Q3 2026 · July to September

This quarter, the bioscience cluster in Prince Edward Island passed another set of milestones that would have seemed audacious over a decade ago. New facilities came online, several member companies closed meaningful rounds of financing, and our talent pipeline continued to deepen through our CASTL, UPEI and Holland College partners.

Our job at the BioAlliance is to lead initiatives that set the conditions right for that growth: access to capital, access to talent, access to facilities, and access to markets beyond Atlantic Canada. Much of the work we do is deliberately invisible, showing up in the collective results we share as a sector. Two noteworthy examples are Natural Products Canada, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in July, and CASTL; both are made-in-PEI initiatives designed to strengthen both the local and national life sciences sector. Both organizations received multi-million dollar investments from the Government of Canada this quarter to augment their ability to make an impact in companies' success, see more below.

Speaking of preparing PEI companies to be globally competitive, one of the BioAlliance's key areas of focus is harnessing the opportunity of AI. This quarter we also released the results of our 2026 AI Readiness Survey. Island bioscience companies are already putting AI to work in data analysis, regulatory compliance, and SOP development, and most are taking what one respondent called an "optimistic-cautious" approach. The survey also showed where companies need support, including working with AI agents, data governance, secure computing resources, and using AI safely in a regulated environment. Respondents asked for hands-on training, and we are using these results to shape what we offer next. The full report is available by contacting info@peibioalliance.com.

We also spent this quarter making the case for the sector in rooms where decisions get made. Independent, evidence-based advocacy remains one of the most valuable things a cluster organization can offer, and we intend to keep doing it loudly.

Therefore, it was deeply satisfying to hear Prime Minister Carney's September 15th announcement of new Productivity Mega Deduction. This game-changing new tax incentive will increase the amount of assets covered from roughly 15% of assets to more than 65%. Essentially for PEI bioscience companies with taxable income, the expanded and now permanent deduction makes investing in equipment, software, R&D, and IP cheaper and easier to plan. Earlier-stage companies may see more of these benefits further down their path, but the change makes Canada a stronger place to build and attract investment. We encourage you to read the full announcement.

The BioAlliance team has many irons in the fire as well as work we are progressing. We are eager to share our revised strategy and refocused brand next quarter, and to launch a new website. We are also planning more opportunities for the community to connect and learn.

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Thank you for reading, and for building this sector alongside us.