Thank you, Mr. Chair.
First of all, I would like to thank the committee for inviting me to take part in this meeting. The topic you are discussing is essential to ensuring our national security, responding to the COVID‑19 pandemic and, above all, preparing to cope with future pandemics.
I am a professor at the Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, or INRS, in Laval. I have been conducting research on antiviral immune response for more than 30 years, as well as on the development of vaccines and immunotherapies. I am therefore particularly interested in today's subject.
Canada currently doesn't have enough vaccine production capacity to meet its needs. I would include biologics such as monoclonal antibodies and immunotherapies in that category. As a result of this insufficient production capacity, Canadians are at the mercy of a form of protectionism practised by countries that produce vaccines and other biologics. In recent months, Canada has begun to make substantial investments to restore its national production capacity. However, an even greater effort will have to be made in the next few years to rebuild an ecosystem that is rich and diversified at all stages of the vaccine development chain.
I welcome, for example, the investments being made at the NRC's biologics manufacturing centre in Montreal and at the Medicago corporation in Quebec City, which has developed the only vaccine manufactured in Canada and approved by Health Canada. Major investments have also been made in other private companies across the country. In addition, new projects are in development, including construction of the next biologics and vaccine production infrastructure by SmokePond Biologics here in Laval. These investments have already begun to produce results, but they must continue and expand in future.
Note that Canada ranks last among the G‑7 countries in research and development spending. On a percentage basis, for example, Canada invests half as much in technology and R&D as the United States. Consequently, the measures the federal government announced in the 2022 budget yesterday for the creation of a Canada growth fund of $15 billion over five years is a step in the right direction. That will help leverage private investors to restructure supply chains, for example, which I think should also include biologics, vaccines and personal protection equipment.
I think it will be important for the federal government to invest substantial sums in three specific sectors to consolidate its investments and maximize the potential impact on vaccine production.
First, it should continue and increase federal investment in basic research in Canada. Basic research is an essential component in developing new technologies pertaining to vaccination and health in general. It will therefore be important to increase research funding. Unfortunately, however, I see that no mention is made in the 2022 budget of any significant increase in the budgets of the federal granting councils. I believe an increase in the order of 10% per year over the next 10 years will be appropriate if we want to return to our role as a global leader.
Second, I think we should continue and increase federal investment in advanced research infrastructure through the Canadian foundation for innovation. As we just saw, it's an essential partner for the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, or VIDO, which invests in highly advanced technology infrastructure. It will be critical in the coming years that we continue and increase investment not only in infrastructure, but also in the funding of long-term operating and maintenance costs in order to maximize the impact of those investments.
Third, we should establish a vaccine development funding structure that would bridge the gap between academic research and the pharmaceutical industry. A rich and diversified public research ecosystem is increasingly important for the development and commercialization of new and innovative treatments and vaccines for patients.
As regards the commercialization of innovations emerging from university labs, government investment should assist in advancing the clinical development of vaccine candidates and promising immunotherapies until they are mature enough to attract global pharmaceutical companies and those companies then invest in their large-scale production and distribution.
To conclude, Canada needs to do more to position itself internationally in the biomanufacturing field, to be able to combat COVID‑19 and other future pandemics.
Thank you, and I am ready to answer your questions.