In the past decade, the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization on the USask campus has had an economic impact on the province of $511 million. That’s from a Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority study on the operation and construction projects at VIDO, but it doesn’t include the impact of VIDO’s commercialized vaccines.

Director of Business Development at VIDO, Dr. Paul Hodgson, says he’s not surprised at that total, considering how much work has been going on. He highlights the research organization’s own COVID-19 vaccine which is in Phase 2 clinical trials while also helping to test over 400 different antivirals, therapeutics and vaccines from others to help end the pandemic. Hodgson states that in the past year, construction was finished on their new Vaccine Development Centre, which should be operational early in 2023. The new animal housing facility has been awarded funding and VIDO is also working on upgrading the testing facility to Containment Level 4, which means scientists could work on any pathogen in the world, from a containment perspective.

CEO of SREDA, Alex Fallon, says, “Saskatoon is an international science and innovation hub. Organizations like VIDO create a significant number of jobs right here in Saskatoon. We are a science city and the impact of our innovation sector on the economy shouldn’t be underestimated.”