A consortium of 15 public and private partners has been formed to advance an economic development strategy aimed at bolstering Wisconsin’s leadership in personalized medicine and biohealth technology, according to a recent press release. The consortium aims to gather stakeholders around a strategy to leverage Wisconsin’s momentum in this growing technology space, to develop and facilitate shared initiatives, and to pursue designation by the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA) as a Regional Tech Hub (RTH). The designation by EDA of Wisconsin as a Regional Tech Hub could enable the state to access $50 million–$75 million in federal funds under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
Consortium members include the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC), UW System Administration, UW–Madison, GE HealthCare, Rockwell Automation, Exact Sciences Corp., BioForward Wisconsin, Employ Milwaukee, Accuray, Plexus, WRTP Big Step, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Madison Area Technical College, the Madison Regional Economic Partnership, and Milwaukee7.
These efforts are anticipated to enhance the health and economic well-being of Wisconsinites and the global community. Additionally, by keeping sensitive biohealth and genomic data in Wisconsin and within U.S. borders, the creation of a RTH here is expected to increase the strength of the nation’s global competitiveness as well as its national security.
Additionally, consortium members will be better able to coordinate technology development in ways that will enhance opportunities to advance new clinical care pathways, such as new ways to treat specific cancers. The Hub will sponsor a personalized medicine technology and product development strategy to develop these new pathways and improve patient care.
