TORONTO, July 11, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Ontario Organization for Bioscience Innovation (OBIO®), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing health technology innovation and commercialization, is thrilled to announce the expansion of the Early Adopters Health Network of Canada (EAHN™) and the launch of its new Women in Health Initiative (WiHI) to train women to further ensure their participation and career success in the health science industry. Both initiatives are supported by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) as part of a new $10 million investment in OBIO®.
“OBIO® continues to encourage innovators of new and innovative Canadian technologies while supporting the full and equal participation of women in our economy by providing programs that prepare women for successful careers,” said the Honorable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the federal government. Economic Agency for Southern Ontario. “Our government is committed to supporting the health of Canadians and our healthcare innovators, and to helping women entrepreneurs realize their full potential in this important industry.
Today’s announcement builds on an additional $10 million in support from FedDev Ontario, provided to OBIO® since 2015, to help high-potential health and life sciences companies grow, to grow and attract global investment.
Maura Campbell, President and CEO of OBIO®, is excited about the continued growth of OBIO’s programs and other initiatives. “We are excited to expand EAHN™ and offer Canadian health technology companies the opportunity to partner with healthcare organizations. EAHN™ was developed to assess and facilitate the adoption of advanced technologies that improve the lives of patients while providing solutions to challenges in the healthcare system. We are also very proud to highlight that through WiHI, OBIO’s latest initiative, we will work to ensure the professional success of participating women in the health sciences industry by leveraging our in-house training expertise and our vast network of professionals, advisers and businesses. .”
Expanding Canada‘s Early Adopter Health Network (EAHN™)
EAHN™ brings together health technology companies and healthcare organizations in a collaborative healthcare system to assess, refine, adopt and acquire technology solutions made in Canada. This new funding will be leveraged to grow and expand the network by creating opportunities for businesses and healthcare organizations across the healthcare ecosystem, from tertiary care and community hospitals to primary care. , long-term care organizations and home care.
Launched in early 2020, EAHN™ combines innovative, market-ready health technologies from Canadian companies (from medical devices and diagnostics to therapeutic and software platforms, including artificial intelligence) with healthcare organizations and supports them from assessment to adoption and procurement planning. Through EAHN™, OBIO® provides project management and financial support to evaluate technologies in a real environment and facilitate their broad adoption in the healthcare system.
“EAHN™ provides Canadian health science companies with access to local markets allowing them to grow here in Canada, create jobs, attract capital and expand globally,” said Gail Garland. , former President and CEO of OBIO®. “Since its launch in 2020, EAHN™ has become an aggregator of health science innovations that benefit patients, address health system challenges and contribute to economic growth. I am honored to have led the creation, implementation and expansion of this ecosystem building program. “
“EAHN™ gave us the opportunity to evaluate our new ultrasound technology in a real environment,” says Joe Eibl, CEO of Flosonics Medical, which partnered with Health Sciences North in Sudbury to conduct an accelerated study on the use of FloPatch. “Our successful participation in the program has been a catalyst event as we introduce FloPatch to the North American market.”
“We are committed to adopting cutting-edge healthcare solutions, and our EAHN™ partnership has given us the opportunity to work with the most advanced innovations being developed by the Canadian healthcare science community,” said Dr. Alan Forster, Vice-Director – President and Chief Innovation and Quality Officer, The Ottawa Hospital. “It’s critical for us to collaborate across the ecosystem and support this network to ensure we achieve our goal of excellent patient care.”
Launch of OBIO’s Women in Health Initiative (WiHI)
Women are underrepresented in the bioeconomy workforce, especially in leadership positions, and the sector needs support to foster inclusive economic growth. OBIO’s WiHI will help women enter the health sciences industry, advance to leadership positions, and leverage their talent to become leaders.
“WiHI continues OBIO’s longstanding focus on women entering and advancing their careers in business development roles in the health sciences industry,” said Gail Garland, former President and CEO. of OBIO®. “Building the talent pool by continuously supporting and building a community around the professional development of women helps the growth and economic development of this industry.
Driven by OBIO’s unique ability to advance its mission through collaborative partnerships with industry, the investment community, academia and government, WiHI will expand the health science innovation ecosystem of the Canada by supporting workforce development for women.
“The quality of programming designed and funded by OBIO® has been instrumental in the growth and development of not only our HealthTech company, but our entire team,” said Pooja Viswanathan, CEO of Braze Mobility. “I’m excited to learn about the new program specifically designed to help women leaders and scientists equip them with the skills they need to succeed.”
About OBIO®
OBIO®, founded in 2009, is a non-profit, membership-based innovation organization engaged in strategy, programming, policy development, and advocacy to drive the commercialization of health technologies. human health, positioning Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. OBIO® advances this goal through collaborative partnerships with industry, the investment community, academia, the healthcare system and government. For more information, please visit www.obio.ca and follow OBIO® on Twitter at @OBIOscience.
About FedDev Ontario
For more than 12 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, worked to advance and diversify Southern Ontario’s economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region . The Agency has achieved impressive results, as seen in southern Ontario businesses creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, increasing incomes, creating jobs and contributing to the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the Agency’s impact in southern Ontario by exploring our key projects, our Spotlight on Southern Ontario, and the FedDev Ontario program TwitterFacebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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contacts
Media:
Doriane Rey
Manager, Marketing and Events
Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization
[email protected]
Monica Granados
Press officer
Office of the Minister responsible for
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
[email protected]