SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — PolyUnity

Colleagues, I rise today to tell you about the innovative work being done by PolyUnity, an additive manufacturing company located in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The company was founded in 2018 by three physicians with a passion for 3D printing and a vision for the impact of additive manufacturing and the digitization of the Canadian health care supply chain.

PolyUnity collaborates with front-line health care professionals to understand their everyday challenges and to design solutions and manufacture products, either on site or in local fulfillment centres. Innovation is key to improving health care, and PolyUnity is empowering our front-line workers to help solve their own challenges. They create wax moulds for cancer treatments via radiation therapy, they offer customized laboratory equipment and they develop new innovations to transform workflows and much more.

A solution created for one hospital can be shared across Canada via the PolyUnity platform thus connecting hospitals across the country challenged with the same problems. PolyUnity was the first solution procured in Atlantic Canada under the Coordinated Accessible National Health Network, and currently services all of Newfoundland and Labrador through an agreement with their innovative partner NL Health Services.

PolyUnity has a second manufacturing and design facility in Ottawa, and has a vision to expand to the rest of Atlantic Canada, Ontario and beyond.

The chief executive officer of PolyUnity is Jacqueline Lee. I want to take a minute to highlight some of the accomplishments of this impressive woman whom I had the pleasure of meeting at an event put on by the International Women’s Forum.

An alumnus of Memorial University, Jacqueline has extensive experience in establishing effective reporting and tracking systems that support the success of existing and accelerated growth business models. As chief financial officer of SkyHawk Telematics, she managed the sale of the local Newfoundland and Labrador tech firm to the largest telecom in Canada. She currently serves as board chair for techNL, and is passionate about fostering an ecosystem in Newfoundland and Labrador that our kids will choose to stay and thrive in when they graduate.

The provincial government recently announced approximately half a million dollars to support PolyUnity in its business development efforts. Colleagues, this is just one example of how Newfoundland and Labrador is supporting research and development in the health care sector that will benefit not only Newfoundlanders and Labradorians but also people around the world. Thank you.