Funding
Services
Coaching & Support
Tools & Resources
Impact
Strategic Vision
About
Who We Are
What We Do
Innovation Ecosystem
Subsidiaries
Not sure where to start?
Home > About > News > Life Sciences Trade Commissioner visits
September 16, 2025
Expanding in foreign markets for Alberta health-tech companies
In the classic novel and many movies, Frankenstein is medical marvel, brought to life through science and lot of electricity. But for Alberta health technology companies, there’s no mad science needed to scream ‘it’s alive’ when growing your business in markets outside of Canada.
In fact, there’s a whole team of resources out there who want to help you bring your companies to life in new markets!
Alberta Innovates is partnering with the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service to help life sciences and health technologies companies get the advice and insights they need to look outside of Canada for growth opportunities.
On Sept. 17 in Calgary and again on Sept. 23 & 26, Alberta Innovates will host Canadian trade commissioners flying in specifically from Taiwan, Italy and the Canadian embassy in Washington D.C. to share expert advice for Alberta entrepreneurs working in the life sciences sector. A separate session will also be held in Calgary, Sept. 22 with the British Consul General who will then join the broader group in Edmonton.
These sessions will offer specific advice on programs designed to help Alberta companies do business in global markets as well as insights on the countries themselves.
Ahead of the sessions, Alberta Innovates caught up with the trade commissioners to get their insights on their markets and why this is a good time for Alberta companies to consider going global.
Karen Miller lives and breathes life sciences. As a trade commissioner dedicated to the sector and based in the capital of the United States, she brings years of advice and experience on what to consider for doing business in the closest and largest market to Canada.
Her advice is to look past the headlines and know that many organizations in Washington and across the United States want to do business with Canadian companies.
“They (American organizations) still feel the same way about Canada that they always have, that’s there’s a lot of innovation, that there are opportunities to work together to solve common problems,” she says.
Miller has spent years building contacts through multiple American federal agencies and says there are many opportunities that exist. Opportunities exist in rural health care, chronic care management, military and veteran’s health care and artificial intelligence.
“Reaching populations who can’t get into care centres to be seen, we need to find ways to get to those patients, so chronic care management…patient retention for clinical trials, decentralised clinical trials, anything that’s going to help digital health platforms I think are going to be areas that are of interest to the people here,” she says.
While there are some challenges, including tariffs, that exist for Canadian companies the United States bring different opportunities she says.
“My advice is not to give up on this market. This is the biggest market…local companies, they all want to partner with Canada and Canadian companies.”
For more advice Miller can be contacted by email at Karen.Miller@international.gc.ca.
From the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Angie Tsai has a view on the dynamic and thriving market of Taiwan, from the capital of Taipei. With market diversification a key priority for the Government of Canada, Tsai hopes make Alberta companies aware of what’s possible in Taiwan and across Asia.
“Taiwan by itself does seem like a relatively small market, but it is a good entry point to consider if Alberta companies are interested in the Southeast Asia/Asia Pacific markets because of Taiwan’s strengths in high tech, R&D, their welcoming business environment, transparent regulatory system and geographic location providing efficient access to other major markets in the region. Taiwan can be considered a launchpad for expansion into Asia market,” she says.
Doing business in Asia may seem daunting for some entrepreneurs but that’s what the trade commissioners are there to help with, she says.
“Life sciences is a fast-growing sector in Taiwan and it’s well supported by the government. A lot of the innovations in the sector are driven by demand (aging population and chronic disease) and Taiwan’s semiconductor/ICT manufacturing expertise, and this complements well with Canadian strength in R&D or software. Other opportunities are the Government of Canada export support programs such as Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) or Canadian International Innovation Program (CIIP).”
Taiwan may not be top of mind but don’t overlook the island, says Tsai.
“My objective is simply to make Alberta life science companies aware of the competitive advantages and opportunities in Taiwan/Asia.”
For more advice on Taiwan, Tsai can be reached at Angie.Tsai@international.gc.ca.
If Asia or the United States isn’t where you want to focus, consider looking across the Atlantic to Italy.
“Italy is recognized as one of Europe’s leading life sciences hubs, with the sector now valued at over €73 billion annually and employing more than 300,000 people. Italian research centers, hospitals, and biotech clusters are deeply committed to innovation and regularly seek collaborations worldwide to access new technologies and expertise,” says Milan-based Canadian Trade Commissioner Simone Grassi. “Alberta stands out for its strengths in health analytics, digital health, precision medicine, and biotechnology—fields that are in line with Italy’s own healthcare modernization priorities.”
As part of the larger European Union, expanding to Italy can be an access point to the entire continent, one of the largest markets in the world. However, there are differences to be aware of compared to Canada or North America, says Grassi.
“Italy offers real rewards, but some hurdles are part of the journey. Companies may find complex, regionally fragmented healthcare regulations and longer processes to market authorization. Local language and personalized relationship-building are important, and bureaucracy can feel slow, particularly due to the decentralized nature of regional health authorities. On the other hand, Italy represents one of the largest, most dynamic health markets in Europe—with significant incentives for R&D, a world-class talent base, and access to EU funding streams for innovation. Italian firms are collaborative and open to international partnerships,” he says. “Canadian companies, especially as they diversify export strategies, should explore the European market, with Italy among the top destinations for joint research, innovation, and commercialization projects.”
When it comes to what opportunities exist, Grassi says, Canadian companies can qualify for certain funding under the innovation program Horizon Europe for R&D work. In addition, advanced drug development (biologics and cell therapies), medical devices (notably diagnostics, orthopedic, and cardiovascular solutions), digital health platforms, and data-driven research/analytics are all in demand. Italy has more than 4,500 active clinical trials, he says.
Trade experts in both Rome and Milan are ready to assist Canadian companies and connecting through them can give early advice and insights, says Grassi.
To learn more and meet with the trade commissioners, register for one of the information or meeting sessions. Register here, space may be limited.