Baldwin Calls on Biden Administration to Bring Tech Hub to Wisconsin

Letter

Dear Secretary Raimondo,

I write in strong support of Wisconsin's application to bring a Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hub) to Wisconsin. The Tech Hub program was created through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-167), which I proudly helped to pass as a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and is administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I also worked to secure an initial $500 million to fund this program aimed at driving technology and innovation-centric growth and creating good-paying jobs.

Wisconsin's application comes from a consortium of 15 public and private partners organized by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to help bolster Wisconsin's leadership in personalized medicine and biohealth technology. With a rich history of innovation, backed by world-class research institutions, a robust Made in Wisconsin manufacturing economy, and the necessary pipeline of new talent to continue growing for the future, Wisconsin is poised to become a growth center in this cutting-edge industry.

A Regional Tech Hub in Wisconsin would allow for the continued advancement of our state's biohealth sector, representing increased opportunities for collaboration and innovation among key stakeholders -- including educational institutions, biohealth companies, precision manufacturers, and investors -- throughout the state. A Wisconsin Regional Tech Hub would also help to accelerate advances in health care, spur economic growth in our communities, and create good-paying jobs in the process.

The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is aligned with economic and national security objectives that drove Congress to pass the CHIPS and Science Act and are the focus of the Biden Administration's Executive Orders that emphasize the importance of advancing biotechnology to revitalize domestic manufacturing. A key aspect of Wisconsin's proposed focus on personalized medicine is genomic sequencing. The U.S. must foster growth and innovation in this sector domestically for both national security and military readiness. Moreover, we must protect U.S. citizens from having their genetic data exploited by foreign entities. By selecting Wisconsin's proposal, the Administration has the opportunity to demonstrate support for our domestic gene sequencing industry, help build domestic capacity, and accelerate innovation. Wisconsin stands ready and is uniquely capable of leading the way.

Again, I am proud to support Wisconsin's application to bring a Regional Tech Hub to the Badger State, and I urge the Department of Commerce to give full and fair consideration to Wisconsin's proposal. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request.

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