More than two-thirds of Wisconsin employers in a recent WMC survey say higher health care costs are affecting their business, as some businesses cut compensation and capital investments.  Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce recently released its latest Wisconsin Employer Survey, tapping 182 businesses of various sizes by email and traditional mail. 

Scientists with the Morgridge Institute for Research in Madison have been testing new synthetic materials used for turning stem cells into heart muscle cells, with applications in bio-manufacturing.  Danielle Desa is a post-doctoral fellow with the research institute, which has deep ties to UW-Madison. She spoke yesterday during a Wisconsin

Seven projects linked to startups founded by UW-Madison researchers have been chosen for $500,000 in funding from the State Economic Engagement and Development program, supporting further research and technology advancement.  The university’s Discovery to Product program, which coordinates the SEED program, yesterday announced recipients for funding in fiscal year 2025.

The Stand with Crypto coalition, which recently stopped in Wisconsin as part of a swing state tour, aims to support domestic development of cryptocurrency and inform voters about where candidates stand on this currency.  The national nonprofit group launched a little more than a year ago and spent much of

The Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity says cybersecurity may be the “Achilles’ heel” for manufacturers as online threats become more sophisticated thanks to AI.  The WCMP recently released its Growth Opportunities in Manufacturing report, ahead of insights from the more in-depth Wisconsin Manufacturing Report being unveiled in early October

WEDC is assembling a “concept paper” later this month for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in hopes of landing a proposed manufacturing AI project in Wisconsin.  Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., yesterday highlighted this plan during a meeting of the agency’s board.

State employment growth is projected to continue slowing this year before flattening from 2025 to 2027 while personal income is set to grow, according to a new Department of Revenue economic forecast.  After posting employment growth of 2.8% in 2022, Wisconsin had 1.4% growth last year and is expected to

An expert on internet crimes against children warned lawmakers and others about the dark side of artificial intelligence, noting child predators are using the technology for “nefarious” purposes.  The 2024 Legislative Council Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Wisconsin met yesterday in Wausau, where they heard from

A new UW-Madison study predicts Native American communities will miss out on billions of dollars of economic impact from the clean energy transition if existing disparities persist.  Profs. Dominic Parker and Sarah Johnston led a team of researchers in analyzing the potential income that renewable energy projects could provide to

Wisconsin hospitals made progress last year in reducing rates of various infections, including lowering the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 26.7%.  That’s according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s Wisconsin Health Care Quality Report, which details efforts to improve the quality of care delivered by health care providers in

Residential construction in Madison is struggling to keep housing affordable for its expanding population, a city planning official says.  Matt Wachter, director of planning and community and economic development for the city, recently discussed affordable housing efforts during a meeting of the Rotary Club of Madison.  Madison’s annual population growth

UW-Stout students helped test and develop a new liquid cooling system for data centers through internships with nVent, a global company with corporate offices in Minnesota.  Easton Sailer and Evan Pettit, seniors in the university’s computer and electrical engineering program, worked with nVent teams this summer to develop new “high

Income inequality in Wisconsin is declining as lower-wage workers are seeing faster wage growth, according to a recent report from UW-Madison’s High Road Strategy Center.  The State of Working Wisconsin 2024 report, released ahead of Labor Day, notes this change marks a “reversal of trends” from the past 40 years

UW-Madison researchers found higher levels of PFAS in the blood of older, higher-income white men who had eaten locally caught fish in the past year, according to a recent study.  The research, published recently in the Journal of Environmental Research, was led by scientists at the UW School of Medicine

The head of Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office is hopeful new federal funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure will give residents more confidence to buy EVs in the years to come.  Milwaukee is getting just under $15 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration to install EV charging

The Wisconsin Grocers Association is slamming Vice President Kamala Harris’ policy proposals on price gouging as “misguided,” arguing they “run counter to economic history.”  Harris, who last week accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination as presidential candidate, has pledged to address the high cost of food through a federal ban on

Smaller, localized versions of AI language models could help address emerging concerns around data privacy and the cost of the technology.  That’s one insight from Darren Oberst, CEO of Ai Bloks and AI framework platform LLMWare, who spoke this week as part of Forward Festival in Madison. He was hosted

The winner of this year’s Pressure Chamber pitch competition, Madison-based SixLine Semiconductor, is raising funds to establish a lab facility as it continues developing its advanced materials technology.  Katy Jinkins, the company’s CEO and co-founder, yesterday addressed a crowd of investors, fellow entrepreneurs and other attendees of the Greater Madison

The Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce is calling for efforts to reduce barriers to training, expand Medicaid, boost incentives for those working in underserved areas and more.  Gov. Tony Evers yesterday announced the task force has issued its final report, which includes a wide array of recommendations for

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su touted the ripple effect of Microsoft’s planned $3.3 billion Wisconsin AI datacenter while visiting a mine that will supply materials for its construction.  She spoke yesterday at the Payne & Dolan mine in Franklin after taking a tour of the facilities. It conducts aggregate