Not long ago, Beloit, Wisconsin, was a largely rural community, mostly known for being the first stop in Wisconsin for travelers coming over the border from Illinois. Today, they’re trying to cure cancer here.
Northstar Medical Radioisotopes, a biotech startup building a rapidly growing campus of buildings just off the interstate, is developing cancer diagnostics and treatments that use radioactive materials. CEO Frank Scholz says it is the most exciting technology out there.
“This is an emerging field, very promising, to make a real difference in patients’ lives and the lives of their families, because we all are affected by cancer,” he said.
Northstar has been doing this work for 20 years, with occasional setbacks. Last year, the company blamed government-subsidized foreign competition for the layoffs of 93 employees — more than a quarter of its workforce — at its facilities in Beloit and Madison. But now, Scholz believes the company is on the verge of really taking off. It is not just because of the technology, which is generating interest from all around the world. It is also because Wisconsin is now home to of one of 31 Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs— or “Tech Hubs” for short — designated under the federal CHIPS and Science Act. Wisconsin’s hub focuses on bio-health.
Read more here: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/25/wisconsin-wants-to-be-tech-mecca-and-leave-the-foxconn-fail-behind.html