A Madison-based software company called Polco is conducting field testing for a new conversational AI application designed to support public sector decision-making.  The business yesterday announced the new AI tool known as “Polly,” described as a conversational data analyst. It can be accessed through the company’s existing civic engagement and

Wisconsin manufacturers are using AI to back up engineers and technicians in the field, supporting other technologies such as augmented reality and interactive databases.  And even more advanced applications are planned for the near future, panelists said yesterday at this year’s Wisconsin Tech Summit, held at Lambeau Field in Green

UW-Madison has launched a new hub to coordinate sustainability efforts, aimed at driving a “significant expansion” in related research.  The university on Friday announced the launch of the Sustainability Research Hub, one element of its environmental sustainability initiative outlined in Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s Board of Regents address last month.  Involving

Members of the Governor’s Task Force on the Health Care Workforce pointed to nursing and long-term care as areas to be addressed.  The task force will spend the next six months putting together an action plan for Gov. Tony Evers aimed at addressing key challenges with this labor pool. That’s

The Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors is reporting the first two-month streak of rising home sales since 2022, though many more homes are needed to satisfy buyer demand in the region.  Metro-area home sales rose 11.2% over the year in February, according to the latest GMAR report.  A total of

State officials have rolled out $43.2 million in new broadband grants, funding dozens of projects expanding access to high-speed internet in Wisconsin.  In a release yesterday, Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission announced the funding for 30 projects across the state. These efforts will expand broadband access for

The ratio of licensed nursing home beds to elderly, blind and disabled people on Medicaid in Wisconsin has worsened substantially over the past two decades, compounding existing challenges for the state health care industry.  The Wisconsin Hospital Association’s 2024 Health Care Workforce Report, being released today, highlights this trend and

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman says undergraduate student researchers are preparing to fill jobs and address challenges that don’t yet exist, giving them an edge in the future workforce.  Speaking yesterday during the UW’s 20th annual 2024 Research in the Rotunda event, Rothman said research projects like the ones

Dairyland Power Cooperative is striving to balance environmental goals with energy reliability as it plans for the clean energy shift, according to a top executive.  John Carr, vice president of strategic growth for the La Crosse-based co-op, spoke yesterday during a webinar hosted by UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Public Utility Institute.  “We

Oshkosh Corporation expects to see a significant leap in productivity as the manufacturing business adopts more AI technology.  Anupam Khare, senior vice president and chief information officer for Oshkosh Corp., yesterday discussed the company’s tech-focused strategy during a meeting of the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence.  While

Startups located in Forward BIOLABS have collectively received more than $360 million in grants and investment, according to the organization’s first impact report.  More than 40 businesses have resided at the Madison-based coworking space since it launched five years ago, the report shows. Jessica Martin Eckerly, CEO and co-founder of

Exact Sciences has launched a new genetic test that uses a blood or saliva sample to predict the risk of developing various cancers.  The Madison-based diagnostics company yesterday rolled out the Riskguard hereditary cancer test, which will be available for order starting March 12. It can provide insights on familial

Early-stage investment activity in Wisconsin last year is expected to exceed $482 million once the final count is complete, according to an expert with the Wisconsin Technology Council.  Speaking yesterday during a Tech Council event in Madison, Investor Networks Director Joe Kremer shared preliminary investment deal figures for 2023. In

The founder and president of New Glarus Brewing Company says she can “breathe a sigh of relief” after an appeals court upheld an earlier decision dismissing an investor lawsuit against the business.  In an interview yesterday, Deb Carey described the two-year legal battle as a “long and kind of heartbreaking

Type One Energy, a Madison-based company developing fusion energy technology, has announced plans to relocate to Tennessee.  The company will be building its Infinity One fusion prototype machine at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Fossil Plant in Clinton, according to a recent release. Construction on the device is expected

The head of American Transmission Company is urging state lawmakers to pass a controversial “right of first refusal” bill, while an advocate for Wisconsin electricity customers argues there’s no need to make the change.  The legislation would give utilities already doing business in Wisconsin the right of first refusal to

UW-Madison researchers have identified a protein that could be used to regenerate damaged heart tissue, giving heart failure patients hope for a potential treatment.  The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation recently spotlighted the breakthrough as a “top licensing prospect” among UW-Madison health inventions. The protein, called LRRC10, was discovered by researchers

NVNG Investment Advisors has closed on a $50 million fund of funds, the firm announced recently. Investors in the fund include Exact Sciences, Baird, Johnson Financial Group, West Bend Insurance and A.O. Smith, according to a release from the Madison-based firm. NVNG Co-Founder Grady Buchanan says its mission is to

A UW-Madison economist says Wisconsin is likely headed for a “soft landing” rather than a recession, based on trends in the state labor market.  The state’s chronic labor shortage is often blamed for limiting economic growth, Prof. Steven Deller wrote in a recent report. He notes firms in the state

Families with young children are more likely to face economic challenges than others in Wisconsin, according to an analysis of UW-Madison survey data.  The university yesterday announced survey results from the La Follette School of Public Affairs, which found more than a third of surveyed families with young children struggle