Governor proposes biotechnology initiative

In his State of the State message to the Legislature Jan. 26, Gov. Tommy Thompson revealed plans for a $317 million BioStar initiative to build a series of state-of-the-art research centers on campus.

In his address, Thompson emphasized the importance of biotechnology and UW–Madison research to the state economy.

“The economic potential for biotechnology and high technology companies is incredible,” Thompson told lawmakers. “But to win this race, we must make the right investments to fully grow these industries and make Wisconsin more competitive. We should begin by strengthening our position as the nation’s leader in biotechnology research.”

Excerpt from the governor’s message

“The proposed ‘BioStar’ initiative gives us the chance to keep pace with the explosive growth in biotechnology research,” says Chancellor David Ward. “It could also help us maintain our national leadership in the biosciences, where the depth and diversity of our faculty and student talent is second to none.”

Full statement from the chancellor

The commercial prodigies of the university’s research enterprise have altered the state’s economic landscape, creating jobs and wealth that rival the contributions of Wisconsin’s most important industries.