Binational Relations and Life Sciences in Niagara

The binational Buffalo Niagara region, which comprises Erie and Niagara Counties in New York State in the United States and the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada is unique in North America for the depth and breadth of its cross-border assets.

With four international bridges and two airports, the region reigns as a major port of entry along the Canada-US border, facilitating more than 15 percent of commerce between two of the world’s largest trading partners.

These complementary cross-border economic development efforts, in turn, generate opportunities for integrated supply chains in innovative industry clusters for export to global markets.

Augmented by strong cross-border shopping, heritage, and tourism economies, an advanced logistics industry, and sophisticated “soft” infrastructure – customs brokers, 3PLs, warehousing, attorneys, insurance brokers, bankers, and the like – the region has unmatched potential for strengthening prosperity by strategically leveraging cross-border economic ties.

Notwithstanding the fact that the region maintains these cross-border assets (among others), there remains a sense that it has not lived up to its promise. Cross-border stakeholders in both the United States and Canada are calling for a deeper dive to assess the binational region’s strengths, opportunities, barriers, gaps in understanding, and challenges to collaboration in order to create a comprehensive understanding and clear-eyed strategy that fully captures the region’s potential.

This event is hosted by the Niagara CPAO Association.