Wisconsin has all of the working parts necessary to become a regional tech hub focused on biohealth – at least that’s what 15 state business leaders are betting on.
Earlier this month, a consortium of 15 public and private partners submitted an application to the federal Economic Development Administration to pursue the designation of a regional tech hub. 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.
The tech hub initiative is part of the CHIPS and Science Act. The idea to include this initiative within the CHIPS and Science Act was spurred by a Brookings Institution study, which stated that cities in and immediately near Wisconsin are highly rated as having the necessary assets to become a tech hub.
“The tech hub application that was sent in earlier this month is really a collaboration between 15 private and public entities that understand if they work together, we have a real capacity to bring things from the lab and the research stage to commercialization,” said Sen.
Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin. “It would really change health and well-being globally.”
Members of the consortium include the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., the University of Wisconsin System administration, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, GE HealthCare, Rockwell Automation, Exact Sciences, BioForward Wisconsin, Employ Milwaukee, Accuray, Plexus, WRTP Big Step, MATC, Madison Area Technical College, MadREP and Milwaukee7.
During a tour of the company’s lab spaces Wednesday, Baldwin touted Milwaukee-based
Rockwell Automation as a key business within the consortium that will be able to help other entities scale and commercialize their innovations.
“We provide the super power,” said
Blake Moret, chief executive officer at Rockwell Automation. “We’re not going to come up with the new processes ourselves. We’re going to help them (consortium members) with that.”
In a few months’ time, the consortium hopes to receive an official designation from the government as a regional tech hub. This would garner an initial $15 million investment. The first phase of funding will be used for further strategic development. Phase two could see up to additional $35 to $50 million investment.
“We also want to think about our global competition. We want to be the first to innovate here and make here,” said Baldwin.
Only 20 regions will be awarded the regional tech hub designated and be awarded the initial strategic development funding.
The creation of the consortium and the expanded resources associated with the regional tech hub designation are expected to provide new opportunities to improve care for patients. The consortium anticipates giving greater attention to traditionally underserved patient communities by establishing a Patient Advisory Group whose members will offer feedback to researchers and industry as they consider which products and services to develop and where to invest in research.
“We’re really making this connection between Milwaukee and Madison and it’s this corridor of innovation that’s been growing organically and we’re really going to light it on fire – in a good way,” said
Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of
WEDC.
By keeping sensitive biohealth and genomic data in Wisconsin and within U.S. borders, the creation of a regional tech hub could also increase the strength of the nation’s global competitiveness and national security, according to WEDC.
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