Path finder: city strategizes to develop biotechnology industry.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: North Bay: Special Report - North Bay to focus on biotechnology for local development

North Bay has targeted biotechnology as an industry of opportunity by bringing in a world-renowned expert in biomedical research and public health to assist in the development of a possible biomedical cluster.

In late August, the city brought in Dr. Lowell Harmison to assist its biotechnology partners in assessing the best opportunities and strategies to capture jobs and grow businesses in this rapidly growing global field.

Earlier this year, the economic development commission partnered with Canadore College, Nipissing University, the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, N.E.C.O. Community Futures Development Corp. and representatives from senior levels of government to develop a two-year program to introduce the community to the international biotechnology sector.

"We're trying to pull all that together and put it into a strategy of development and see if it can generate some new jobs in that sector," says Nancy Creighton, executive director of North Bay Economic Development Commission. The strategy is similar to an effort launched five years ago that created 2,000 call centre jobs.

Harmison spent four days touring post-secondary and public-health institutions to evaluate some strategic approaches to this industry and assess the city's prospects in breaking into the field.

A report analysing the city's strengths, weaknesses and best ways to move forward is expected in October.

In June, Creighton and a local delegation, which included Canadore College professors Bill Procunier and Randy Moggach, attended Toronto's BIO 2002, the world's largest international biotechnology conference, for a market intelligence trip. They came away with some promising leads, including making contact with Harmison.

Harmison is a graduate of MIT's Sloan School of Management...