A survey shows that Canadians see value in encouraging investment in biotechnology, says BIOTECanada, a national association representing major players in the biotech industry.
"We need to create an attractive investment environment to better leverage our world-class science into well-financed companies," BIOTECanada chairman Michael Denny said in a release.
"Simple changes can be made to encourage more investment in our companies."
The recent survey, by Pollara Research, suggests 81 per cent of Canadians expect to see the benefits of biotechnology improve the environment, their health and the Canadian economy.
But while they generally felt good about biotechnology, almost one-third of them don't regard Canada as a biotech leader, or able to keep pace with the rest of the world.
The poll was conducted during the first week of September.
"It's exciting to see that Canadians have a positive view of biotechnology and are looking forward to the benefits these innovative technologies will bring to society," said Peter Brenders, president and CEO of BIOTECanada.
"However, for our country to meet the expectations of Canadians, our biotechnology companies need government action in two key areas: Supporting capital formation and creating a modern regulatory environment."
