Wisconsin will receive $49 million to develop a tech hub for biohealth, the U.S. Commerce Department announced July 2.
The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub’s goal is to position the state as a global leader in personalized medicine with customized medical tests, treatments and therapies for individual patients by considering differences in genes, environment and lifestyle. The Tech Hub designation and implementation is a multi-phase process being led by BioForward Wisconsin, an association of more than 230 member organizations.
“The Phase 2 award is a pivotal opportunity for Wisconsin to demonstrate the breadth of our biohealth industry and the strength of our statewide manufacturing capabilities,” said CEO of BioForward Wisconsin Lisa Johnson. “In Wisconsin, we excel at both innovation and execution. This EDA tech hub initiative will enable us to contribute significantly to the EDA’s goals of enhancing economic and national security, as well as maintaining our competitive edge on a global scale.”
Wisconsin’s project was one of 12 tech hub proposals in the U.S. selected for full funding, winnowed from nearly 200 applications initially. The tech hub program was established under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act.
To apply for this funding, projects first had to earn a Phase I Planning Grant, which Wisconsin was selected for in October 2023. The competitive program saw more than 370 applications from 49 states and four territories.
“Today’s announcement is a win for Wisconsin,” said Missy Hughes, CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. “This award recognizes the groundbreaking potential that the collaboration between Madison and Milwaukee, between our educational institutions, our start-ups and advanced manufacturing leaders, and our world-class health care providers offers to the people of Wisconsin and to the future of patient care around the world.”
The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub Consortium includes members from the University of Wisconsin System, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, GE HealthCare, Rockwell Automation, Exact Sciences Corporation, BioForward Wisconsin, Employ Milwaukee, Accuray, Plexus, WRTP Big Step, Milwaukee Area Technical College, Madison Area Technical College, the Madison Regional Economic Partnership, and Milwaukee7.
