An advanced life sciences cluster, a rich infrastructure of universities and attractive tax incentives were among the key reasons that motivated Tennessee-based DiaTech Oncology to choose Montréal for its new clinical pathology laboratory, in April 2004.
After considering other major North American cities, the company quickly added Québec to its shortlist of ideal locations. ”Our commercial realtor urged us to consider Montreal. In the end, the city exceeded our expectations.” says Garry Latimer, CEO of Diatech Oncology. Once the company had inspected McGill University´s incubator laboratory space, the management team made its decision within a week to move to Montreal. ”The benefits were crystal clear. We immediately saw the collaborative opportunities with a leading university, a great campus location and world class scientists. It was a perfect fit for us,” asserts Latimer. DiaTech was also lured by Québec´s strategic location with access to North American and European markets, and attractive tax incentives. ”Doing business here made real sense for us. There´s an incredible amount of pharmaceutical activity in this province, and that is a big advantage for a start-up.” Latimer points to the city´s unique cultural flavour as an added bonus for the company. “The city is lively and interesting, and we´re very happy to be here.”
DiaTech has invested more than $1 million so far in its Montreal facility, which offers an unprecedented technique to help physicians determine the most effective drugs to combat tumour cells in patients. According to Latimer, several million more dollars are planned for new research and testing over the next few years.