OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BIOTECanada announces winners of the prestigious 2015 Gold Leaf Awards, which recognize biotechnology excellence. Launched in 2001, the Gold Leaf awards are given annually to recognize both companies and individuals who have made significant contributions to the biotech industry in Canada. The Awards’ importance to the recipients and the industry more broadly has grown significantly over the years.
“The remarkable individuals and companies we recognize through the Gold Leaf Awards are great examples of the core strengths of Canada’s biotech ecosystem,” commented Andrew Casey, President and CEO of BIOTECanada. “Importantly, Canada’s global biotech success is founded in its ability to advance scientific innovation by leveraging a diverse and vibrant ecosystem comprised of individuals, companies and institutions located in every province across the country. It is this strength that establishes Canada’s biotech industry as a leader in developing the solutions that will help address the global social and economic challenges emerging from population growth and a changing climate.”
Company of the year: STEMCELL Technologies Inc.
Emerging company of the year (Health): Zymeworks Inc.
Visionary leadership: Joseph Garcia, Blake, Cassels and Graydon LLP
Leader in biotechnology research: Rebecca Dielschneider, University of Manitoba
BIOTECanada appreciates the small group of industry leaders, from throughout the industry ecosystem, who served on the Advisory Panel for the Awards. The panel was instrumental in updating competition categories, developing selection criteria and nominating credentials. The Gold Leaf Awards will be presented during a ceremony at the BIO International Convention in Philadelphia on the exhibition floor Tuesday June 16 at 10am.
BIOTECanada is the national industry association with more than 200 members located nationwide, reflecting the diverse nature of Canada’s health, industrial and agricultural biotechnology sectors. In addition to providing significant health benefits for Canadians, the biotechnology industry has quickly become an essential part of the transformation of many traditional cornerstones of the Canadian economy including manufacturing, automotive, energy, aerospace and forestry industries.
