaster Chancellor and Founder & Managing Partner of Celesta Capital, Nicholas Brathwaite. Hear compelling pitches from 10 McMaster startup companies. Find out how McMaster entrepreneurs are making real-world impact through their ground-breaking ventures. Connect with investors, innovators and members of McMaster’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Garima Ghale, Associate Director, Programs & Strategic Partnerships at OBIO®, will be attending the event.
Building the Future of Biotech Innovation in Mississauga
Building the Future of Biotech Innovation in Mississauga
Join SPEC Labs and Invest Mississauga at Mississauga City Hall for a morning dedicated to advancing biotechnology innovation in Canada. Connect with biotech founders, researchers, investors, and industry leaders while hearing from keynote speaker Andrew Opala on breaking apart the start-up lifecycle from the perspective of exit-driven founders and active acquirers.
Toronto Biotech and HealthTech Builder Social
Toronto Biotech and HealthTech Builder Social
Come hang out with other people building, starting, or thinking about starting biotech and healthtech companies in Toronto at the new Biolabs University of Toronto
This will be during Toronto Tech Week and is meant to be casual. No panels, no pitches, no agenda. Just a room of founders, operators, and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to meet others in the local life sciences community.
Your registration is subject to host approval.
Women's Health Investment Summit
Women's Health Investment Summit
The Women’s Health Investment Summit is a curated, high-signal investor gathering designed to scale innovations in global women’s and children’s health. Presented by Cross Border Impact Ventures and MaRS Discovery District, the summit unites LPs, VCs, medtech founders, corporate strategics and global health experts to unlock the capital and commercialization pathways essential for building category-defining companies.
Christina Yeh, Vice President, Programs & Strategic Partnerships, and Garima Ghale, Associate Director, Programs & Strategic
Partnerships at OBIO®, will attend the Summit.
LSO Knowledge and Networking Breakfast: Smarter, Earlier, Better: Transforming Cancer Outcomes
LSO Knowledge and Networking Breakfast: Smarter, Earlier, Better: Transforming Cancer Outcomes
This discussion will bring together leaders from across research, clinical care, and industry to explore emerging trends, ongoing challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of cancer care in Canada. The conversation will highlight how collaboration and innovation are driving progress and where the greatest opportunities lie to enhance patient outcomes.
Dr. Mary Argent-Katwala, Senior Director, Stakeholder Engagement at OBIO®, will attend the event.
BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall
BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall
Hosted at the iconic TIFF Lightbox, BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall will bring together over 500 leaders from across Canada’s tech and innovation ecosystem for meaningful conversations about strengthening the nation’s autonomy, security, and prosperity.
Bibaswan Ghoshal, Senior Director, Technology Adoption at OBIO®, will attend the event.
NACO Summit 2026
NACO Summit 2026
NACO Summit is a carefully curated, invitation-only experience that brings together 500 attendees across founders, angel investors, venture capitalists, senior leaders, and policymakers. Over three days, attendees participate in keynotes, interactive panels, roundtable discussions, and the celebrated Moonshots™ stage, where Canada's highest-potential ventures present to an audience of investors and industry leaders. NACO Summit takes place at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada's capital, offering a symbolic and strategic setting for conversations about the nation's innovation future.
On May 7, Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®, will be speaking on the panel “Building Canada's Health Innovation Economy: What's Working and What Isn't” alongside Grace Lee Reynolds from MaRS and Dane Bedward from NBOT.
AbbVie Partnering Day
AbbVie Partnering Day
AbbVie, in collaboration with BIOQuébec, will host a Partnering Day, bringing together researchers, entrepreneurs, and biotech companies from Canada.
AbbVie’s Partnering Days provide an opportunity to access senior level Corporate Business and Strategy Office (CBSO) representatives:
Meet with our research and partnership leadership teams to discuss your ideas and research in a one-on-one setting
Learn more about our strategy, approach to partnering and areas of interest (Immunology, Oncology, Neuroscience, Eye Care, Obesity and Aesthetics)
Learn about the investment strategy of AbbVie Ventures
This is an invite-only/exclusive event.
Parnian Tajbakhsh, Senior Manager, Capital Access at OBIO®, will be attending the event.
Sweet Biopharma Day
Sweet Biopharma Day
The 5th edition of Sweet Biopharma Day will be held on April 29, 2026, offering 16 Canadian start-ups the opportunity to present their research projects to major players in the pharmaceutical industry, investors and life sciences organizations. This event is an essential networking platform!
Parnian Tajbakhsh, Senior Manager, Capital Access at OBIO®, will be attending the event.
DiscoveryX
DiscoveryX
DiscoveryX is Canada’s premier innovation event, hosted by Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI). Each year, DiscoveryX brings together entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, government, and industry leaders to showcase the power of Ontario innovation. Hosted in Toronto, DiscoveryX is Where Next Happens in Ontario.
Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®, will be part of the panel “Agentic AI in Pharma Manufacturing Excellence” on April 30.
IPx Ontario 2026: Strengthening innovation during changing times
IPx Ontario 2026: Strengthening innovation during changing times
Join Ontario's intellectual property (IP) event of the year, presented by Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON). Join this invitation‑only event preceding the opening of DiscoveryX to hear from unicorn‑status innovators about their journeys of building and scaling operations in Ontario and beyond, as well as strengthening Team Ontario during this pivotal time. With IP at the core of protecting made‑in‑Ontario innovations, IPON is proud to convene this flagship event with partners from across Canada.
Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®, will be attending the event.
MaRS Impact Health
MaRS Impact Health
MaRS is hosting its annual health tech summit Impact Health on April 23. The Summit brings together innovators across digital health, medical devices, and biotech to commercialize new breakthroughs, empower our healthcare workers, and improve patient outcomes.
OBIO® is pleased to be a sponsor of the 2026 MaRS Impact Health.
Women Driving Health Innovation: Celebrating Excellence in Entrepreneurship
Women Driving Health Innovation: Celebrating Excellence in Entrepreneurship
Health Innovation Hub (H2i) at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus Ecosystem team invite you to an engaging afternoon celebrating incredible women leaders in health innovation!
Hear from the next generation of women health entrepreneurs through H2i’s annual FemSTEM Pitch Competition, featuring expert judges Denise Belsham, Dr. Fahima Osman, Garima Ghale and Jessica Galli.
Explore emerging opportunities and crucial considerations for AI in women’s health, through an engaging panel. Founders Dr. Nardin Samuel and Parnian Majd and subject matter experts Rachel Katz and Sarah Farr will be joined by moderator Ayesha Rashid.
Immerse yourself in the ecosystem of women-led health innovations through a dynamic start-up showcase.
Garima Ghale, Associate Director, Programs & Strategic Partnerships at OBIO®, will be among the judges for the FemSTEM Pitch Competition.
BIOTECanada Innovators & Industry: Biotech Networking Evening
BIOTECanada Innovators & Industry: Biotech Networking Evening
Join BIOTECanada and Baker McKenzie for the Innovators & Industry: Biotech Networking Evening, a cocktail reception hosted alongside the Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference (BBHIC).
This dynamic gathering brings together leaders and emerging talent from across Canada’s biotech landscape. Connect with executives, investors, pharma and BD professionals, legal and advisory partners, and other industry influencers driving innovation forward.
Dr. Mary Argent-Katwala, Senior Director, Stakeholder Engagement at OBIO®, will be attending the event.
Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference
Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference
The Bloom Burton & Co. Healthcare Investor Conference takes place annually at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North Building). Join Canadian, U.S. and international investors who are interested in the latest developments in Canadian healthcare companies. Investors have the opportunity to obtain corporate updates from presenting companies, and certain investors will be invited to participate in our 1-on-1 meeting system with company management.
Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO® and Parnian Tajbakhsh, Senior Manager, Capital Access at OBIO®, will be attending the conference.
National Health-Tech Innovation Conference
National Health-Tech Innovation Conference
The third annual National Health-Tech Innovation Conference is happening in Kitchener-Waterloo this April.
Join influential decision-makers, funders, clinicians, and innovators to break through bottlenecks and design practical, scalable solutions in health care. Expect two days of networking, hands-on problem-solving, facilitated high-value discussions, and strategy-building sessions that lead to real impact in Canadian health care.
Bibaswan Ghoshal, Senior Director, Technology Adoption at OBIO®, will be speaking at the conference.
Early‑Stage Life Sciences Matchmaking Day
Early‑Stage Life Sciences Matchmaking Day
Join an exclusive matchmaking experience designed for top Canadian and US investors, global pharma, and high-potential, emerging life sciences companies primed for their next deal. Through curated 1:1 meetings, attendees gain direct access to untapped networks, strategic partners, and opportunities that drive cross-border deal flow and accelerate growth.
Investors and pharma: Discover promising companies aligned with your investment criteria.
Companies: Connect with investors positioned for your stage, industry, and capital-raising goals.
Register early to secure your priority meetings, expand your network across key innovation hubs, and start meaningful deal-making conversations that extend well beyond the day itself.
Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO; Christina Yeh, Vice President, Programs & Strategic Partnerships; and Parnian Tajbakhsh, Senior Manager, Capital Access at OBIO®, will be attending the event.
