The Prince Edward Island BioAlliance has become the first North American group to receive the Gold Label of Cluster Management Excellence by the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis.

The Charlottetown-based group, which brings together government, business and academia to support the life sciences ecosystem, said in a press release Wednesday it is one of 144 economic clusters to receive the gold label. Berlin-based ESCA, which evaluated 1,500 clusters in 46 countries, gave its highest rating to only three bioscience clusters, including the PEI BioAlliance.

“This international recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all of our cluster partners, who together have established the bioscience sector as a key pillar in the economic foundation of the province and Atlantic Canada,” said BioAlliance Chair Oliver Technow, who is also the CEO of BioVectra. “The BioAlliance has proven the value of an aligned strategy for cluster development, creating an innovation ecosystem that addresses priorities such as infrastructure, access to a talented workforce, and attraction of technology, people, and capital.”

The ESCA began the audit process earlier this year and evaluated the BioAlliance against 31 indicators and numerous sub-indicators, said the statement. Its report praised the BioAlliance’s strategic planning and execution, the degree of cooperation and participation within the cluster, and the quality of its services.

The PEI bioscience sector now comprises 60 companies earning more than $600 million annually, employing 2,200 people and attracting $100 million in investment in 2021, said the release.

“The PEI Bioscience Cluster has great momentum and unlimited opportunity,” said BioAlliance CEO Rory Francis. “The BioAlliance team and our collaborative cluster development model have been essential elements in catalyzing key initiatives that have created the enabling conditions for new business attraction, technology commercialization, and business success.”