— State officials are touting Wisconsin’s precision medicine “Tech Hub” designation as a win for the state’s biohealth industries.
The U.S. Department of Commerce yesterday announced the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub effort, led by Madison-based BioForward Wisconsin, is one of 31 such initiatives selected for Regional Technology Hub designation by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Wisconsin is getting $350,000 in planning funds, and has the opportunity to apply for up to $70 million in implementation funding, according to the federal agency.
During a White House announcement, President Joe Biden touted Wisconsin’s tech hub. He said it will bring together research labs, medical device manufacturers and engineers to create therapies tailored to a patient’s genetic code and medical history.
“I believe it’s going to save a lot of lives in the long run,” Biden said.
Gov. Tony Evers yesterday said Wisconsin’s inclusion is “a testament to the strength” of the biohealth and personalized medicine industry.
“As this sector continues to grow, it will mean more high-paying jobs and economic growth for our state, as well as innovations that will transform the future of medical care for people in Wisconsin and around the world,” he said in a statement.
And Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes called it a “huge win” for creating a more inclusive economy.
“When it comes to bringing together the best in research and development, cutting-edge manufacturing, highly skilled and educated workers, and a commitment to relentless improvement, no state is better prepared to lead the way,” she said.
The Tech Hubs program was established through the CHIPS and Science Act. Designees include groups focused on advanced manufacturing, autonomous systems, biotechnology and more. Wisconsin’s effort is focused on personalized medicine, which incorporates the fields of genetics, AI, advanced imaging and data analysis to match medical treatment to specific patients.
BioForward Wisconsin CEO Lisa Johnson notes Wisconsin is already a leader in biohealth technology and precision manufacturing. The state biohealth sector last year had a $32 billion economic impact, employing more than 129,000 people, according to BioForward.
“We have the capabilities in place and this designation will launch new endeavors that will benefit all of humankind,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin Technology Council President Tom Still said “it’s exciting, yet not entirely surprising” that the state was selected, pointing to its “excellence in science and tech.”
“It’s only a start for Wisconsin, however, as the state moves ahead on multiple fronts to capture the full potential of its expertise in science and technology,” he said in an email. “The biohealth Tech Hub will connect the Madison and Milwaukee regions around a project that improves human health in ways that may only be envisioned today, but which will be executed tomorrow because of the state’s ability to bring ideas from the lab bench to caretakers and patients.”
And U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in a statement yesterday praised the state’s research institutions, talent pipeline and manufacturing industry, arguing Wisconsin is “well positioned to drive innovation” in personalized medicine and biohealth fields.
“I am proud to have helped create and support the Tech Hub program and know that bringing one to Wisconsin will create more opportunities for our businesses and workers,” the Madison Dem said.
Consortium members include: BioForward Wisconsin, WEDC, UW System Administration, UW-Madison, GE HealthCare, Rockwell Automation, Exact Sciences, Employ Milwaukee, Accuray, Plexus, WRTP Big Step, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Madison Area Technical College, MadREP and Milwaukee7.
See the U.S. DOC announcement:
See Evers’ release: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/3772ae5
See Baldwin’s release: https://www.baldwin.senate.gov/news/press-releases/baldwin-announces-wisconsin-selected-as-a-tech-hub
See more on the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub: https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/regional-technology-and-innovation-hubs/2023/Wisconsin-Biohealth-Tech-Hub
— Leaders in the Midwest health care industry and research community are also applauding the tech hub designation.
GE Healthcare Vice President of Advanced Technology Jay Hill says the state’s inclusion “sends a loud and clear message to the world that Wisconsin is perfectly poised for this initiative that will drive significant advancements” in the biohealth field. The Chicago-based company is one of the consortium members.
“We have all the puzzle pieces in place including the companies, talent and innovative thinkers required to continue advancing the development of personalized medicine,” Hill said yesterday in a statement.
Consortium members will now be focused on developing an application for the Phase 2 designation, with Dr. Anjon Audhya of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health declaring “we’re just getting started.” Audhya is the school’s senior associate dean for basic research, biotechnology and graduate studies.
Moving ahead in the next phase of the Tech Hubs program will “place our region on a transformative trajectory, securing our future as trailblazers, paving the path to personalized medicine,” Audhya said.
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See a recent related story: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/biohealth-companies-drawing-on-skilled-labor-pool-as-they-expand-in-wisconsin/
— A top state economist says working women are responsible for Wisconsin’s strength in labor force participation and low poverty rates.
John Koskinen, chief economist for the state Department of Revenue, spoke yesterday during WEDC’s Wisconsin Economic Summit in Appleton. He said Wisconsin had the third lowest poverty rate for children in the country in 2021, and that has since improved to second lowest.