LSO Knowledge and Networking Breakfast - Health System Readiness in the Era of Cell and Gene Therapy - From Benchtop to Bedside
LSO Knowledge and Networking Breakfast - Health System Readiness in the Era of Cell and Gene Therapy - From Benchtop to Bedside
This discussion will focus on the adoption of cell and gene therapies within the health system and explore the path from discovery to delivery, including the commercialization challenges of scaling therapies from benchtop to clinic, emerging innovations such as antibody–drug conjugates and personalized medicine, and the evolving Canadian investment landscape supporting the growth of advanced therapies.
Dr. Mary Argent-Katwala, Senior Director, Stakeholder Engagement at OBIO®, will be attending the event.
Falcons’ Fortunes Pitch Competition
Falcons’ Fortunes Pitch Competition
FACIT’s annual Falcons’ Fortunes event features six Ontario entrepreneurs vying for the $100,000 award in the province’s only pitch competition specifically showcasing cancer breakthroughs. Join and put on your investor hat to vote for your favourite pitch presentation to win the Audience Choice award.
Now in its 13th year, Falcons’ Fortunes is FACIT’s premier event to celebrate and grow the entrepreneurial spirit within the cancer research community. FACIT is cultivating entrepreneurial scientists who will drive a culture of commercialization to accelerate the transformation of Ontario’s cancer research into Ontario-made solutions to improve patient care.
Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®, will be attending the pitch competition.
Funding for innovative technologies in RNA therapies
Funding for innovative technologies in RNA therapies
As part of AReNA, Quebec's RNA Hub, check out the call for projects to foster the development of innovative technologies for the RNA therapy sector. This program, funded by the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE) and managed by the CQDM, has a budget of $3 million. Its goal is to accelerate the commercialization of Quebec biopharmaceutical innovations and strengthen the competitiveness of our companies both locally and internationally.
Important dates:
Letter of intent to be submitted before March 16, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Complete application to be submitted before March 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Starfish Medical Device Playbook
Scaling & Selling in MedTech’s New Regulatory Reality
By Invitation Only – November 5, 2025 – Toronto
Medical Device Playbook returns to Toronto, reimagined as an exclusive, invitation-only event that brings together some of the most visionary minds in MedTech—founders, investors, and executives who are actively shaping the industry’s future. This curated experience fosters candid discussions, real-world lessons, and practical strategies for overcoming challenges in today’s evolving regulatory and market landscape.
Medical Device Playbook is designed for leaders who want to move beyond theory and into action. This is not a traditional conference—this is where real conversations happen.
Come meet members of the OBIO® Team!
CTO 2025 Clinical Trials Conference
The annual CTO Clinical Trials Conference is coming up on November 5 & 6 in Toronto. This is Canada’s “can’t miss” clinical trials forum, connecting colleagues from across our diverse community to collaborate, exchange knowledge and advance clinical trials.
This year, hear how Canada compares globally, and how we can seize big clinical trials opportunities including AI, trials processes, biotech, health data, cell and gene therapy, workforce enhancement, patient engagement and more. Plus explore the exhibitor hall and network with delegates from across Canada.
This conference sells out, so grab your spot today! Register and explore the agenda at www.ctoconference.ca.
TMM 2025
TMM 2025
Join TMM 2025 in person for the 2025 Till & McCulloch Meetings (TMM2025) in Ottawa, November 3–5, 2025, at the Westin Ottawa Hotel. TMM is Canada’s premier stem cell and regenerative medicine research conference, hosted by the Stem Cell Network.
OBIO® is a sponsor of the Special Session: Intellectual Property Fundamentals, Strategies, and Supports on November 3. Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO® will share her expert insights at this session.
This session will introduce researchers to the key concepts and strategies behind intellectual property (IP) generation and management in the context of academic research and commercialization. Participants will learn how IP is defined and how to align IP strategy with research, publication, and commercialization plans. The session will also cover Canadian programs that support IP generation.
Learning Objectives
• Learn what defines intellectual property (IP) relevant to academic research and understand the criteria for protecting IP assets.
• Develop strategies to align IP planning with research, publication, and commercialization goals to maximize academic and commercial impact.
• Identify Canadian programs and financial supports that can help researchers generate, protect, and manage IP throughout the research lifecycle.
• Apply lessons from real-world case studies to better integrate IP considerations into research funding, partnerships, and long-term commercialization plans.
Learn more about the session here.
We are excited to be a sponsor of the TMM2025 Headshot Studio with CATTI on November 3. Check out more info here.
