The Atlantic BioVenture Centre (ABVC) was established in 2005 as an operating division of AgriTECH Park, Truro, Nova Scotia. Its mandate was to conduct agribio-science sector developments and activities which would grow Atlantic Canada's rural bioeconomy base.

The Centre started operating with a skeleton staff of three out of renovated office space. Their focus was on creating innovative business development and R&D alliances between the public and private sector. Using an aggressive corporate-style approach while operating inside a government run university environment, it began leveraging its modest $250,000 base funding and conducting its R&D work using shared lab space and assets of the Nova Scotia Agricultural College's (NSAC) main campus. Success of its initial small projects led quickly to follow-on larger projects. By 2007, in just two short years, the Centre had brokered and secured substantial multi-year development contracts with several corporate partners and Government funding agencies totaling $6.4 million. With these projects in hand, the Centre began expanding rapidly. New scientific, technical, and support staff were hired and put into place. New support partnerships with Faculty on the main campus were developed. Work on the projects with the corporate partners progressed with excitement and fervor. Growing pains were overcome. Team building continued. Some additional follow-on project funding was secured. By mid-2008 the in-house staffing complement had reached 14. And a 235 square metre new products development laboratory had been built and outfitted in order to complement the facilities of the main campus.

In early 2009, the Centre continues on its growth path. An additional multi-year project with a new corporate partner, also supported by a Government funding agency, having a total value of $4.2 million has been secured. A 140 square metre lab specifically for food bio-products development lab is being constructed and outfitted. Four to six new scientific and technical staff are expected to be hired and supporting partnerships with faculty on the main campus will be expanded.

We invite you to explore other areas of our website and discover more about who we are and what we do. Perhaps in one way or another, you will be enticed to join us on our exciting mission.