SPONSORED REPORT
| ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Strategic Economic Competitiveness
Fostering an environment of success for our industries and their supporting workforce. The direct and indirect economic benefits of Milwaukee’s water technology investments demonstrate the profound impact of a comprehensive industry cluster development strategy.
Advancing Industry Clusters Wisconsin’s strength in three of the most essential human needs—water, energy and food—is unparalleled. The mutual dependency of these industry clusters is recognized in Wisconsin, and we’re drawing global recognition due to our success leveraging the intersections of these complementary fields.
— Lee Swindall, Vice President, Business and Industry Development, WEDC
Since its inception, the District has also spurred redevelopment in a previously economically dormant section of the city, bringing in new anchor tenants, as well as retail and housing projects. The success of the cluster also caught the eye of top economic analysts at MIT and Harvard, who announced the launch of a study dedicated to understanding the cluster’s success for use in modeling in other cities. The District solidifies Wisconsin’s leadership in the water technology sector—providing a hub for more companies to collaborate to solve the world’s water issues.
Encompassing parts of the Walker’s Point, Fifth Ward and Harbor District neighborhoods in Milwaukee, the Water Technology District has become a shining example of how economic clusters can encourage innovation and investment. Bolstered by more than $750,000 in investments from WEDC, the District has attracted more than $211 million worth of development between 2010 and 2015, including The Water Council’s Water Tech One and UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences’ Freshwater Plaza.
Increasing Network Connectivity If business is to prosper in Wisconsin, high-speed Internet connectivity must be given the same priority as more traditional types of infrastructure, such as roads and water supply. Recognizing this, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is providing $570 million in grant funding for Wisconsin broadband providers over the next five years to upgrade service, primarily in small towns and rural areas that don’t yet have high-speed Internet access. Three Wisconsin providers—AT&T, Frontier and CenturyLink—will receive grant funding through the FCC’s Connect America Fund to upgrade their service in underserved parts of the state. These upgrades will make an important contribution to Wisconsin’s business climate, enhancing the state’s appeal as a place to do business—especially for areas outside large cities. In addition, WEDC and the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association maintain an interactive online map of the state’s gigabit office parks to help businesses explore their location options.
InWisconsin.com