Toronto Life Sciences and Biotech Summit

Why You Should Attend the Toronto Life Sciences and Biotech Summit

Why This Matters

Toronto’s life sciences real estate market is at a turning point. Developers have delivered purpose-built lab space, but much of it remains vacant. Early-stage tenants are grappling with high buildout costs, tighter capital markets, and slow funding cycles. At the same time, major institutional players are circling, public-private partners are mobilizing, and academic institutions continue to produce world-class research. The question isn’t whether life sciences will grow, it’s who can actually take space, secure financing, and drive tenancy today. This event convenes real estate leaders, biotech execs, and innovation economy insiders to map out where the real opportunities are in 2026.

What You Will Learn

• A Perfect Storm of Headwinds: Unlike past cycles, today multiple factors are depressing demand simultaneously. Both venture funding and federal research grants have pulled back at the same time, draining fuel from the startup pipeline. The NIH is about $5 billion behind in grant awards in 2025 versus 2024, and life science companies raised just $24.9 billion in VC through Q3 2025 – on track for the lowest funding haul since pre-pandemic. This rare convergence of challenges has led even strong markets into a slump. Hear how long these funding and demand woes might persist.
• Talent as the Magnet: Ultimately, talent is the lifeblood of life sciences and thus of life science real estate. In a recent industry survey, 57% of life sciences executives cited attracting/retaining talent as a top priority for the next five year. Hear how real estate and cluster development intersect with talent considerations. For example, location matters: companies want to be where the scientists want to live. That could mean vibrant urban neighborhoods or live-work-play innovation districts that appeal to young professionals. Amenities like daycare or convenient transit also factor into a talent-friendly ecosystem. Hear about collaborations with universities to ensure a pipeline of graduates in biotech, and retraining programs that convert workers from other industries into lab technicians to meet demand.
• Flight to Quality in an Uncertain Market: Not all lab space is suffering equally. Prime, amenity-rich campuses are still capturing demand before commodity space. Consolidation in the industry means if a company does lease space now, they’re likely choosing the best-in-class buildings. High-quality facilities in coveted locations (near top research institutes or urban innovation districts) are outperforming secondary assets. The discussion will highlight this “two-tier” market: modern lab product with premium infrastructure and perks (collaboration spaces, fitness centers, proximity to talent) continues to see interest, while older or fringe properties languish. Quality and location have become make-or-break, and owners of Class B lab buildings face tough decisions ahead.
• Long-Term Optimism vs. Short-Term Pain: Are current conditions a temporary correction or a fundamental shift? Despite the shakeout, many maintain that bioresearch is a growth industry long-term, and scientific advances in areas like oncology, gene therapy, and immunology will spawn new companies and therapies. Panelists will discuss the timeline of recovery. With experts noting the sector is oversaturated now but retains strong long-range potential, how can stakeholders position themselves? The conversation will conclude on forward-looking insights: which markets or niches could rebound first, and how events like an aging population and technological breakthroughs (AI in drug discovery, personalized medicine) will drive the next wave of life sciences real estate demand.
   

For questions regarding content and speaking, please email our Director, Event Production, Virginia Baker, at Virginia.Baker@bisnow.com. Want to get involved? Contact Dane.Sinks@bisnow.com or Max.Kleinberg@bisnow.com  to get information on sponsorship, pricing and availability at this event. To request disability-related accommodations, please contact mackenzie.kunkle@bisnow.com no later than seven business days prior to the event.

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