2022 Lab Symposium yields insights for supporting biotech research

UW Madison logoThe Wisconsin Idea was founded on the belief that education should influence people’s lives beyond the boundaries of the classroom. The University of Wisconsin–Madison has continued to deliver on this principle by creating jobs in the state and by sharing groundbreaking research and discoveries that impact the lives of people in Wisconsin and around the world.

UW–Madison continues to contribute to Wisconsin’s growing biotechnology industry, training students to enter the workforce, partnering on research with private companies and advancing life-saving discoveries such as an antibody treatment that reduces asthma attacks in children living in low-income urban neighborhoods. Many of Wisconsin’s most successful biotech companies today began as startups with ties to the university or to the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and either grew into established homegrown companies or have been acquired by global biotech companies as valued additions to their operations.

In November and December 2022, UW–Madison leaders in the School of Medicine and Public Health, Facilities Planning & Management and the Office of Finance and Administration hosted the Symposium on Laboratory Lifecycle Management, a forward-thinking gathering to share ideas about accelerating biotech innovation and research in Wisconsin. The three-day event focused on managing existing laboratory facilities and deepening collaboration between UW–Madison and industry partners. Attendees also discussed the need for future facilities that are flexible and responsive to changing needs and opportunities. These conversations will be used to inform UW–Madison’s approach to new development and redevelopment in the West Campus District Plan.

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