26 Oct WisBusiness: the Podcast with Lisa Johnson, BioForward Wisconsin
Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin
This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Lisa Johnson, CEO of BioForward Wisconsin.
The Madison-based organization leads the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub initiative, which this week received official Regional Technology Hub designation from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
It’s one of 31 such efforts selected by federal officials, putting it in the running for up to $70 million in funding in the next phase of the program. The Wisconsin-based effort is centered around personalized medicine, drawing on the state’s health care, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing industries.
“That’s from the strength we have in biosciences, biotech, but then you get into the health area with diagnostics and digital health and [medical] devices, and all combined, it’s biohealth,” she said. “And it really differentiates us from many other places.”
Johnson says the designation sends a message to the rest of the country that Wisconsin excels in these areas, and recognizes the potential for the state to become a global center of expertise in precision medicine.
Of the designees, up to 10 will be chosen for between $40 million and $70 million, Johnson explained.