Phrases like “biohealth” and “biosciences” are more than industry lingo in a state like Wisconsin. They are powerful drivers of economic development.
Faculty, staff and guests in the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research are greeted with the words “Research: Today’s Discovery, Tomorrow’s Cure.”
These compound words encompass fundamental discoveries in biology that can help build tools to make research advance more quickly and efficiently; develop therapeutics through translational research; and manufacture those therapeutics at scale. Further benefits relate to diagnostics, innovations in digital health, and medical imaging.
Madison and Milwaukee boast success in all these domains, positioning Wisconsin as a regional powerhouse with growing national influence in biohealth and economic development. Wisconsin was one of only 12 regions selected for a Phase 2 investment from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, with $49 million supercharging Wisconsin’s 2023 designation as a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub).
This designation and funding are the result of leadership by BioForward Wisconsin — a leading non-profit organization devoted to advancing the biohealth industry in Wisconsin — in close partnership with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), as well as nearly 20 organizations, academic institutions, private companies, and economic development organizations across southeastern Wisconsin.
Industry partnerships elevate our research. They help us better understand how our work can ultimately impact patients.
Kurt Zimmerman, MS
The Tech Hub’s goal and commitment to Wisconsin is multifold: to foster innovation and promote companies that help people live healthier and happier lives; create high-quality jobs that attract and retain talent in Wisconsin; and help the Midwest become recognized as a global leader in biohealth and personalized medicine. Central to the Tech Hub’s strategy are partnerships between academic researchers and industry, which work together to make scientific discoveries and take them to the marketplace for the benefit of all.
“Industry partnerships elevate our research,” explains Kurt Zimmerman, MS, senior director of SMPH Office of Biohealth Industry Partnerships. “They help us better understand how our work can ultimately impact patients. Industry partnerships also help us deliver that research more quickly to patient populations, whether it be through intellectual property-generating sponsored research or clinical trials that test potentially life-saving technologies.”
Kurt Zimmerman, MS
According to Zimmerman, there are multiple reasons why the school is a preferred partner for industry. Among the reasons, he says, industry is focused on translational research, and as the first school of medicine and public health in the United States, translational research plays a major role in the school’s mission to address public health challenges. By working to advance health equity, the school studies how and where people get sick and what may keep them from being employed, all factors that contribute to economic development.
“One of the things that makes the UW School of Medicine and Public Health unique is the spectrum of research that’s available here, that you can do everything from work with large animal models to work directly with patients,” Zimmerman says. “So many of our faculty members are here because all of this can be done in one place, and this perfectly meets industry needs.”
Lisa Johnson
For Lisa Johnson, the CEO of BioForward, having SMPH as a major collaborator in the Tech Hub was an easy decision. Not only is the school well poised to partner with BioForward and industry, but it also has proven itself time and time again, she says.
“The school’s relationship with BioForward and industry goes back much further than our work on the Tech Hub,” Johnson explains. “What’s been fantastic about the school is that it has always been very industry focused. In addition, our companies are screaming for talent. The university and school train incredibly talented scientists.”
She continues, “Programs like the school’s Master of Science in Biotechnology Program help current employees advance in their careers. These have had a major impact on economic development in our state. We could not have earned the Tech Hub designation and funding without the school.”
A highlight of the Tech Hub designation is the “A++” grade that recognized academic and industry partnerships, showcasing the strong relationships that already exist to power the hub, particularly between Madison and Milwaukee. The hub will take advantage of the complementary landscapes of Madison and Milwaukee like never before, says Wendy Harris, BioForward’s regional innovation officer.
Wendy Harris
“While Madison brings a wealth of research, clinical, and lab expertise and start-up opportunities, the Milwaukee community excels in manufacturing, medical technology, and health system diversity,” she says. “We believe that there are more opportunities to bring the best ideas and strategies from each community, and our Tech Hub is based on this strategy.”
Johnson explains how the state of Wisconsin differs from other tech hot spots like Boston, San Francisco, and San Diego thanks to the breadth of sectors that exist in the state across the biosciences.
“We don’t have just biotechnology or just therapeutics,” she says. “We have the full continuum, which is unique and not only allows deep collaborations across the biohealth space but makes it more enticing for talented workers looking for a breadth of opportunities throughout their career.”
The Tech Hub is funding five projects focused on entrepreneurship and commercialization of technology; imaging technology; workforce development; health data; and cancer screenings. The Wisconsin Health Data Hub is a project that will be an unprecedented, comprehensive source of protected data for researchers and companies to use in their work. Led by Jomol Mathew, PhD, SMPH associate dean for informatics and information technology, the project will provide information on the health of the state’s population so investigators can target research where it is needed most.
For Zimmerman, the beauty of this work advancing personalized medicine is that it can benefit the health of people in every county and corner of the state.
“This work is very rewarding because it can impact anyone in the state,” he says. “You can actually see it being applied a very short distance from my office, where there is a hospital with patients being treated with innovations that have come about because of our work and because of our collaborations with industry.”
