THU AM News: Cybersecurity could be ‘Achilles’ heel’ for manufacturers, report shows; Evers weighs in on UW enrollment figures

September 19, 2024

— The Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity says cybersecurity may be the “Achilles’ heel” for manufacturers as online threats become more sophisticated thanks to AI.

The WCMP recently released its Growth Opportunities in Manufacturing report, ahead of insights from the more in-depth Wisconsin Manufacturing Report being unveiled in early October through a series of readout events.

Buckley Brinkman, executive director and CEO of the WCMP, underlines the importance of continued growth, calling it the “lifeblood” of any successful manufacturing business.

“The emphasis on domestic manufacturing plays to our strengths as a state and major investments in AI and green manufacturing provide additional momentum during 2024,” he said in the report. “The manufacturers who lean into growth and take advantage of these opportunities will thrive into the future.”

The report notes companies that “focus too intently” on reducing costs may undermine their own future growth, while investing in automation and boosting productivity can help reduce workforce pressures. Large companies are able to adopt automation more quickly, while smaller manufacturers are finding it “much more challenging” to deploy automation technology and benefit from it.

“The inability to implement automation projects increases the productivity gap between large and small companies, placing small companies in a precarious long-term position,” report authors wrote.

The differences between small and large manufacturers also come into play in cybersecurity, as the report notes larger companies present more prominent targets for hackers. But at the same time, smaller companies with fewer cybersecurity resources “may make a more attractive target,” report authors noted. Still, larger companies are reporting getting hacked more often.

Last year, 39% of manufacturing companies with 50 or more employers were hacked, marking a 129% increase from 2021, according to the report. Meanwhile, 17% of those with fewer than 50 employers were hacked last year — a 13% increase from 2021.

WCMP says cybersecurity threats will continue to increase as more machines are controlled remotely through computers rather than manually, while hackers using AI and other new technologies can “launch increasingly sophisticated attacks” against companies. The report urges manufacturers to constantly adapt their defensive strategies to these threats and create plans for responding to an incident.

See the report and get more info on the upcoming Wisconsin Manufacturing Report.

— Gov. Tony Evers says the Universities of Wisconsin’s decision against releasing enrollment numbers for two-year colleges would reduce transparency and may make it harder to gather support to keep smaller campuses open.

“We need to know the numbers — and the numbers are available, so let’s make them available [publicly],” Evers said yesterday during his campus visit to UW-Madison’s Sullivan Residence Hall alongside Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.

Since spring 2023, six two-year campuses have closed or will close by the end of this school year. On Tuesday, the system announced overall enrollment for the school year is up by 1,058 students. But administration officials didn’t individually release figures for the two-year campuses and said they would not do so anymore going forward. Instead, enrollment at the two-year schools was lumped in with the main campuses they are attached to.

See more at WisPolitics.

— SHINE Technologies is supplying a medical radioisotope to Australian cancer treatment company GlyTherix through a newly announced agreement.

GlyTherix, which develops antibody radiopharmaceutical drugs for treating solid tumors, will receive a supply of SHINE’s lutetium-177 chloride product, or Lu-177. Its brand name is Ilumira. This radioactive material is used in various cancer treatments, and GlyTherix will be using it in clinical trials exploring therapies for “aggressive and invasive” cancers.

The company will combine the Lu-177 with a molecule targeting a specific protein in such cancers to deliver targeted radiation while avoiding damage to healthy tissues. This target protein occurs in prostate, pancreatic, bladder, lung, glioblastoma and ovarian cancers. GlyTherix’s Phase 1b trials are set to begin early next year, according to the release.

SHINE produces the Lu-177 at its Cassiopeia facility in Janesville, which has capacity for 100,000 doses per year and could expand to 200,000 doses annually. The announcement cites a “growing demand” for the material in cancer therapies.

Greg Piefer, founder and CEO of SHINE, calls GlyTherix a “true pioneer” in targeted radiotherapy and says the agreement will help advance next-generation cancer treatments.

“GlyTherix’s innovative approach has the potential to transform cancer care for patients with some of the most challenging solid tumors,” Piefer said in a statement. “By providing a reliable supply of high-quality Ilumira, we’re proud to support their groundbreaking work that could offer new hope to patients with limited treatment options.”

See more in the release.

— The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Injury Center is getting $4.25 million over the next five years after being selected by the CDC as an Injury Control Research Center.

MCW yesterday announced the federal designation, making its center one of just 11 ICRCs in the nation. Its main focus will be to reduce disparities in injuries in Milwaukee and Wisconsin more broadly, according to the release.

Dr. Terri deRoon-Cassini, ICRC principal investigator and director of the Comprehensive Injury Center, says injuries and violence affect some groups of people more than others. The release notes the burden of injry is greatest for “specific racially, ethnically and socioeconomically marginalized” people, and Milwaukee County has the highest burden of injury types in the state.

“With this funding, we will be able to significantly advance the injury science research at the Medical College of Wisconsin to prioritize health equity and reduce injury disparities,” deRoon-Cassini said in the release, adding the designation will help boost investment in related research and improve the center’s collaboration with affected communities.

— The Wisconsin Technology Council’s Early Stage Symposium will be a regional qualifying event for the 2025 Startup World Cup, giving one participating entrepreneur a shot at $1 million.

The Tech Council yesterday announced an agreement with Pegasus Tech Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley, establishing the annual symposium as a qualifying event for the global conference. One company selected to pitch in the Tech Council Investor Networks tracks this year will be chosen for the 2025 Startup World Cup.

The grand prize winner of the Startup World Cup will walk away with a $1 million investment prize, according to the release.

This year’s Early Stage Symposium is being held Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace in Madison.

See event details and register here.

— Madison’s 100state co-working space and the Network for Health, Technology & Innovation Inc. have partnered to launch the Founders Circle Ignite Program, the organizations announced.

The program is designed to provide comprehensive business development support for entrepreneurs, focusing on enhancing key areas of business growth through collaboration with partners to improve content delivery and operational efficiency.

The two-month program will take place at 100state and require participants to attend twice-weekly in-person sessions. Participants will end the program with a pitch night and graduation ceremony.

Applications can be done online.

See more at Madison Startups.

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