Biotechnology and Medical Technology

Among larger metro areas, the Milwaukee area ranks as having among the highest employment specializations in two of four bioscience categories: medical devices & equipment, and chemicals & agricultural feedstock.

The Milwaukee Region is home to several internationally recognized medical technology and biotech firms. GE Healthcare Technologies, a global leader in medical imaging and information technologies, patient monitoring systems and healthcare services, is based in Waukesha and employs 5,000 people at multiple facilities in the region.

The worldwide headquarters of Abbott Laboratories is located just south of the region in northern Illinois. Already the largest employer of Kenosha County, WI residents, Abbott plans to build a 120-acre campus in the county.

Hospira, a subsidiary of Abbott that was spun off as an independent company in 2004, is a leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of medication delivery systems, specialty injectable pharmaceuticals and critical care devices. Headquartered in northern Illinois, Hospira employs 14,000 people worldwide, including 500 at an office and warehouse facility in Kenosha County.

The Milwaukee Region also is home to the U.S. headquarters of Schwarz Pharma Inc., a global pharmaceutical firm that specializes in therapies for the central nervous system, as well as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases.

The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee ranks as one of the top 100 academic research institutions in the United States with more than $158 million in research and development expenditures in 2007.

Technology Initiatives

The Milwaukee Region has developed an extensive support network to facilitate the growth of biotech firms. The Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation (CATI) and other community initiatives bring together educators, scientists and the business community to transform research discoveries into marketable products. Several colleges have also adopted their own technology transfer programs, including the Medical College of Wisconsin Research Foundation. The Technology Innovation Center, one of the largest high-tech incubators in the country, is specifically designed to provide laboratory and office space, networking opportunities and other critical services for biotech and information technology start-ups. It currently serves more than 40 tenant companies with 320 employees.

The Milwaukee Region’s commitment to biotechnology has not gone unnoticed. In 2007, the region hosted the BIO Mid-America Venture Forum, which brought together close to 400 venture capitalists and early-stage biotech firms from throughout the Midwest.


BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY FIRMS
COMPANY PRODUCTS TOTAL EMPLOYEES LOCAL EMPLOYMENT
Abbott Laboratories
Human and veterinary pharmaceutical products, diagnostic assays and nutritional products
72,000
2,400
Cambridge Major Laboratories Custom synthesis of API, specialty reagents and fine chemicals 160 100 
Criticare Systems
Anesthesia monitors, vital sign monitors and pulse oximeters
90
90
GE Healthcare Technologies
Medical imaging, information and diagnostic technologies
46,000
6,000
Hospira
Medication delivery systems, specialty injectable pharmaceuticals and critical care devices
14,000
500
Invitrogen
Life science technologies for disease research, drug discovery and commercial bio-production
9,500
60
Mortara Instrument ECG signal processing hardware/software
180 135 
MRPC Medical device raw material and product development
100 100 
RF Technologies Radio frequency identification for health care 150 150 
Schwarz Pharma
Pharmaceutical therapies for the central nervous system, as well as gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases
10,000
160
Thermo Fisher Scientific Milwaukee Synthesis, modification, labeling and detection of nucleic acids 30,000 105 
Vesta
Medical, aerospace and food components and devices
300
300


Biotech Forum

In 2007, the Milwaukee Region hosted the

BIO Mid-America Venture Forum

which brought together close to 400 venture capitalists and early-stage biotech firms.