BioAlberta's 2026 Policy Forum Brings Together Leaders & Innovators in the Life Sciences Sector

On March 5, 2026, BioAlberta hosted the annual Policy Forum in Edmonton. This year’s Policy Forum brought together policy influencers, life sciences ecosystem innovators, and health agency partners to drive results and support innovative initiatives and strong patient outcomes. Three insightful panels covered important topics, including increasing human capacity with the support of AI technology, the impact on our health sector among growing uncertainty in global markets and the effect of inconsistent US trade policy, and increasing health equity for rural and remote communities through mobile lung screening.

BioAlberta welcomed Mike Mahon, CEO of Alberta Innovates, as the keynote speaker. Mike highlighted Alberta Innovates’ strategic goals and emphasized the shared opportunity with life sciences sector partners to build investment attraction, increase commercialization, and enrich the talent pool within Alberta. It is encouraging to see Alberta’s life sciences sector featured as a critical sector to position Alberta as a leader in innovation, technology, and research. The keynote address supported the substantial announcement made by the Alberta Cancer Foundation, Alberta Innovates, Pfizer, and Roche Canada to invest $4.5 million in the Precision Analytics Program that will transform cancer care for patients navigating a cancer diagnosis in Alberta.

CEO Breakfast & Fireside Chat with Kerry Bales, David Diamond, Toby Schneider, Kim Simmonds, and Laura Fitzgerald.
Building Future Ready Talent and Human Capacity with Bruce Birdsell, Jillian Kowalchuk, Rob Henderson, and Patty Wickson

In partnership with the University Health Foundation, the Health Innovator’s Breakfast Series brought together the four CEOs of Alberta’s health agencies—Acute Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta, Primary Care Alberta, and Recovery Care Alberta—to identify the priorities and goals of each health agency. The four CEOs all emphasized that utilizing data and existing infrastructure systems, addressing patient concerns, and connecting across health agencies and private industry partners are essential to achieving success. As Kim Simmonds said, “Foundations are catalysts for change.”

Implications of U.S. Trade and Economic Policies on Alberta’s Health and Health Innovation Sectors with Ryan Mercer, Rob Pankhurst, Laura Pagnotta, and Jason Copping
Alberta Leads: Advancing Equity with Mobile Lung Health Services with James Puckrin, Kara Patterson, Kim Loria, Dr. Manisha Witmans, and Tara Cowling

As the voice for Alberta’s life sciences ecosystem, BioAlberta is proud to bring together leaders and innovators in the life sciences sector to discuss the importance of advancing innovation policy, strengthening healthcare delivery, and driving economic development within Alberta. Thank you to the sponsors, supporters, and speakers that supported Policy Forum 2026.

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