When Andrew MacIsaac talks about Alberta’s life sciences sector, he gets to the point, and his message lands in a way you can’t help but notice.
A year ago, the sector’s contribution to the province’s GDP was about $3 billion. Today, it’s climbed to $4.7 billion.
“This is a huge amount of change, and it’s happening while the global market is in decline,” says the CEO of Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API), an Edmonton-based non-profit that builds research infrastructure and helps companies move discoveries toward commercialization.
MacIsaac is referring to a perfect storm of factors that gives Alberta its edge.
It’s building on world-class research and engineering strengths, it draws on existing petrochemical and agricultural expertise, and offers companies a cost environment they can’t find elsewhere. Together, those conditions mean Alberta is living a different reality than many others in a global biotech downturn.
That sets the stage for a showcase of the province’s fast-growing ecosystem. From Sept. 22-26 in Edmonton and Calgary, panels, tours, and company showcases will highlight how research, investment, and commercialization are converging into one of Alberta’s most dynamic industries.
Digital Journal is the official media partner of Life Sciences Week 2025.
This is only the third year of the event, but it’s already outgrown its pilot phase. In year one, about 1,000 people turned up. By year two, more than 4,000 attended nearly 70 events across the province. This September, organisers expect even more.
Life Sciences Week is coordinated by API, along with partners across both cities.
For MacIsaac, the story of the week mirrors the story of the sector.
For more than a decade, he says the sector held steady,. Growth accelerated in the years that followed, last year hitting that , and the latest report shows $9.2 billion in total economic output and 34,415 full-time equivalent jobs.
MacIsaac told Digital Journal the timing of Alberta’s rise is part of a broader national shift. He said the economy is changing in ways that are easy to miss unless you’re directly involved.
“Right now we’re at a really interesting time in Canada,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we launched Life Sciences Week.”