America's Third Coast Nurtures Biotechnology: Wisconsin Offers Diverse Enterprises

摘要

The biotechnology community in Wisconsin calls itself "America's Third Coast," referring to its proximity to Lakes Superior and Michigan. Approximately 150 companies belong to the Wisconsin Biotechnology Association (WBA), based in Madison, which isalso home to the Big 10 campus of the University of Wisconsin. With its worldwide reputation for scientific research, UW-Madison attracts an average of 600 million dollar annually in outside research funds. Hundreds of patents have been translated into start-up businesses, aided by WART (Wisconsin Alumni Research foundation). Since being founded in 1925, the private, nonprofit WARP patents inventions arising from university research, licenses the technology for commercialization, and returns the incomeio UW-Madison to support further research. WARF has contributed 650 million dollar to UW-Madison over the years.