Mississauga has joined Guelph with a public message to entice Moderna Inc. to build a new vaccine production plant there.
The Government of Canada announced a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with vaccine developer Moderna Inc. last week, to build a new facility in Canada. The City of Mississauga applauds this news and invites Moderna to consider Mississauga as the location for their new facility.
“As we continue to navigate the impacts of COVID-19 in our community, vaccines have never been so important. We would be honoured if Moderna considered Mississauga for their new Canadian facility,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “With over 470 life sciences companies employing more than 25,000 people, Mississauga would be an ideal spot for Moderna to deliver on their promise of building transformative mRNA science.”
Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie release a video last week to highlight his city’s attributes and encourage the vaccine maker to consider building there.
In Crombie’s pitch, she highlights that Mississauga was the first, and remains the only, municipality in Canada to have a fulsome Life Sciences Cluster Strategy in place.
The strategy was developed through extensive stakeholder consultation and identified opportunities to strengthen the sector. The primary goal is to establish Mississauga as a leading Canadian life sciences hub, where companies choose to locate and commercialize their products, services and technologies and develop partnerships.
In the past 12 months, similar companies in the biomanufacuring sector have invested nearly $1 billion in Mississauga’s life sciences sector including two large manufacturing companies.
“With its vibrant life sciences industry, world-class talent and collaborative ecosystem, Mississauga is a natural choice for this investment,” said Trevor McPherson, President and CEO of the Mississauga Board of Trade. “The Mississauga Board of Trade strongly encourages Moderna to join a great family of life sciences companies that drive advancement in this sector.”
Mississauga is home to the second largest life sciences sector in Canada by employment that attracts global companies and a highly-skilled and talented work force from around the world.