Less than 80 miles separate Milwaukee from Madison, but the communities are largely isolated in terms of economic development.
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Less than 80 miles separate Milwaukee from Madison, and the 75-minute drive between the two cities would be a typical commute for many residents of major metropolitan areas across the United States.
The short distance and easy commute are expected to result in a mutually beneficial partnership between Wisconsin’s two most populous cities – especially in terms of economic development and job creation.
Unfortunately, the two communities have been largely isolated for far too long. Milwaukee, traditionally focused on manufacturing, has often failed to collaborate with Madison, the center of the state’s academic research, and vice versa.
These days must come to an end.
$49 million goes to the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub Consortium
Thanks to the hard work of 18 public and private partners who make up the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub Consortium, the region received $49 million in federal funding and was named one of the nation’s 12 regional technology and innovation hubs last month.
Advocates from across party lines, including Senator Tammy Baldwin, Governor Tony Evers, State Senator Duey Stroebel, Representative Amanda Nedweski, and other members of the Wisconsin Legislature helped push this appointment across the finish line. This is what leadership looks like: Republicans and Democrats at the state and federal levels in the legislative and executive branches working together to improve Wisconsin’s economy.
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The award, which focuses here on biohealth and personalized medicine, is expected to create more than 30,000 direct jobs and 110,000 indirect jobs over the next decade, and have an economic impact of $9 billion. These are change-making numbers – numbers that promise a bright future for current and future generations.
These developments create opportunities for collaboration between Milwaukee and Madison like never before. The unique characteristics that set the cities apart are the same ones that will help us thrive in 2024 and beyond.
Collaboration between Madison and Milwaukee is long overdue
Madison is an innovator—home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where research is king. According to the National Science Foundation, the school ranks 8th nationally in research spending among public and private universities, investing more than $1.5 billion annually. The UW is also high in patents granted—it ranks 12th in 2023. Additionally, the city’s startup scene is regularly ranked among the top 150 ecosystems worldwide. That innovation leads to products that need to be manufactured. That’s where Milwaukee comes in.
Milwaukee is the maker – a place with a proud manufacturing tradition. The region ranks second among major U.S. metropolitan areas in terms of the percentage of the workforce employed in manufacturing. Production is diverse – from simple parts to the most technologically advanced industrial controls. There is no doubt that Milwaukee has the know-how, infrastructure and talent to be a leader in this sector for decades to come.
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Given the resources available, the potential for economic and professional development in Milwaukee, Madison and the stretch of highway between them is intriguing to say the least.
However, collaboration between public and private stakeholders remains critical. While the strengths of these two metropolitan areas create synergy, collaboration is key. Through policy collaboration and a fusion of ideas, Milwaukee and Madison will no longer operate as islands of one another, but rather two ends of a thriving corridor. Over the past 10 years, we have seen impressive growth between the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas, and now it is time to see economic growth between the Milwaukee and Madison metropolitan areas.
One plus one doesn’t always equal two. It can equal four, five, or even more. Our designation as a technology hub in the Milwaukee-Madison corridor is a big step toward creating wealth and jobs through purposeful partnerships.
Dale Kooyenga is president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. Jason Fields is president of the Madison Region Economic Partnership.
