Wisconsin biohealth hub gets $7.5M from state to boost jobs

The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, a regional innovation hub designated by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, announced that three of interconnected projects will advance with $7.5 million in matching funds from the state of Wisconsin. In July 2024, the U.S. EDA granted $49 million in a second phase of funding to the WBTH.

Those projects will focus on workforce development in Madison and Milwaukee, advanced manufacturing and oncology innovation in Waukesha and entrepreneurship ecosystem support, officials said.

“The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is more than a designation – it’s a launchpad for advancing national and economic security for the United States through statewide collaboration, job creation and industry leadership,” said Lisa Johnson, CEO of lead consortium member BioForward Wisconsin, in a statement. “This progress would not be possible without the support of our state legislators, industry partners and educational institutions working together,” she added.

The core of the tech hub’s mission is a workforce strategy to give Wisconsin residents skills for high-demand careers in biohealth and personalized medicine, officials said. Workforce development boards, technical colleges and the Universities of Wisconsin are preparing to launch programs backed by EDA funds and state matching support, officials added.

The Madison Area Technical College will oversee a regional workforce development program to expand biohealth imaging technology operation, maintenance credentialing and hands-on training.

“This project meets a critical need – preparing students and transitioning professionals for high-quality jobs in one of Wisconsin’s fastest-growing sectors,” said Mark Thomas, the chief strategy officer of Madison College.

The Milwaukee Area Technical College will advance the ABC Pathways project, which will establish a new training facility as a cornerstone of the tech hub’s infrastructure and workforce initiatives, officials said.

Employ Milwaukee and the Workforce Development Board of South-Central Wisconsin will partner with regional organizations such as Operation Fresh Start to give youth and marginalized populations career pathways, professional development and wraparound support services, officials added.

In Waukesha, GE HealthCare will expand its engineering a product development footprint in the state, as part of oncology care innovation at its Waukesha facility, officials said. The effort is supported by state funds and will increase the company’s data science and cloud expertise, officials added.

The tech hub investment will support collaboration between GE HealthCare and UW-Madison and Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, officials said. The collaboration will focus on pressing medical problems in the field of oncology with the goal of enhancing and personalizing cancer care, officials added.

The projects join WBTH’s portfolio of initiatives, including the Innovation to Commercialization Pipeline (ICP) program and Forward BIOLABS’ expansion, which is meant to connect startups between startup and commercialization, officials said. Officials added it’s part of a statewide effort to build a biohealth ecosystem.

“Whether it’s building the future workforce in Madison and Milwaukee or scaling production and care in Waukesha, the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is delivering tangible results,” said Wendy Harris, regional innovation officer for WBTH.