Manitoba Has a Bigger Story to Tell
We can fall into the cycle of overestimating what we can accomplish in a year while underestimating what we can achieve in five to ten years. Sometimes, the greatest opportunities are “hiding” in plain sight.
To make those larger, long-term goals a reality, we must embrace what we can accomplish together. The intersection of togetherness and alignment brings together government, industry, academia, and communities.
Manitoba’s bioscience sector is a key example of what can be built over time.
When I tell people that pharmaceuticals are Manitoba’s number one export, I often get a surprised look. When I tell them that 20 per cent of the pharmaceutical products Canada exports are manufactured in Manitoba, the surprise grows.
Manitoba also trains a significant share of Canada’s bioscience talent and has built a life sciences ecosystem that is larger, more capable, and more connected than people realize.
Can we do more?
I believe part of the answer is that we have been too modest about what we have in Manitoba.
Manitoba has an unprecedented advantage: we are close to the U.S. market, and our ecosystem is deeply connected. Researchers, companies, educators, health organizations, government, and entrepreneurs can find one another, collaborate, and think globally. That proximity creates opportunities that larger ecosystems can sometimes struggle to achieve.
These attributes only create value and growth when we put them to work for the right reasons.
We can build a culture where we see another organization’s success as an opportunity for the entire sector, rather than as competition. The challenges facing health and life sciences are too complex for any one organization, province, or discipline to solve alone. We need to share expertise, open doors, and create the conditions for good ideas to become real solutions.
And we need to tell our story.
Canada is stronger and more resilient when our manufacturing expertise, research strengths, talent, and collaborative ecosystem add real value to Canada’s national proposition. When we bring those strengths together, we make the country stronger and more attractive to the global market.
Manitoba has earned a bigger voice at the table because we have something meaningful to contribute. The talent, ingenuity, collaboration, and heart that exist across our province are strengths that can help address some of the world’s biggest challenges.
The opportunity is now to recognize the role we already play and be more confident about sharing it. Manitoba has been part of this conversation for decades, and there is a strong foundation to build on. Our past has shaped where we are today, and what we do together will determine the role we play in the future.
