Wisconsin is one of 31 regions in the United States to be designated as a Regional Technology and Innovations Hub, focused on the biohealth industry.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration announced the regions moving forward as part of the national Tech Hubs program Monday. The Tech Hubs program, part of the CHIPS and Science Act, is an economic development initiative designed to spur regional innovation and job creation by strengthening a region’s capacity to manufacture, commercialize and deploy technology.
As part of phase one of the Tech Hubs program, Wisconsin has earned a $350,000 grant that will be used for further strategic development. If the state moves on to phase two of the program, additional grants worth $50 million to $75 million could be awarded. Only five to 10 regions will move on to phase two.
“Wisconsin’s designation as a Regional Tech Hub is a testament to the strength of our state’s biohealth and personalized medicine industry,” said Gov. Tony Evers in a statement. “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.”
In August, a consortium of 15 public and private partners submitted an application to the Economic Development Administration seeking the tech hub designation. The consortium aims to gather stakeholders around a strategy to leverage Wisconsin’s momentum in biohealth technology and to develop and facilitate a shared initiative.
BioForward Wisconsin, a Madison-based advocacy group representing 220 organizations within the state’s biohealth industry, is the lead consortium member that submitted the Tech Hubs grant application.
“With world-class research institutions, a strong pipeline of talent and cutting-edge ‘Made in Wisconsin’ manufacturing, our state is well positioned to drive innovation in biohealth and personalized medicine, pioneering technologies that have the potential to improve access to affordable care, better diagnose and treat patients, and save lives,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who helped create the Tech Hub program.
Much of the consortium’s efforts will be focused on personalized medicine, which combines genomic innovation, advanced imaging technologies, big data analytics, artificial intelligence computing, population health trends and bioscience breakthroughs, with treatments carefully tailored to a patient’s specific medical needs.
“The combination of the consortium and the regional tech hub designation enables many of the key stakeholders in this vibrant field to research, think, and plan collectively instead of working through challenges on their own,” said Aaron Olver, chair of the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub Consortium. “By working together, we can speed up innovation, share resources and knowledge, and advance promising treatments to improve patients’ lives.”
