10 minute read
McMaster Innovation Park
THE THRESHOLD OF INNOVATION
Ty J. Shattuck, CEO at McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) explores cultivating innovation and world-leading research at the Canadian research and life sciences park bridging the gap between research and industry
Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Tom Cullum
Hamilton, Ontario has become a hotbed of innovation. The port city is the Western anchor of the developing ‘Life Sciences corridor’, spanning the Greater Toronto, Mississauga - Hamilton area.
At the nexus of this progressive shift is McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) - a 58-acre site that is nurturing an ecosystem dedicated to world-changing discoveries, research and development.
This dynamic hub has earned a reputation as Canada’s premier research and innovation park, where start-ups, SMEs and large corporations congregate to make their mark in their respective industries.
“MIP’s mission is to work with our tenant ventures and be the bridge between academia and industry, to provide the resources and the ecosystem they need to excel,” opens CEO Ty J. Shattuck.
“Within our network, we can provide access to capital, business partners, lawyers and other critical services.”
Through Shattuck’s direction and an exceptional support staff, MIP provides a receptive and enabling environment catering to future endeavors under the umbrella of Life Sciences and Biotech, Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, and Data Sciences.
“At MIP, our priority is to ensure that when our
About McMaster
Among Canada’s most research-intensive universities, McMaster is home to some of the best minds and laboratories in the country, with its research income and output rivaling those of universities more than twice its size. Our core research community comprises individuals from around the globe: some 1,000 full-time faculty, nearly 5,000 graduate students, almost 300 post-doctoral fellows and hundreds of skilled technicians and research associates. Many of our 31,000 undergraduate students work with researchers on leading-edge projects, gaining “hands-on” research experience through a number of creative programs across our six faculties – business, engineering, health sciences, humanities, science and social sciences.
Research that drives innovation
McMaster is recognized as a powerhouse in health & life sciences and materials & advanced manufacturing research – among the core sectors of focus for McMaster Innovation Park – and has a track record as a trusted and reliable partner. Along with our partners, we’ve created a robust innovation ecosystem – centred at McMaster Innovation Park (MIP), the core of one of Ontario’s fastest growing life sciences hubs – that provides our researchers a natural pathway to commercialization and the necessary infrastructure to create start-ups; for start-ups to scale up; and for international companies to enter Canadian and North American markets.
Our world-class academic programs ensure we are graduating highly qualified personnel who are immediately prepared to enter the workforce, with many of our graduates building their careers in our community, working alongside like-minded researchers, entrepreneurs and innovators who are driving our region’s innovation and diversifying Its economy.
Culture of collaboration
McMaster’s interdisciplinary approach to research is part of our culture and a hallmark of our research brand. It’s what differentiates us and has positioned the University to tackle some of the most complex challenges of our time. Case in point: Canada’s Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats, soon to be headquartered at MIP, builds on the University’s collaborative spirit and worldleading infectious disease research. Karen Mossman, McMaster’s vice-president, research, and chair of MIP’s board of directors, says bringing experts together from across disciplines, sectors and borders – the rationale behind Canada’s Global Nexus – is critical to solving global challenges. “Coordinating our research and development efforts to test novel treatments, vaccines and diagnostic tools is absolutely essential, but we must also work together to better understand the associated human, social, economic and ethical challenges,” she says. “It’s only through that collective knowledge that we can – and will – effectively inform public policy and ensure evidence is guiding decisionmaking at all levels.” As the bridge that connects academia and industry, Mossman says MIP is the ideal location for Canada’s Global Nexus. The new eco-friendly, purpose-built building is designed to foster collaboration among connected experts across scientific, medical, social, economic and political dimensions. It will integrate world-class biomedical research infrastructure, front-line clinical care facilities, multidisciplinary education and workforce training space, plus co-located public and private pandemic preparedness teams.
A commercialization powerhouse
With the help of the expert team in McMaster’s Industry Liaison Office, there’s a long and growing list of McMaster spin-off successes – high-profile, ground-breaking companies that are attracting tens of millions in venture capital investments. Here’s a look at just a few:
Fusion Pharmaceuticals
Fusion Pharmaceuticals spun out of the McMaster-based Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, led by John Valliant, McMaster professor of chemistry and chemical biology. Now headquartered at MIP, with offices in Boston, and Valliant as its CEO, the company has created a proprietary linker to connect cancer-seeking molecules and alpha emitting medical isotopes. Known as Fast-Clear™, the linker is specifically engineered to improve the safety of radiopharmaceuticals by helping the drug clear from normal, healthy tissues.
Century Therapeutics Canada
McMaster start-up Empirica Therapeutics – now Century Therapeutics Canada after a 2020 acquisition – is a leader in curative cell therapies for cancer. Headquartered at MIP, the company was co-founded in 2018 by neurosurgeon Sheila Singh, professor in the Department of Surgery at McMaster, with a focus on developing immunotherapies for aggressive and treatment-resistant forms of cancer, including glioblastoma (GBM) and brain metastasis. The company is expanding patient access to life-saving cell therapies by developing innovative products that are more effective, tolerable, accessible, and affordable versus existing cells therapies.
Elarex Inc.
Elarex was co-founded in 2019 by McMaster chemical engineering professor Carlos Filipe who now serves as its science advisor. Their technology – a patented mixture of natural products, considered safe by the US FDA and do not require freeze drying – can be used for safe storage of vaccines, small molecules, enzymes, biologics, DNA and RNA. The company is helping vaccine manufacturers solve the cold-chain problem by reducing spoilage, enabling accessibility to developing countries where infrastructure is often unreliable or unavailable, and improving the stability of vaccine candidates.
