Concordia University Expands Sustainable Biomanufacturing Capacity with $5M Investment

Concordia University in Montreal has significantly expanded its sustainable biomanufacturing capabilities through a $5 million Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) investment announced in December 2025. The upgrades to the Genome Foundry and Bioprocessing facilities position the institution as one of Canada’s leading centers for synthetic biology and bioprocessing, strengthening its capacity to develop bio-based products from design through commercialization.

Funding Details

The CFI Innovation Fund provided 40% of the $5 million investment, with matching funds from Quebec’s Ministry of Higher Education. The renovations, completed in August 2025, included constructing a new containment level 1 laboratory, installing advanced fermentation equipment, and upgrading microfluidics labs across Concordia’s campuses. The Genome Foundry, originally established in 2016 as Canada’s first automated DNA design and assembly facility, has evolved into a national hub for synthetic biology research.

Strategic Use

The expanded facilities enable researchers to develop greener chemicals, bioplastics, sustainable biofuels, and alternative proteins while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and converting waste into valuable materials. By providing open access to small- and medium-sized enterprises, academic partners, and government collaborators, Concordia strengthens national research capacity and accelerates the path from discovery to market. According to Steve Shih, co-director of the Centre for Applied Synthetic Biology, these upgrades allow researchers to “move faster, test more ideas and scale promising technologies into real-world applications,” directly supporting the transition toward sustainable, bio-based manufacturing across health, agriculture, chemicals, and clean energy sectors.

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