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Gov. Tony Evers tours a microbiology lab at MATC. Photo by Sophie Borich on July 22, 2024.
In early July, state officials celebrated the award of a $49 million federal grant to the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, which promises to create thousands of new jobs over the next decade and boost the economy across the state.
On Monday, those same officials visited Milwaukee to meet with students who are poised to fill burgeoning positions in the personalized medicine and biohealth fields and play key roles in their development.
“Simply put, this is a once-in-a-generation investment for Wisconsin,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who has publicly supported the grant for the past two years.
The grant was funded under the CHIPS and Science Act and administered by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).
“Anyone who knows Wisconsin knows that manufacturing and innovation are key to our identity,” Baldwin said. “We have world-class research and education institutions, an unmatched skilled workforce and a proud manufacturing tradition. This technology hub designation will grow our state’s personalized medicine and biohealth sector and drive significant change in how people receive healthcare.”
Governor Tony Evers and other partners in the Technology Hub Coalition, led by BioForward Wisconsin, accompanied Baldwin to tour the workforce training facility at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC).
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The group observed a microbiology class, inspected various tools and machinery used in medical procedures, and discussed the long-term impact of their investment.
Governor Evers called the designation a “pivotal moment” for the state and touted the economic potential that the millions of dollars in grant funding will bring.
“As it stands, the tech hub is projected to bring more than 30,000 jobs to the personalized health sector, with more than 111,000 indirect jobs attributable to the tech hub, and $9 billion in economic development over the project’s first 10 years,” he said. “New opportunities to advance research and innovation will drive our competitive advantage in the industry.”
The Wisconsin partnership will include organizations from the private, public and nonprofit sectors in Madison and Milwaukee and will work in three areas: diagnostic imaging/theranostics (cancer diagnosis and treatment), genomics, and big data/analytics.
Sheldon Garrison, a research scientist at MATC, said the “diverse range of occupations” supported by the grant include positions in radiology, biotechnology, CNC manufacturing and technology.
“We hope this award will pave the way for our students to land high-paying jobs,” he said, “that will make a difference not only for Wisconsin jobs, but also for patients who desperately need this progress and the care these future workers will help provide.”
Participating organizations in the partnership include Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin System Administration, 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, Madison Regional Economic Partnership and M7.
Wisconsin is one of 12 technology hubs nationwide that are expected to receive final designation and funding.
MATC Chairman Anthony Cruz, in his second week in his new role, said the grant will be “transformative” for the community. “This is truly a landmark moment for the region, the state and this agency.”
According to an EDA fact sheet, the grant funds will be distributed across five projects: building a data ecosystem to accelerate biohealth product development, deploying mobile cancer screening and healthcare referral vehicles in underserved communities, integrating new technologies using AI and data techniques, developing a workforce familiar with the components of new technologies, and “synergizing efforts” across the hub.
“For more than a century, Wisconsin’s technical universities have been well known for being expertly equipped to meet the workforce training needs of our state’s employers. It’s in our DNA, no pun intended,” said Mark Thomas, chief strategy officer and vice president for Madison Area Technical University.
He added that the grants will not only bolster outreach to new workers, but also support current workers and provide “learn while you earn” opportunities for those who face financial barriers to education.
Also attending Monday’s event were Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, and Lindsay Bloomer, CEO and president of the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership/Building Industry Group and Skilled Trades Employment Program.
Milwaukee is also seeking another $50 million federal grant to help bring advanced manufacturing jobs to the 30th Street Corridor.
Northwest Side Community Development Corporation is the lead applicant for the Grow Milwaukee Recompetition Coalition Plan, one of 22 finalists in EDA’s Distressed Areas Recompetition Pilot Program.
