Gov. Tony Evers is hailing the news that Wisconsin’s tourism industry generated a record $23.7 billion in total economic impact in 2022. That exceeds the previous record of $22.2 billion in total economic impact in 2019, according to the guv’s release. All 72 counties saw a boost in total tourism

Bankers in Wisconsin are less pessimistic about the economy’s trajectory, according to the latest Wisconsin Bankers Association survey.  The group found 86 percent of the bank CEOs tapped in its most recent survey expect inflation to fall or stay flat over the next six months, which is up from 76

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin says new federal legislation would make electric motorcycles more affordable while supporting manufacturers including Harley-Davidson.  The Madison Dem last week introduced the Electric Motorcycle Parity Act alongside U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. The bill would add certain qualifying motorcycles to the list of

The winner of this year’s Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest is SixLine Semiconductor, a Middleton-based startup developing components for advanced electronics. The company’s technology hinges on the use of carbon nanotubes, which are microscopic materials with applications for wireless devices as well as computing. CEO, co-founder and co-inventor Katy Jinkins

The top 13 finalists in this year’s Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest are developing diverse startup ideas ranging from a cancer care decision-making tool to advanced components for next-generation electronics.  These and other ideas were highlighted yesterday during the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, hosted in Milwaukee by the Wisconsin Technology Council.

The head of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation says federal lawmakers have an opportunity to boost support for family farms as they craft the next farm bill.  WFBF yesterday announced its top 2023 Farm Bill priorities for farmers in the state, pointing to dairy issues, crop insurance and conservation funding

Researchers with the UW Carbone Cancer Center are developing AI techniques to improve personalized treatments and avoid unnecessary biopsies and surgeries.  Pallavi Tiwari is co-director of imaging and radiation science at the Madison-based cancer center and an associate professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at the UW School of Medicine

An expert is warning lawmakers of a “continuing erosion” of the state’s licensed practical nurse workforce, driven by Wisconsin’s aging population and other factors such as low pay.  Barbara Bowers, founder of the UW-Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education, yesterday shared results of the latest survey

Madison-based software startup DataChat has launched a new artificial intelligence tool called Ask. This platform relies on large language model-based technology, a type of algorithm that’s been trained on massive datasets to understand and respond to human language. Users of this tool can type in questions about their own data

Researchers at UW-Madison are exploring the use of artificial intelligence to support mental health with $3 million in federal grants.  Funding for the two-year research project comes from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, according to a release from the university. Scientists working in UW-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds are

As hundreds of CUNA Mutual Group workers in Madison began a labor strike Friday, the company said it “remains fully committed” to reaching a collective bargaining agreement with the union.  More than 450 employees represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 39 were on strike Friday, according

Companies in the industrial technology sector have a big opportunity to ramp up growth amid the current economic uncertainty.  That’s according to Asutosh Padhi, a managing partner with McKinsey & Company North America and author of “The Titanium Economy: How Industrial Technology Can Create a Better, Faster, Stronger America.” He

State officials say Wisconsin is making progress toward its clean energy goals, pointing to projected utility emissions reductions, new renewable resources and other steps.  The Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy yesterday released a progress report, about a year after Gov. Tony Evers created the state’s Clean Energy Plan in

The head of WEDC wants the agency’s $50 million venture capital fund to have an impact outside of the state’s main startup hubs of Madison and Milwaukee.  Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes was the featured guest at yesterday’s WisPolitics.com luncheon in Madison. Among other topics, she

In a recent national survey, Northwestern Mutual found many respondents are reducing expenses and saving money to prepare for a possible recession.  According to the Milwaukee financial services company’s 2023 Planning & Progress Study, 67 percent of respondents believe the U.S. economy will enter a recession later this year.  Of

UW System campuses and other partners led by WiSys are getting a $1 million federal grant to plan a regional effort around sustainable agriculture.  WiSys President Arjun Sanga says the project could represent a “key economic driver” for the state.  “Just as a public-private partnership turned Wisconsin into the ‘Dairy

Employer interest in Wisconsin apprenticeship programs is on the rise amid fierce competition for talent.  That’s according to Liz Pusch, deputy director of Wisconsin Apprenticeship with the state Department of Workforce Development. She spoke yesterday at the Madison Region’s Economic Development and Diversity Summit, hosted by the Madison Region Economic

While environmental groups consider appealing a judge’s decision in favor of the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line, advocates are applauding it as a big step forward for the controversial project.  The transmission line project, which involves American Transmission Company, Dairyland Power Cooperative and ITC Midwest, would span more than 100 miles

GOP lawmakers are seeking cosponsors for a bill to standardize the process for granting reciprocal credentials to those with professional licenses from outside Wisconsin.  According to a cosponsorship memo from Sen. Rob Stafsholt of New Richmond and Rep. Nate Gustafson of Neenah, the legislation would replace existing credential-specific standards with

— As hospitals in Wisconsin grapple with a tight labor market and rising costs, mergers offer a chance to improve care coordination and bring together complementary skills.  The latest in a series of recent high-profile hospital mergers was announced last month between Milwaukee-based Froedtert Health and ThedaCare, which is based