Construction starts on Seneca life sciences lab
Seneca College has announced the construction of a new $9.4-million life sciences lab.
Funded in part by the college, the federal and provincial governments and several industry partners, the facility will host applied research in life sciences diagnostics and novel cosmetics formulations.
Construction of the Seneca Centre for Innovation in Life Sciences is funded by a $2-million contribution from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, $1 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and College Industry Innovation Fund and $1 million from the Ontario Research Fund. The remaining $5.4 million came from support from industry research partners and institutional investments.
Construction is being performed by Vaughan-based Allyant Design and Construction.
"Seneca is grateful to the federal and provincial governments and our industry partners for helping to make SCILS a reality for our students, faculty and regional innovation ecosystem,” said Seneca President David Agnew. “The much-needed applied research conducted at the centre will help small- and medium-sized Canadian companies enhance, refine and test life sciences diagnostics technologies, and develop safe, marketable cosmetics products."
Applied research activities at the facility will also offer employment and experiential learning opportunities to close to 500 Seneca students and recent graduates.
Located at Seneca’s York Campus, the 3,000-square foot centre will feature a bio-safety lab and a good manufacturing practice certifiable clean room. It will support product development, enhancement and validation, while providing industry partners access to talent and expertise from students and faculty.
"We are proud to support our world-class Canadian research talent as well as our small- and medium-sized businesses, which are the engines of our economy,” said federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne. “This investment towards the SCILS will help Seneca work collaboratively with local companies by bringing researchers, students and industry partners together to address local challenges and create jobs and growth here in Canada.”