Ontario invests in medical technology manufacturing

The Ontario government will invest $2.5 million in Siemens Healthineers through the Ontario Together Fund.

The investment will help increase production capacity of the epoc Blood Analysis System; a handheld device that can analyze oxygen levels in blood, helping clinicians make faster decisions with lab-quality results at the patient’s side.

The project is expected to create 93 jobs over five years. In addition, Siemens Healthineers is investing over $20 million into their Ottawa facilities to increase their manufacturing output.

“The renewed Ontario Together Fund will continue to strengthen our domestic manufacturing sector, support local innovators and boost our world-class MedTech ecosystem,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister, Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Companies like Siemens Healthineers and their epoc Blood Analysis System are a perfect example of projects that can transform our ability to respond to a crisis and enhance our resilience while strengthening our health care system.”

This investment will help Siemens Healthineers increase their domestic manufacturing capacity of the epoc Test Card used in the Blood Analysis System. The company will add two manufacturing lines and packaging automation and make 2.4 million cards per month. This is a 125 per cent increase in production capacity.

“We are very grateful to have received the Ontario Together Fund for our Point of Care business in Ottawa,” said Mathias Ganzmann, Vice-President, Site Operations, Siemens Healthineers. “This funding will help us with our expansion plans over the coming years as we add more manufacturing capacity. This is a boost for our Ottawa employees and our work in supporting the healthcare sector and all the frontline workers doing such important work in Ontario.”