VoxNeuro
Co-founded by McMaster professor John Connolly, VoxNeuro is pushing the boundaries of brain health and empowering physicians. The breakthrough technology uses validated brain-based biomarkers to measure cognitive health in real time, and can be used to assess the impact of any type of pathology on cognitive function. VoxNeuro exposes pure cognitive function, independent of symptomatology, to instantly generate clinical reports with universally understood insights.
Allarta Life Sciences
Allarta is a pre-clinical life sciences company developing proprietary cell encapsulation technology to enable cell-based cures for chronic endocrine disorders such as diabetes, hemophilia and lysosomal storage disorders. Its proprietary technology LifeSpheres™ which protects implanted cells and stem cells against the body’s immune recognition, grew out of the early research of founder and CEO, Harald Stover, McMaster professor of chemistry and chemical biology, and his team at McMaster.
McMaster Industry Liaison Office 175 Longwood Road South, Suite 305 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8P 0A1 Gay Yuyitung - Executive Director E: yuyitun@mcmaster.ca | T: 905-525-9140, 23164 W: research.mcmaster.ca
Canada’s Global Nexus for Pandemics & Biological Threats at McMaster Innovation Park (Credit: mcCallumSather LNG Studios)
McMaster neurosurgeon and co-founder of Empirica, now Century Therapeutics Canada, Sheila Singh
VoxNeuro is a breakthrough technology that measures cognitive function in real-time
researchers and innovators develop world changing solutions, that they have a channel to let the world know about their discoveries,” elaborates Shattuck.
“In the research and innovation industry, we question the impact of a brilliant discovery - if its potential is never discovered or its solution never tested to prove its brilliance, is that discovery still good?”
WHY MIP?
In terms of what makes MIP a destination of choice, Hamilton’s strategic location is truly advantageous.
“Some of the larger benefits of coming to the city of Hamilton is the talent that is produced from our universities, our close proximity to the US border and the supportive business environment that encourages innovation and allows start-ups and entrepreneurs to thrive,” comments Shattuck.
As a center, MIP is dedicated to providing the ingredients for entrepreneurs, researchers and industry partners to effectively scale – whether that’s through securing capital, customers, or resources.
Thanks to MIP’s intrinsic working relationship with McMaster University, the park fully leverages the research priorities of the university and the synergies therein.
“Some industries require complicated and expensive infrastructures to innovate so that is where we focus our energies, and we don’t do it alone.”
This touches on the all-pervading essence of collaboration that translates across the MIP campus.
“The hallmark of an ecosystem is that no-one controls it, no-one manages it. It runs on the collaboration of all our entities – our partners, venture capitalists and regulatory partners.
– TY J. SHATTUCK, CEO, M c MASTER INNOVATION PARK
– TY J. SHATTUCK, CEO, M c MASTER INNOVATION PARK
“You can think of MIP as the place where you can find the supportive resources to advance your company,” he declares.
MIP is currently undergoing an expansion strategy to cement its footprint and further its esteemed reputation. A significant component of this concerns the establishment of a Life Sciences Innovation Cluster.
“Our expansion plan for Life Sciences has us increasing from 700,000 square foot (sq. ft) to 3.5 million sq. ft,” Shattuck tells us.
At full build-out, this quantum expansion will encompass purposebuilt facilities that will have the capacity to host over 5,000 people. At 3.5 million sq.ft, the site is four times the size of New York City’s Chrysler Building.
Complementary to this, the development of a biomanufacturing campus is also in progress, after MIP confirmed that it will be partnering with CCRM, a leading developer in regenerative medicine-based technologies.
The project will facilitate CCRM’s progress with facilities, services and support in the field of cell and gene therapy ventures, significantly impacting domestic manufacturing capacity in medical advances.
“CCRM presence at MIP is critical to expanding our region’s efforts in biomanufacturing and through this, other economic benefits, partnerships and collaborations.”
Where companies come to grow, MIP is the bridge between research and industry, solving real industry problems. MIP has created an ecosystem that requires diversity to drive innovation and venture success.
GREEN EFFORTS
The park itself embodies the spirit of innovation that binds the enterprises hosted within its network.
“As a research and innovation hub, we want to ensure that innovation extends even to our infrastructure.”
MIP champions an ambitious sustainability agenda and has the commitment to reach net zero by 2050.
“Our vision for a Net Zero Energy Campus by 2050 is an ambitious one,” comments Shattuck.
“In pursuing this, MIP is dedicated to continue exploring and investing in the energy and geothermal systems that will help us achieve this, including solar photovoltaic (PV) and eventually green hydrogen.”
Alongside other energy efficient practices, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are being installed throughout the park. Development for an integrated community energy system (ICE harvesting) is already underway, which will allow MIP to store heat from the summer season that can then be reused during winter.
Buildings across campus are being renovated and refashioned to become more sustainable, both environmentally, and from a human health perspective.
“Our sustainability efforts focus on the economic, cultural and environmental pillars which will not just maximize the use of green space and amenities but will also connect people and space.”
FUELING THE FUTURE
the park itself are equally promising, as MIP continues to pursue an exciting trajectory of growth.
“The best part about our expansion plan is that we can build a custom lab for potential tenant ventures who want to call MIP home.
“We are actively leasing our properties and this is an open invitation to companies that want to grow to consider MIP their future home,” concludes Shattuck.
In accelerating the many varied journeys of the innovators that it hosts, MIP will continue to put Hamilton on the map.
Dedicated to fostering future-defining breakthroughs, the years ahead for www.mcmasterinnovationpark.ca
