CCRM

As CCRM marks 15 years of advancing cell and gene therapy, we know that impact doesn’t stop at national borders.

CCRM Australia and CCRM Nordic are key partners in a globally evolving model, originally established in Canada, which brings together industry, academia and government to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced therapies.

Why does this matter for Canada?

Because building a globally connected ecosystem is essential in a field where science, talent and capital are international. By establishing a presence in regions with strong research excellence and complementary capabilities, we can facilitate the bundling of intellectual property, share expertise and infrastructure, and leverage funding across the major markets. CCRM is helping to attract partners and opportunities to Canada, and we can create synergies in the partner countries.

CCRM Australia has helped strengthen ties across the Asia-Pacific region, supporting clinical translation and ecosystem development in a fast-growing market. Meanwhile, CCRM Nordic taps into one of Europe’s most advanced life sciences clusters, known for its strengths in translational research, data infrastructure and collaborative drug development systems.

As we look ahead, CCRM’s global footprint is not just about reach; it’s about influence and what we can achieve. By linking Canada to key innovation hubs around the world, we’re helping ensure that breakthroughs developed anywhere in the network can benefit patients everywhere.

The Canadian Advanced Therapies Training Institute (CATTI) was established in 2021 from a partnership between CellCAN and CCRM. We saw a need for workforce development training programs to produce industry-ready Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) and created CATTI to be the solution.

CATTI has trained over 600 HQP by offering online training, in-person bootcamps, webinars and seminars. CATTI has its own dedicated BSL-2 lab and has partner locations across Canada (Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal) – everything a person needs to work with real cells and real processes to prepare for working under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) conditions. The trainers have conducted 200+ hours of practical assessments and offered 12,000+ hours, over 62 weeks, to train HQP.

Canada’s projected need for biomanufacturing is over 16,000 workers by 2029. CATTI’s team of trainers is working to reduce that gap.

We launched OmniaBio Inc. in 2022, held a grand opening ceremony for the newly constructed building in 2024, and that brings us to 2026.

In a few short years, our contract development and manufacturing organization has become an integral part of Canada’s advanced biomanufacturing ecosystem. Built to address one of the biggest bottlenecks in our sector – scalable, high-quality manufacturing – OmniaBio represents a critical step in translating scientific breakthroughs into real-world therapies for patients.

By strengthening Canada’s advanced manufacturing capabilities, OmniaBio helps bridge the gap between discovery and delivery. It supports companies as they move from early development to commercialization, while also reinforcing Canada’s position as a leader in regenerative medicine.

What makes this especially meaningful is the broader impact: creating high-value jobs, attracting international partnerships, and ensuring that innovations developed here have a pathway to reach patients both at home and around the world.

As we mark 15 years of CCRM, OmniaBio stands as a reminder that building infrastructure isn’t just about capacity; it’s about capability-building and enabling impact.

Invest Ontario, Ontario Government, Canadian Innovation, NGen Canada

Yesterday in Ireland, Prime Minister Mark Carney, Government of Canada, announced an expanded partnership between Canada and Ireland across science, technology, and culture, specifically:

"Strengthening resilient health systems and supply chains through collaboration on regenerative medicine, pharmaceutical manufacturing, workforce development, and biomanufacturing skills. This cooperation is reflected in the following recently signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU):
An MOU between the Toronto-based Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) and Ireland’s RINN Advanced Therapies national research centre toward exploring the establishment of a CCRM Ireland hub. This would accelerate the development and commercialisation of innovative health technologies while creating new market opportunities for Canadian companies."

Read the full announcement here:

Prime Minister Carney expands Canada’s partnership with Ireland across science, technology, and culture Ireland is one of Canada’s closest partners in Europe, and today that relationship is flourishing. Bilateral trade has grown nearly 150% over the past decade, and Ireland is a key partner in investment, agriculture and agri-food, clean growth, and economic security.

We're pleased to announce a new partnership with OmniaBio and Avectas to improve manufacturing. Learn how this supports CCRM's growing global network and the potential location of CCRM's next global hub.

https://www.ccrm.ca/regenerative-medicine-cell-gene-therapy-news-releases/

The 2026 Cells I See art contest is accepting cell images and artwork submissions from now until Friday, September 4, 2026. Cells I See is about the beauty of cells seen directly through the microscope or through the interpretive lens of the artist.

Hosted by CCRM and the Stem Cell Network - Réseau de cellules souches, the Cells I See art contest will award $750 to the Grand Prize winner, based on blind judging at the 2026 Till & McCulloch Meetings in Vancouver, Canada, in November. Plus, a People’s Choice prize of $500 will be issued based on the outcome of voting on CCRM’s page (more details to follow).

For full contest rules, submission instructions and to view past submissions, check out the Cells I See website at https://cellsisee.ccrm.ca/

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Michael May, CCRM's President and CEO, reflects on what motivated and inspired him to establish CCRM 15 years ago with co-founder Peter Zandstra, what they have accomplished together, and the opportunities ahead.

Today, companies like BlueRock Therapeutics, Notch Therapeutics and ExCellThera demonstrate what's possible when great science is matched with the right infrastructure and partnerships. And with initiatives like and DeepTech Bio Lab™, CCRM is helping position Canada at the forefront of the next generation of biotechnology innovation.

As per Dr. May, the challenge in regenerative medicine is no longer proving that these therapies work; it's making them scalable, affordable and accessible to patients worldwide. Read where the industry is headed next.

https://www.signalsblog.ca/why-i-helped-build-ccrm-a-journey-from-inspiration-to-impact/

CCRM | Commercializing Living Therapies CCRM brings together stakeholders, expertise, infrastructure and funding to accelerate the development and commercialization of regenerative medicines.

It’s hard to capture 15 years in an , but here is our best attempt! Keep following our campaign to get the full picture.