TORONTO, June 22, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ – Sanofi is pleased to announce the opening of an Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence in Toronto, joining Sanofi’s global network of existing digital hubs in Paris, Boston, New York and Barcelona. The Centre will be focused on using leading technologies to develop world-class data and artificial intelligence (AI) products that accelerate research and development to improve access to life-saving medicine for patients, and to create value for the health sector.
Sanofi’s global AI Centre of Excellence will be based in downtown Toronto and support the company’s mission to improve patients’ lives through digital innovation. The Centre will identify, develop and scale innovative solutions, leveraging world-class mentorship from top academics and industry professionals, to support the professional growth of our talent. We are creating an environment to develop and retain the next generation of technical professionals, where they can use their skills in Canada while having global impact.
Joyce Drohan
Global Chief Data Officer, Sanofi
“We are excited to launch our global AI Centre of Excellence in Toronto and join the city’s vibrant high-tech community, which is recognized as one of the world’s premier AI and data ecosystems. By attracting top AI talent and partnering with leading academic and research institutions locally, we will further our global commitment to addressing healthcare’s biggest challenges and improving the lives of patients. We are the only multi-national pharmaceutical company with a global digital hub that services the world from right here in Toronto.”
Stéphanie Veyrun-Manetti
Canada Country Lead and General Manager, Specialty Care, Sanofi Canada
“The establishment of our global AI Centre of Excellence in Toronto represents a key investment in Sanofi’s growing footprint in Canada, and in our global multidisciplinary approach to transforming the practice of medicine to improve people’s lives around the world. Sanofi Canada ‘s heritage in the province of Ontario is over 100 years in the making and continues to evolve.”
The AI Centre of Excellence will democratize data across Sanofi’s global organization by building strong data foundations, first-in-class platforms, and scalable AI products. Alongside leading experts in AI from academia and industry, Toronto’s AI Centre of Excellence will be part of an international network of thought leaders that will mentor local Sanofi teams.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada
“In selecting Canada for their global AI Centre of Excellence, Sanofi has further underscored the success of our Pan-Canadian AI Strategy in attracting and retaining experts and leaders in artificial intelligence. The announcement also builds on our government’s partnership with Sanofi with the recently announced $900M end-to-end vaccine manufacturing facility in Toronto. I’m grateful to see Sanofi creating highly-skilled jobs, generating R&D in manufacturing, and leveraging Canadian AI talent to develop solutions for global healthcare challenges.”
John Tory
Mayor of Toronto
“I welcome this announcement from Sanofi Canada and see it as another strong vote of confidence in the City of Toronto and our thriving technology and innovation sector. This investment in a Toronto-based AI Centre of Excellence reinforces the city’s role as a Canadian leader in healthcare innovation, supported by its nine research hospitals, three world-class universities and numerous globally-renowned AI think tanks. We are excited to see what made-in-Toronto solutions come from this initiative and how they will improve the lives of not only Canadians, but for people all over the world.”
Stephen Lund
CEO, Toronto Global
“Sanofi’s AI Centre of Excellence will be a wonderful addition to the Toronto Region’s booming tech industry. We can’t wait to see how Sanofi utilizes local talent to create AI solutions that enrich lives and reach new heights in the global health sciences sector.”
In 2022, Sanofi Canada will hire more than 100 highly skilled tech employees for Toronto’s AI Centre of Excellence, a number that will grow to over 200 by 2025. The team will leverage expertise across data science, computational biology, AI strategy, data engineering, data management, data architecture and product management, guided by a vision to transform the practice of medicine and improve the lives of patients globally.
Sanofi will be participating in an announcement at the Invest in Canada Pavilion at Collision on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at 1:45pm. The Sanofi team, including Joyce Drohan, Global Chief Data Officer and Head, Toronto AI Centre of Excellence, Sanofi, and Dimitrije Jankovic, Global Director, Data Programs, Sanofi, will be joined by The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada and Stephen Lund, CEO of Toronto Global, to discuss this exciting investment.
About Sanofi
We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. Our team, across some 100 countries, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions. In Canada, Sanofi employs approximately 2,000 people and in 2021, we invested more than $143 million in R&D in Canada, creating jobs, business and opportunity throughout the country. In 2021, Sanofi announced an investment of $925 million (CAD) in a new vaccine manufacturing facility at its existing site in Toronto, Canada.
SOURCE Sanofi-Aventis Canada Inc.
For further information: Media Relations Contacts: Christine Chin, Head of Communications, Sanofi Canada, 514-299-3567
