Madison Reporter

Wisconsin's official U.S. Regional Tech Hub designation and $49 million in funding will advance research and innovation in the state's personalized medicine and biohealth sector.

Madison College joined Gov. Tony Evers, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, and its tech hub partners at Milwaukee Area Technical College on July 22 to celebrate the tech hub project and its aim to expand the economy, create jobs, and enhance American competitiveness in this industry.

During the press conference and tour at Milwaukee Area Technical College, the focus was on the anticipated benefits of the biohealth tech hub for Wisconsin's workforce and economy.

"Wisconsin’s technical colleges are expertly equipped to fulfill the workforce training needs of our state employers. It is in our DNA. This funding will allow us to leverage our expertise and scale our training to serve the growing biohealth industry," said Madison College Chief Strategy Officer and Executive President Mark Thomas.

Gov. Evers and Sen. Baldwin have been working together to secure Wisconsin’s designation as a Tech Hub and to advocate for continued investments in the state's growing personalized medicine and biohealth technology industry.

“Jobs, jobs, and more jobs. That is what this Tech Hub will mean for Wisconsin,” Baldwin said. “Whether in a high-tech lab, behind a computer, or on a foundry floor, our Tech Hub will create all sorts of opportunities for Wisconsinites in a growing field."

Over the next ten years with the tech hub designation, Wisconsin could benefit from a $9 billion boost in new economic development and 140,000 total jobs.

“It is no secret that Wisconsin’s multi-billion dollar biohealth industry is a huge economic driver that supports tens of thousands of jobs across the state," Evers said. "The state has been a committed partner in the Tech Hub process since the very beginning, and I am glad my administration could do its part to help bring this important designation to Wisconsin."

Madison College Chief Strategy Officer Mark Thomas emphasized the strategic role Madison College and Milwaukee Area Technical College will have in developing the biohealth tech hub employee pipeline.

"For over a century, Wisconsin’s technical colleges have been expertly equipped to fulfill the workforce training needs of our state employers," Thomas said. “It is in our DNA; it’s what Wisconsin’s technical colleges do, and this funding will allow us to leverage our expertise and scale our training to serve the growing biohealth industry."

Madison College is leading the ABC (Actualizing Biohealth Career) Pathways project in partnership with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) and Universities of Wisconsin with support from Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin (WDBSCW) and Employ Milwaukee, Inc.

MATC President Anthony Cruz highlighted that the biohealth tech hub would significantly impact not only on MATC but also on its partners.

"This is a landmark moment," Cruz said. "We will look back on this and see that this really made a transformative change for our community."

The ABC Pathways project will receive $12.5 million in federal funding, along with $1.5 million in matching funds from Wisconsin for a total investment of $14 million towards expanding collaborative efforts between partners.

The project aims to raise awareness about biohealth careers among underrepresented communities by developing stackable credentials tailored to meet industry demands through work-based learning opportunities such as apprenticeships.

"We are thrilled to embark on the ABC Pathways initiative and eagerly anticipate long-term benefits it will bring Wisconsin employers, workforce, and communities," Thomas added.