🔴 There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune…

Julius Caesar, By William Shakespeare

Mauritius has spent decades searching for the next catalyst for foreign investment. Meanwhile, the $3 trillion global life sciences industry is boo- ming, yet we remain on the sidelines. The opportunity is clear: within five years, Mauritius can position itself as the Life Sciences Switzerland of Africa, transforming into a hub for biomedical research and a magnet for investment. The foundation is already here, but we need a final push to become globally competitive.

To make this vision a reality, we must act on three fronts: strengthening our life sciences ecosystem, ensuring regulatory excellence, and developing a contract research organization (CRO) industry that positions Mauritius as a critical player in global markets. Mauritius stands at a pivotal moment. We can seize this opportunity and claim our place in the global life sciences economy, or we can watch others take the lead. The choice is ours.

A Strong Foundation, But Underutilized

A strong academic foundation is the backbone of any thriving life sciences industry, providing the talent, research capabilities, and innovation pipelines needed to attract global partnerships and drive scientific breakthroughs. Mauritius already has an impressive academic and research base for its size. The University of Mauritius, University of Technology Mauritius and Open University Mauritius, guided by the Higher Education Commission, are well-positioned to incubate industry collaborations.

Two key institutions also play a crucial role: The Mauritius Research and Innovation Council (MRIC), a driving force in research funding and the Mauritius Institute of Biotechnology Limited (MIBL), a critical link between public and private life sciences sectors.

Leaders in these institutions share this vision. MRIC has a proven track record in applied research and privatesector collaboration. The MIBL now operates under the Minister of Tertiary Education, Science, and Research the Hon. Dr. Kaviraj Sukon, a leader in global partnerships.

So why hasn’t Mauritius capitalized on this foundation? The answer lies in regulatory confidence, which brings us to ethical standards in research.

Building Global Confidence in Our Research Standards

As a leader in the life sciences industry, I know that success depends on scientific rigor, ethical transparency, and speed.

In the US, EU, and Japan, where most global life sciences research takes place, strict regulations ensure the ethical treatment of animals and human clinical trial participants. Confidence in these standards is essential for attracting global research collaborations and investment.

Mauritius already has a strong framework in place with its 2017 Animal Welfare Act, which established protections for research animals. Now is the time to build on this foundation, aligning with the best international practices to give research partners the assurance they need to invest in Mauritius.

Encouragingly, stakeholders have been engaging with the Hon. Dr. Arvin Boolell, Minister of Agroindustry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries to strengthen our regulatory positioning. Mauritius has an opportunity to set a gold standard in research ethics, one that reflects both our commitment to humane treatment and our readiness to compete on the world stage.

A collaborative approach, bringing together government, industry experts, and the Mauritian diaspora, can ensure that our policies support scientific excellence while maintaining the highest ethical integrity.

We Have Built It. Now Make Them Come

With $3 trillion at stake, the global life sciences industry is fiercely competitive. Mauritius must differentiate itself, and we have two distinct advantages. We have a well-established non-human primate (NHP) industry, a key resource for global therapeutic development; and we have strong ties with India, an emerging powerhouse in contract research.

The NHP Window: A Shrinking Opportunity

Until recently, China was the largest supplier of NHPs for biomedical research. But during the pandemic, it banned exports, prioritizing its own research needs.

Other major suppliers, including several Southeast Asian nations, lost access to US markets due to ethical violations. Today, Mauritius is the leading NHP supplier to the US, but this position won’t last forever.

Within five years, new suppliers like the Philippines and Cambodia, along with US-based breeding programs, will erode our market share. Within a decade, AI and advanced modeling could reduce reliance on NHP studies altogether.

If we fail to act now, Mauritius will miss its moment.

CROs: The Key to Long-Term Growth

A contract research organization (CRO) conducts biomedical experiments for biotech and pharmaceutical companies. The CRO sector represents a huge portion of the global life sciences market.

India’s CRO industry is expanding rapidly as companies shift away from China. However, India lacks a sufficient NHP supply, giving Mauritius a strategic advantage.

The Strategy: Why India Needs Us

Mauritius doesn’t have direct air freight routes to export NHPs to India. But that doesn’t matter because Indian CROs don’t need NHPs, they need Mauritius.

If we strengthen our life sciences ecosystem and align our research ethics with global standards, Mauritius can attract Indian (and other) CROs to set up NHP research operations locally. This is our golden opportunity to: Establish a world-class scientific ecosystem.

Set global ethical benchmarks in animal research.

Create a fast, reliable, high-trust regulatory environment.

Brand Mauritius as a center of excellence in life sciences.

Time is Running Out

Mauritius has a five-year window to seize this opportunity, but it is wasted if we do not act urgently: now, in this upcoming budget cycle. The infrastructure exists. The talent is here. The regulatory framework is ready for enhancement.

This is not just a dream; it is an achievable reality.

Mauritius stands at a crossroads. Investment in life sciences offers strong potential to boost economic growth and propel the country into high in- come status.

This is our moment. Let’s make it count.

Dr. Shivraj Sohur, originally from Espérance Trébuchet, is a leader in the global life sciences industry, a practicing neurologist at Massachusetts General Brigham Hospitals in Boston, and part-time faculty at Harvard Medical School.