CANADA, May 31 - Premier Tim Houston will lead a delegation of healthcare officials to an international conference in the United States June 3-6.

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization’s BIO International Convention in San Diego, California, is the largest biotechnology conference in the world. The Province’s delegation includes Health and Wellness Minister Michelle Thompson and senior staff from her Department and Nova Scotia Health. Representatives of Nova Scotia healthcare and biotechnology organizations will also be there.

“We need to be innovative if we are to create a modern, streamlined and patient-focused healthcare system,” said Premier Houston. “We must seek out the best ideas, technology and practices from around the world and bring them back home.”

While at the conference, the Premier and Minister Thompson will participate in panel sessions and meet with government and corporate officials, including representatives of Moderna, AstraZeneca and Novo Nordisk. They will also have the opportunity to tell the conference about Nova Scotia’s partnership with Novo Nordisk Canada Inc.

The Premier will also promote Nova Scotia’s food, research, innovation and infrastructure, such as the Heath Innovation Hub, and help open the Canadian pavilion.

After the conference, Premier Houston will head to San Francisco to meet with officials from Microsoft, Varian, Siemens and Google.

Quick Facts:

• the annual BIO International Convention attracts more than 20,000 industry leaders from across the globe
• at last year’s conference, Canada had the second-largest delegation, just behind South Korea

Additional Resources:

BIO International Convention: https://convention.bio.org

Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub: https://innovationhub.nshealth.ca

News release – New Partnership Will Address Childhood Obesity, Chronic Disease: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/03/05/new-partnership-will-address-childhood-obesity-chronic-disease