Life Sciences & Health Technologies

Montréal is Canada’s leading life sciences and health technologies (LSHT) hub, ranking first in the country for R&D investments and research centres. We’re leading the way in neuroscience, cardiology, oncology and metabolic diseases, and have thriving industries in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, digital health, artificial intelligence and CRO/CMOs. 

Industry and thought leadership

Every day, 44,000 people go to work in Montréal’s LSHT ecosystem, which is represented by Montréal InVivo, a cluster that unites 620 organizations and 11 post-secondary institutions. These individuals and organizations create excellence at every phase of product development. From cancer to ageing to genomics, they’re making a real difference in improving quality of life for people worldwide.

Given the strength of our LSHT industry, it’s not surprising that some of the world’s most influential life sciences companies—including Pfizer, Novartis Pharma, Abbvie, Merck and Medtronic—have their Canadian headquarters here.

Research and development
Montréal’s five universities offer 36 programs in the life sciences and produce more than 10,000 LSHT graduates every year. In addition, the CHUM Research Centre is one of the largest hospital-based research centres in North America and an international reference for academic medicine and research. 

In all, Montréal is home to 300 public and parapublic research centres, including: 

• CHUM Research Centre – Université de Montréal
• RI-MUHC – Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre 
• CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center 
• Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – McGill University
• Montréal Heart Institute – Université de Montréal

Improving the life sciences with artificial intelligence 

Since Montréal is a leading international centre for artificial intelligence, it make sense that local organizations are including AI in health technologies. Examples include Imagia, a firm that uses AI to facilitate patient access to personalized cancer care, and the TransMedTech Institute, a living lab that supports the accelerated development of next-generation medical technologies. 

Past and upcoming events 

• 2021 World Congress of Nephrology, International Society of Nephrology (Attendance: 3300)
• 2023 Annual Meeting and Exhibition, Canadian Ophthalmological Society (Attendance: 550)
• 2023 Congress of the International Council of Nurses, International Council of Nurses (Attendance: 6000)