OBIO® Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and BioHubNet 2025 Annual Symposium
OBIO® Entrepreneurship Bootcamp and BioHubNet 2025 Annual Symposium
The OBIO® Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, funded by BioHubNet as part of its Annual Symposium Training Week (October 27-30), helps trainee-entrepreneurs accelerate their life sciences ventures toward market readiness. Over 3 days of intensive in-person training (complemented by ~8 hours of virtual coursework), participants sharpen their strategies in commercialization, IP and licensing, regulatory pathways, and financing, while working closely with industry mentors. Participants gain hands-on experience refining business plans and developing investment-ready pitches, culminating in the opportunity to compete in the Pitch Competition at the BioHubNet Annual Symposium on October 30.
envisAGE Forum 2025
envisAGE Forum 2025
Jointly hosted by AGE-WELL and MEDTEQ+, the envisAGE Forum on October 22, will focus on bringing AgeTech innovations to the market, making everyday life better for older adults and caregivers.
The envisAGE Forum is one of Canada’s premier events dedicated to the commercialization and integration of AgeTech solutions. This year’s theme, VISIONaires: Advancing AgeTech, Together, centres around the people inspiring and leading innovation—researchers, academics, entrepreneurs, investors, health care leaders, community service providers, older adults and caregivers united by a common vision and dedication to improving the quality of life for aging Canadians.
We are pleased to be a bronze sponsor of the envisAGE Forum 2025!
ProCURE 2025
ProCURE 2025
ProCURE is a three-day national summit coming to St. John’s, Newfoundland this fall. Their mission is to break down interprovincial barriers to HealthTech procurement in Canada through practical knowledge sharing, hands-on workshops, and open peer-to-peer learning.
Bibaswan Ghoshal, Senior Director of Technology Adoption at OBIO®, will be a keynote speaker at the conference. Get ready to hear Bibaswan’s valuable perspectives on the challenges faced by HealthTech innovators and the importance of evolving procurement practices to strengthen our healthcare system.
We are pleased to be a key sponsor of ProCURE 2025!
Next Great Big Ideas Summit
Next Great Big Ideas Summit
The NextGreatBigideas Summit is an annual, national networking event for Canada’s Life Sciences community and an independently organized, not-for-profit fundraising event proudly supporting MacKids. MacKids is the fundraising arm of Hamilton Health Sciences Foundation dedicated to raising funds for McMaster Children’s Hospital located in Hamilton, Ontario.
We are excited to participate in the #NGBi25 Summit. Dr. Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®, will be sharing her leadership insights on the ‘Provincial Leadership’ panel.
Hlth USA 2025
Hlth USA 2025
OBIO®, in collaboration with Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), District3 (D3), Health Technology Catalyst (CTS), MaRS, and the Trade Commissioner Services (TCS), is thrilled to take a delegation of digital health and medtech ventures to HLTH USA 2025 from October 19 to 22. We will be at booth 3261, drop by and say hi!
Interested in attending? If you are an OBIO® member, login to our member portal and check out the discount code. You can also write to us at membership@obio.ca for more info.
MedTech Leadership Night
MedTech Leadership Night
Building Anchor Companies: From First Sales to Scale-Up
This month’s session tackles a critical gap in Canada’s innovation ecosystem: how to grow promising start-ups into anchor companies within the MedTech and healthtech sectors. While Canada excels at generating early-stage innovation, many start-ups struggle to move from initial traction to long-term growth and impact.
Highlights
Join the webinar where guest speaker, Bibaswan Ghoshal, Senior Director, Technology Adoption at OBIO®, will talk about strategies to help MedTech entrepreneurs better position themselves to sell to the Canadian market and what strategies can drive successful scale-up. Attendees will gain practical insights into building sustainable businesses that not only survive but thrive in a competitive and highly regulated industry.
Topics will include:
Commercialization pathways
Market access
Procurement dynamics
Infrastructure and partnerships necessary for long-term success
ACT Cape Breton Conference
ACT Cape Breton Conference
The Accelerating Clinical Trials Consortium will be meeting September 25-26, 2025 in Sydney, Nova Scotia to explore international developments and collaboration opportunities in clinical trials.
Highlights from the agenda include:
Exploring alternative patient consent, and permission to contact models
Discussions around improving access to trials for people who have been
historically excludedUpdates on ACT-supported high-impact, high-quality clinical trials
Planning the future of the Canadian clinical trials landscape
Life Sciences Week
Life Sciences Week
Recognized by Alberta Health and held annually on the last week of September, Life Sciences Week is a free, community-led event that connects industry leaders, policymakers, researchers, innovators, and students to ignite collaboration and spotlight cutting-edge breakthroughs.
We are excited to be part of the Life Sciences Week in Edmonton! It’s a valuable opportunity to engage with Alberta’s dynamic life sciences community, celebrate innovation, and foster meaningful collaborations.
Eric Thibaudeau and Parnian Tajbakhsh of OBIO® will be at:
🧬 Edmonton Life Sciences Spotlight by Edmonton Global and Edmonton UnLimited on September 24
🧬 Health and Life Sciences Showcase hosted by BioAlberta on September 25