BioHubNet and Mitacs are proud to announce a new partnership to support the EXPERIENCE program, a national initiative designed to equip Canada’s next generation of biomanufacturing and life sciences talent with real-world industry experience.
The partnership launched on October 30 at the BioHubNet Annual Symposium in Toronto, where industry leaders, researchers, and students explored the future of biomanufacturing. Derek Newton, Senior Vice-President with Mitacs, joined the signing, marking a major step forward for our team and the BioHubNet EXPERIENCE program.
“The partnership between Mitacs and BioHubNet turns research and learning into hands-on impact at scale,” said Newton. “We’re tackling Canada’s skilled talent gap in life sciences head on, while connecting participants with industry leaders and academic institutions for real-world training.”
From left to right:
Darius Rackus, Scientific Co-Director, BioHubNet
Derek Newton, Senior Vice-President, Business Development and Strategy, Mitacs
Molly Shoichet, Scientific Director, BioHubNet
Yoo Jin Park, Director, BioHubNet
Gilbert Walker, Scientific Co-Director, BioHubNet
Supporting talent through EXPERIENCE
Mitacs is committed to Canada’s prosperity – helping to drive economic growth, productivity, and global competitiveness. Talent is central to our mission. We place top-tier students in Canadian firms to foster collaboration between industry and academia. This gives students hands-on experience while helping businesses reduce risk in R&D and build lasting partnerships.
Through the EXPERIENCE program, Mitacs is helping streamline access to internships across 14 partner universities and hospital networks. These placements connect students with companies ranging from agile start-ups to global leaders.
The goal? To bridge the gap between academic training and industry needs while building a skilled and inclusive workforce that is ready to meet future health challenges.
Building Canada’s innovation-ready workforce
With 150 internship units approved, the EXPERIENCE program is a timely and valuable stepping stone into Canada’s dynamic biomanufacturing sector. Internships can be arranged quickly, often within two to three months, giving trainees the momentum they need to launch successful careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Together with BioHubNet, Mitacs is building a diverse, skilled, and innovation-ready workforce. Trainees in the EXPERIENCE program will gain real-world experience, industry contacts, and career momentum to set them up for future success.
We are proud to help advance Canadian biomanufacturing by supporting experiential learning, workforce development, and inclusive growth.
