BIO Blog: Doyle says Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery set to open this year

CHICAGO — Gov. Jim Doyle announced today that the long-awaited Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery — a projected $375 million public-private bioscience research program first proposed in 2004 — will open on the west side of the UW-Madison campus for the first time in December.

The facility, which first broke ground in 2008, will house the UW’s public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, the private Morgridge Institute for Research nonprofit — named for former Cisco Systems head and Institutes benefactors John and Tasha Morgridge — and a scientific collaboration facility dubbed the “Town Center.”

“The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery will bring together the brightest researchers in nanotechnology, biotechnology, engineering and information technology in a public-private partnership to embark on cutting-edge research and create good-paying jobs,” the governor said in a statement.

In other announcements tied to BIO:

* Doyle announced that Madison’s Monona Terrace will host the 2011 Small Business Innovation Research National Conference, set for April 11-13. Doyle said the conference is projected to draw 850 attendees.

* Doyle announced the foundation of a state Clean Energy Generation, Transmission and Storage Systems Consortium. The initiative will seek to join business and government partners with both public and private higher education institutions throughout Wisconsin.

* Doyle and Manitoban Premier Greg Selinger announced the first two joint bilateral workshops between Wisconsin and Manitoba on building a clean energy economy.

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