Trends in Canadian biotechnology activity, 1997 to 2001

The analysis is based on the results of the Biotechnology Firm survey – 1997 and the Biotechnology Use and Development Survey 1999 and 2001. [...] The data and analyses are presented for Canada and distributed by the size of the firm, its sector and the province in which it is located. [...] Between 1999 and 2001, most of the increase in the number of biotechnology firms occurred in Quebec. [...] In fact, the number of innovative biotechnology firms in that province is continuing to grow, to the point that Quebec is now seen as the third-ranking region in North America in terms of the number of firms, after California and Massachusetts (Ernst & Young, 2003). [...] Firms are beginning to draw earnings from their R&D investments, and this is reflected in the biotechnology revenues-to-R&D ratio shown in Table 2, which went from $1.65 to $2.67 between 1997 and 20017and 8. Between 1999 and 2001, the number of biotechnology products/processes brought onto the market increased by 3,064, whereas the number of products in development declined by 2,618 (see Appendix