WITH TOM STILL
Based on what the average citizen might read or hear, many people may expect the Wisconsin Legislature’s return to work in the Capitol to be dominated by partisan wrangling — whether such friction is necessary or not.
What do these companies have in common? Pinterest, Groupon, Mailchimp, Uber, Slack, WhatsApp, Airbnb, Square, Instagram, Google, and PayPal. (Hint: It’s more than just tech.)
The coming months will be a critical time for Wisconsin’s congressional delegation to put partisan and regional differences aside as decisions are made to seed tech innovation “hubs” in cities outside the nation’s major metros on the East and West coasts.
The running joke among scientists and others engaged in nuclear fusion research is that genuine progress toward producing energy is 20 years away … and has been stuck 20 years out for decades.
The term of art is “range anxiety,” the uneasy feeling that hangs over many drivers of electric vehicles when they hit the road for longer trips. When and where will they find the next charging station? Unfortunately for many of them, Wisconsin is a bigger source of range anxiety than most states — at least, for now.
“Climate refugees” is a term most Americans associate with historically dry places such as sub-Saharan Africa or the Middle East. It may become a domestic reality in the years and decades ahead, with challenges that may upset some people on the receiving end of migration — and opportunities that excite others.
It’s tempting to believe venture capital is predominantly a coastal phenomenon based on where such investments are made: About three-quarters of the record $333 billion invested in 2021 wound up in three states — California, New York, and Massachusetts.
It’s the most abundant element in the universe, making up about 75% of all matter, and it may hold the key to a future of abundant clean energy.
Few are surprised to learn Madison and Milwaukee are hubs for tech-based innovation involving young companies. Visual evidence, surveys, rankings, and studies have shown as much over time.
What makes a state more economically competitive than its next-door neighbors or other states time zones away?
Tom Still is president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is the former associate editor of the Wisconsin State Journal.
