With over 700 high-skilled jobs and AI-driven innovation, Ontario’s life-sciences ecosystem ramps up as the site of choice for global R&D investment
When AstraZeneca announced a C$820 million investment in Ontario, the province’s life-sciences sector didn’t just get a boost—it got a vote of confidence. The investment is earmarked for the company’s R&D hub in Mississauga, where it will expand operations incorporating artificial intelligence, computationalpathology and digital-health technologies to strengthen its clinical-trial design in oncology, immunology and infectious diseases.
More than 700 new high-skilled jobs will be created as part of the expansion—solidifying Ontario’s position as a global destination for life-sciences investment. This builds on the province’s previous traction: its life-sciences ecosystem already generates nearly 60 per cent of Canada’s sector revenue and has attracted over C$6 billion in new investment since 2018.
Crucially, this kind of investment signals a shift: Ontario is no longer simply a back-office or development node; it is positioning itself as a commercialisation and innovation engine. The provincial strategy is clear: harness domestic talent, reduce regulatory burdens, and anchor global R&D and manufacturing here.
The implications extend well beyond jobs and capital. By scaling advanced clinical-trial operations and embedding AI into health-innovation pipelines, Ontario enhances its scientific ecosystem’s global pull: universities, hospitals and research centres now stand to benefit even more from partnerships, spin-outs and ecosystem churn. Meanwhile, companies evaluating North-American sites will look more favourably at a province that offers not only the raw assets—talent, infrastructure, proximity to the U.S.—but also committed policy support and insulation from cost-burdens.
For more details, please visit Invest Ontario here.