“How is it we have this edge? Well, I believe it’s because of Wisconsin women,” he said.
The state consistently has a higher labor force participation rate than the country overall. In September, that rate was 65.8% for Wisconsin compared to 62.8% at the national level, according to the state Department of Workforce Development.
Koskinen said that gap is larger for women in the state than men, adding the state is ranked 9th in the country for its employment rate of married women.
“What gives us the edge for family income, what gives us the edge for child poverty, what gives us the edge overall, is because women are more engaged in the workforce in this state than the rest of the country as a whole,” he said.
His presentation highlighted other strengths such as Wisconsin’s competitive business tax climate, higher economic engagement levels for young people, regional manufacturing industry investments and more.
But he also touched on some of the state’s top economic challenges, ranging from the shrinking rate of increase in population growth to agricultural vulnerability to weather changes. He referenced this year’s severe drought conditions that have impacted crop quality and farming operations.
“We could always be vulnerable to bad weather, and that sets us up for weaknesses that we can have, that the rest of the economy does not,” he said.
And he highlighted the state’s relative weakness in venture capital compared to other Midwest states. Given that Wisconsin is getting beat in VC activity by every bordering state — according to a global data platform called Dealroom — he argued “we have to reconsider what we’re doing in that regard.”
Watch a video of his remarks here: https://wiseye.org/2023/10/23/2023-wisconsin-economic-summit-session-1/
— Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Natural Resources have announced more than $402 million has been allocated to help municipalities improve their drinking water quality.
“Since Day One, my administration has been working to ensure that every Wisconsinite, no matter their ZIP code, has access to clean, healthy, and safe drinking water and can trust the water coming from their tap,” Evers said in a statement.
He said the investments announced yesterday, provided to 106 municipalities, would help to replace the more than 167,000 lead service lines in the state and to combat PFAS and other contaminants.
The funding comes from a combination of Safe Drinking Water Loan Program and federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dollars in response to applications submitted in June. The money will be awarded over the next year to municipalities and spent as eligible costs accumulate.
Some of the projects preliminarily approved for funding include:
*More than $30 million to help the city of Milwaukee replace lead service lines;
*More than $17 million for the city of Wausau to reduce the amount of PFAS in drinking water through the creation of a new water treatment system, along with $5.8 million to replace lead service lines; and
*More than $3 million for the village of Reedsville to address nitrate contamination and make equipment upgrades.
See the release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/gov-evers-dept-of-natural-resources-announce-402-million-to-improve-drinking-water-quality-for-wisconsinites/
#TOP STORIES#
# Wisconsin receives regional tech hub designation from the federal government
# Many employers already following new pregnant workers law: Milwaukee attorney
# Evers administration allocates $402 million to combat PFAS, other water contaminants
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Wisconsin Senate advances GOP bill requiring statewide wolf population goal
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=946&yr=2023
# CONSTRUCTION
– Brookfield council OKs Sikh community’s proposed expanded worship space
# EDUCATION
– UW students and staff grieve closures of West Bend, Fond du Lac campuses
– Local businesses, colleges speak on student career opportunities
# ENVIRONMENT
– Wisconsin wants to grow its elk population. So why does the state have a hunting season this month?
– Evers administration allocates $402M to combat PFAS, other water contaminants
– How Acuity is factoring climate-related risk into its expansion strategy
# FOOD AND BEVERAGE
– Jake Lawler of Vintage Brewing Co. makes prosciutto-wrapped pork
# HEALTH CARE
– Children’s Wisconsin clinic in Milwaukee to stop offering primary care, raising concerns about access to care
# LABOR
– Biden Administration names Wisconsin a regional tech hub with opportunities for labor unions
# LEGAL
– Milwaukee man tried to use fake country to steal $11.5M in COVID money
# MANUFACTURING
– ‘Big Blue’ cranes being built in Manitowoc will soon be shipped to Washington and Hawaii
# MEDIA
– Film festival turns Mineral Point Opera House into a movie house
# POLITICS
– Report: Madison ranks at bottom of per-resident state aid following shared revenue overhaul
# REAL ESTATE
– Big vision, big plans for downtown Kenosha
# TECHNOLOGY
– Biden administration chooses Wisconsin as regional tech hub
– $75M on the table as Wisconsin wins bid for U.S. biohealth tech hub
– Rockwell Automation to acquire Chicago-based cybersecurity company
# TOURISM
– New senior leader at Milwaukee Art Museum focused on guest experience
– Downtown Racine gets boost from new boutique hotel
# TRANSPORTATION
– State-funded driver’s education could return to Wisconsin
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
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