bldg rendering
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Rendering of the new Prairie Biologics Accelerator building
Rendering of the new Prairie Biologics Accelerator building
Estimated Read Time:
3 minutes
Science and technology

UM breaks ground on PRAIRIE Biologics Accelerator to strengthen pandemic preparedness

New 21,00 sq ft facility will advance vaccine research and biomanufacturing

UM has officially broken ground on the PRAIRIE Biologics Accelerator, a state-of-the-art research facility poised to position Manitoba as a leader in vaccine development, biomanufacturing and regional innovation in western Canada.

The five-story, 21,000 sq ft biosecure facility will provide dedicated lab space to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across microbiology, immunology and engineering.

Leaders and partners mark the groundbreaking

The groundbreaking ceremony on January 23rd was attended by the Hon. Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Hon. Renée Cable, Manitoba Minister of Advanced Education and Training, Hon. Mike Moroz, Manitoba Minister of Innovation and New Technologies, Joelle Foster, Board Director of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), UM President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Benarroch and Dr. Mario Pinto, UM Vice-President (Research and International).

“The PRAIRIE Biologics Accelerator will attract and retain great minds to our province and country, and it cements Manitoba’s position as a global leader in health research,” says UM President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Benarroch. “We will be able to deliver life-saving solutions to the problems we may not even know about yet. It’s exciting to be a part of a university community capable of bold ideas, supported by federal and provincial partners who help make them a reality.”

Once complete, the facility will strengthen UM’s capacity to improve the speed, reliability and scale of biomanufacturing for vaccines and therapeutics.

“This is an exciting moment for advancing UM’s role in national and global biomedical innovation,” said Dr. Mario Pinto, UM Vice-President (Research and International). “This cutting-edge facility will strengthen our ability to attract and retain the next generation of talent to conduct world-leading biomedical and vaccine research right here in Manitoba.”

The new facility is partially funded by a $57 million investment from the Government of Canada through the Canadian Biomedical Research Fund (CBRF), and the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund (BRIF) to construct two facilities, the PRAIRIE Biologics Accelerator and a second facility, the One Health Emerging Respiratory Disease Centre.

“The University of Manitoba is a hub for innovation in health sciences,” said the Hon. Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South. “By investing in biomanufacturing research, we are not only increasing our domestic production capacity for life-saving vaccines but also becoming leaders in pandemic preparedness and response. This $57 million investment, the largest federal research investment in the University of Manitoba’s history, will advance health equity and the Prairies’ research capacity. It’s a sign that our government is committed to investing in infrastructure for health innovation.”

“Breaking ground on the PRAIRIE Biologics Accelerator so soon after the pandemic shows how quickly Canada and the CFI can respond to global challenges. Working with the Manitoba government, the University of Manitoba and industry partners, we are building these state-of-the-art research facilities that will strengthen Canada’s capacity to develop and commercialize vaccines and biomedical innovations,” said Joelle Foster, CFI Board Director.

An additional investment of $16.8 million is provided by the Province of Manitoba to help bring these two innovative facilities to life.

“We are proud to invest $16.8 million dollars at the University of Manitoba, our valued partner and the province’s only research-intensive university, to support health research that leads to real-world impact,” said the Hon. Renée Cable, Manitoba Minister of Advanced Education and Training. "This funding will help drive new discoveries and strengthen our ability to respond to future health challenges. It reflects our government’s commitment to the scientists, students and innovators who are working every day to protect the health and safety of Manitobans.”

The PRAIRIE Biologics Accelerator will attract and retain great minds to our province and country, and it cements Manitoba’s position as a global leader in health research.

Dr. Michael Benarroch, UM President and Vice-Chancellor

Strategic location on the Fort Garry campus

Located on the Fort Garry Campus at the junction of Dysart Road and Sifton Road and adjacent to the Manitoba Institute for Materials, the facility will serve as a pipeline for preparing, testing and manufacturing biologics for pre-clinical trials.

Strengthening Canada’s pandemic preparedness capacity

Designed to bridge key gaps in the Canadian domestic vaccine and biologics manufacturing capacity, the Accelerator will play a central role in advancing research from discovery to application.

The Accelerator is part of a large research project that is co-directed by UM’s Dr. Peter Pelka, professor in the Department of Microbiology in the Faculty of Science. This is one of several projects under the PRAIRIE Hub on Pandemic Preparedness, an alliance bringing together researchers from universities across Western Canada to enhance national pandemic readiness and strengthen Canadian research and talent capacity.

“This facility will significantly improve our vaccine and biomanufacturing research capacity,” said Pelka. “It will also make UM more competitive in attracting and recruiting top research talent from around the world to work and study in Manitoba,” said Pelka.

Researchers will focus on developing vaccines and other therapeutics for commercial applications, exploring innovation technologies to produce safe and effective solutions for diverse populations.

Construction is expected to be completed in early 2028.

Research at the University of Manitoba is partially supported by funding from the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.