MADISON – Today, the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub was announced as one of 12 recipients of the Phase 2 implementation grant of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Regional Technology and Innovations Hub program. This is a bipartisan victory that will help cement Wisconsin as a national and global leader in the biohealth industry.
This past spring, Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Cedarburg) and Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R- Pleasant Prairie) authored legislation that would provide the state matching grant necessary to secure this critical federal funding to establish regional tech hubs across the state. Working with industry leaders, Stroebel and Nedweski’s bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, ensuring that the federal dollars being sent to Washington are returned to Wisconsin in the form of economic development.
“This is a major win for Wisconsin – both for our Biohealth Tech Hub and our current and future biohealth workforce. Actualizing career pathways is a priority project, and I am excited that Wisconsin workers will have the opportunity to gain advanced skills and evolve with this important sector of our economy,” said Rep. Nedweski.
“Wisconsin’s designation as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub is a great opportunity that will help drive innovation and economic opportunity in our state for years to come,” Stroebel said. “I am proud to have authored the bill to secure this federal funding for the State of Wisconsin and look forward to seeing Wisconsin emerge as a worldwide leader in personalized medicine. I’m grateful for the work of my colleague, Rep. Nedweski, BioForward, and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers at both the state and federal level for their efforts in securing this funding for Wisconsin.”
The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration’s Regional Technology and Innovation Hub program awarded $49 million in federal grants to the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, led by BioForward. In addition to $24 million in private donations, Stroebel and Nedweski’s bill allocated $7.5 million in matching funds necessary to secure the federal grant, bringing the overall investment to over $80 million.
This funding will be used to accelerate product development in the area of personalized health data, expand mobile cancer screening, and increase apprenticeship programs and career pathways in the area of biohealth.
The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is a consortium consisting of community leaders, educators, and industry stakeholders. The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub estimates that this grant funding could create up to 30,000 jobs and net up to $9 billion regional GDP in the State of Wisconsin.
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