Three projects that are part of the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub initiative are making the move from concept to reality.
The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is a nationally designated regional innovation hub.
Last July, Wisconsin received $49 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. This funding, along with $7.5 million from the state of Wisconsin, is supporting the creation of a regional biohealth tech hub.
The WBHTH involves six interconnected projects focused on uniting innovation, manufacturing and workforce development initiatives across the region, while also building a “word-class personalized medicine center.”
WBHTH initiatives focused on workforce development in Madison and Milwaukee; advanced manufacturing and oncology innovation in Waukesha; and entrepreneurship ecosystem support have made noteworthy progress, according to a Monday announcement from BioFoward Wisconsin, the lead member of the consortium leading the tech hub initiative.
“The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is more than a designation -- it’s a launchpad for advancing national and economic security for the United States through statewide collaboration, job creation, and industry leadership,” said Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin. “This progress would not be possible without the support of our state legislators, industry partners, and educational institutions working together. That collaboration is what sets the Wisconsin Tech Hub apart.
Workforce development
A core component of the WBHTH is a workforce strategy aimed at giving Wisconsinites the skills they need to fill positions in the biohealth industry.
In Madison, Madison Area Technical College is leading a regional workforce development program to expand bioscience credentialing and hands-on training.
In Milwaukee, Milwaukee Area Technical College is establishing a new training facility that will serve as a cornerstone of the WBHTH's infrastructure and workforce initiatives.
Meanwhile, Employ Milwaukee and the Workforce Development Board of South-Central Wisconsin are partnering with regional organizations like Operation Fresh Start to provide youth and historically excluded populations with career pathways, professional development, and wraparound support services.
Innovations in oncology
GE HealthCare is scaling next-generation oncology care innovation at its Waukesha facility. This involves expanding the company's engineering and product development footprint in the state, including increasing the company’s data science and cloud expertise.
The WBHTH also supports a continuing collaboration between GE HealthCare and other health care providers including UW-Madison and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. This collaboration focuses on solving medical problems in the field of oncology, with the aim of enhancing and personalizing cancer care by deploying new oncology and theranostics tools in clinical settings.
Commercializing innovations
The WBHTH also recently announced a major milestone for its Innovation to Commercialization Pipeline (ICP) program.
The ICP program is designed to help young, scalable biohealth companies in Wisconsin navigate the journey from discovery to market.
Madison-based Forward BIOLABS unveiled the location of its new Milwaukee-area office, which will be housed at the UWM Innovation accelerator in Wauwatosa.
Forward BIOLABS is also moving into a larger Madison facility, located in the MG&E Innovation Center at University Research Park.
“Whether it’s building the future workforce in Madison and Milwaukee or scaling production and care innovation in Waukesha, the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is delivering tangible results,” said Wendy Harris, regional innovation officer for the WBHTH. “These investments prove that we are not only ready for the future of biohealth—we’re leading it.”
